Steemit Record Pool | Song of the Day: The Roots feat. Bilal - It Ain't Fair (2017)

scuzzy (60)in #recordpool • 7 years ago

At 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 23, 1967, Detroit police officers raided an unlicensed weekend speakeasy drinking club. This confrontation with the revelers and the onlookers on the street evolved into five day destructive riot that tore apart the city of Detroit. The 1967 Detroit riot, also known as the 12th Street riot or the 1967 Detriot rebellion, was a violent public disorder that turned into a civil disturbance resulting in 43 dead, 1,189 injured, over 7,200 arrests, and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed.

During this chaos, Sgt. Mortimer J. LeBlanc negligently fired his rifle into the apartment window of where four year old Tanya Blanding was huddled, frightened and horrified. Tanya Blanding was found dead in the living room.

Featured on the Detroit movie soundtrack, "It Ain't Fair" by The Roots is a reference to police brutality and the racial division in the United States. This powerful song epitomizes the endless struggle between enforcement and minorites in the U.S.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Questlove of The Roots comments:

“This song is the slow burning fire inside all of our souls. Watching the movie [Detroit] clearly shows that life in 1967 isn’t that much different in 2017 or 1897 for that matter. We wanted to hit many a bird with one stone: Humanize the pain, confusion and sadness. But also express the overdue anger. Not only to the powers that be but also to those on the sideline that can afford to turn the other way because it doesn’t effect them at the moment.”

The Legendary Roots Crew featuring Bilal is shown here performing "It Ain't Fair" at the NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert.

Lyrics:

[Verse 1: Bilal]
People swear they woke but they're walking in their sleep
I pray the Lord their souls to keep
Because wolves disguised as sheep patrol our streets
And we all know, that which you sow you shall reap
Those who do know, you should teach
Through every loophole, we gon' leap until you reach
A common ground and become unbound
Because when your whole town becomes a battleground
Tears raining down

[Chorus: Bilal]
Because it ain't fair
It's hard when you're looking for love
And it ain't there
Or trying to read what tomorrow holds
When it ain't clear
Because the well is running dry
Race tension is running high
Under 21 is far too young to die
My salvation's under fire
This marks a rising of the tide

[Verse 2: Black Thought]
Every day I wear a mask like an umpire
Guess a I gotta laugh to keep from crying
Tonight another friend passed on the young side
It's bad 'cause a good friend's hard to come by
Justice is never color blind, never gun shy
For one crime, you may never see the sun shine
We know of one times, giving you the finger
'round hearing me, fuck you, it's not the number one sign
I hear they turning downtown to the front line
It's something like the same place but it ain't safe
There's people dazed and amazed though it ain't grace
The Devil feeding off hate so he gain weight
There's tainted waters in the well, so we can't taste
Impossible to coexist in the same space
They took it from the human race to a tank chase
Enter the black face with the war paint face

[Verse 3: Bilal]
This generation, we've forsaken all that's real
What emotions do we feel?
Is your poison called a pistol or a pill?
Some people say, "Let Jesus take the wheel"
Others say, "Thou shall not kill"
But that old time religion ain't gon' pay my bills
We've come so far yet here we are
Ruthless God, presumed inferior
We scared of y'all

[Chorus: Bilal]
It ain't fair
It's hard when you're looking for love
And it ain't there
Or try to read what tomorrow holds
When it ain't clear
Because the well is running dry
Race tension is running high
Under 21 is far too young to die
My salvation's under fire
Rising and rising, oh!!

[Verse 4: Black Thought]
To my, Afro, Israelis, Native American, Mexicans
Invested in wrestling with Willie Lynch's next to kin
The rising of the tide, noose around the necks again
Look how they try to hide proof of all the excellence
The only tag you know me as is Holy Swag
Through any glass window, we smash, and bro we back
It's coming fast, I'm unabashed, so we have
An awareness of the only flag that's growing fast
I guess I'm tryna minimize regrets, I identify with death
That don't mean it's not an uninvited guest
I'm just tryna answer all of my requests
And express in 140 characters or less
Why I'm the best educator, re-legislated, premeditated
Dedicated, heavy weight that ever paid it with blood
Not tuition without a cop's permission
I got a pot to piss in despite the opposition
Listen

[Chorus: Bilal]
Oh, it ain't fair
It's hard when you're looking for love
But it ain't there
Try to read what tomorrow holds
And it ain't clear
Because the well is running dry
And it ain't fair
No, it ain't fair
No, it ain't fair
Looking for justice and it's just us
It ain't fair
There's a riot going on out there
And it ain't fair
No, it ain't fair
It ain't fair
It ain't fair
No, it ain't fair
When your protector is your predator
It ain't fair
Y'all just gon' turn the other way
No, it ain't fair
It ain't fair
No, It ain't fair
No, no
No, no
No, no
No, no