This… Read Full Bio ↴Electric Avenue is named after a road in Brixton, South London.
This track, first released in 1983, marked the birth of electro-reggae, a scene which was both futuristic and grittily urban in its zen outlook. Electro-reggae is also quite dub.
Famous proponents of Electro-reggae include Liam Neeson and Jeremy "Hands" Vine.
Electric Avenue
Eddy Grant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Boy
Down in the street there is violence
And a lots of work to be done
No place to hang out our washing
And I can't blame all on the sun, oh no
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Workin' so hard like a soldier
Can't afford a thing on TV
Deep in my heart I'm a warrior
Can't get food for them kid, good God
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no, oh no
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Who is to blame in one country
Never can get to the one
Dealin' in multiplication
And they still can't feed everyone, oh no
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher, oh no
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher, oh
Out in the street
Out in the street
Out in the daytime
Out in the night
Oh, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Out in the street
Out in the street
Out in the playground
In the dark side of town
Oh, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher, hey
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue (oh, yeah)
And then we'll take it higher
Rocking in the daytime (we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue)
Rocking in the nighttime (And then we'll take it higher)
Rocking in Miami, ma-ma-me (Electric Avenue)
(And then we'll take it higher) (Electric Avenue)
(We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue)
The lyrics to "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant speak of the violence and poverty in a specific area of London during the early 80s. Grant's neighborhood had been victim to racial tension and riots often caused by the National Front, a far-right and fascist political group. In the song, Grant talks about the violence in the street and the need for work to be done. The lack of resources is depicted by the inability to hang out washing with no space to do so, and the difficulty in affording television. The song mentions the struggle to feed kids and the feeling of being a warrior in the face of difficulty.
The song's chorus revolves around the hope of leaving the harsh realities behind and going to "Electric Avenue," which represents a haven, a place of relief from the struggles of everyday life. The song suggests that once there, things will be better, and that the people will come together to make a change. Grant talks about the issues affecting his community in a way that resonates with the listener, letting them know that they are not alone in struggling.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the street there is violence
The streets are violent and there are many problems to solve.
And a lots of work to be done
There is a lot of work that needs to be done to improve the situation.
No place to hang out our washing
There is no place to do simple things like washing clothes.
And I can't blame all on the sun, oh no
The situation is not caused by natural phenomena like the sun.
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
We will go to Electric Avenue and have a good time.
And then we'll take it higher
We will have even more fun and excitement.
Workin' so hard like a soldier
We are working hard like soldiers, but we are not getting what we need.
Can't afford a thing on TV
We don't have enough money to afford things like TV.
Deep in my heart I'm a warrior
We are warriors at heart, but we are struggling to survive.
Can't get food for them kid, good God
We are struggling to even provide food for our kids.
Who is to blame in one country
There is no one person or group to blame for the situation in the country.
Never can get to the one
They cannot reach a solution or agreement to solve problems.
Dealin' in multiplication
They are trying to increase their wealth or power.
And they still can't feed everyone, oh no
Despite their efforts, they are still unable to provide enough food for everyone.
Out in the street
We are outside in the streets.
Out in the daytime
We are outside during the day.
Out in the night
We are outside at night.
Out in the playground
We are outside playing in the playground.
In the dark side of town
We are in the dangerous, undesirable area of the town.
Rocking in the daytime
We are having fun during the day.
Rocking in the nighttime
We are having fun at night.
Rocking in Miami, ma-ma-me
We are having fun in Miami.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Missing Link Music
Written by: EDDY GRANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lastrada52
No. This was a pop introduction to reggae styles. Pop? You'd be insulting Grant.
Eddy did what Desmond Dekker tried ("Israelites"), and Prince Buster tried ("Ten Commandments"). And Jimmy Cliff tried (and succeeded big), and even the early 60's Jimmy Soul ("If You Wanna Be Happy"). Prior to that, it was more of a calypso/ska/bluebeat/skiffle music that reached our ears.
Listen, even though Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel," is a rock song its roots are in the blues. Can't you understand any of that? It's there, under the surface. There is very little funk or R&B in "Electric Avenue." You could interpret it because it has a great beat & drives but its melody line is reggae no doubt -- maybe even ska (Madness, The Specials).
The initials R&B, if you go back in music history is rhythm & blues. It's not Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston -- it's Sam Cooke, early Ray Charles, solo Curtis Mayfield, Clyde McPatther, The Drifters, Bobby Hebb, Brook Benton, Bill Withers, a little of Sade (though she is jazzier), Marvin Gaye. There is a difference between R&B artists & soul, funk & middle-of-the-road artists. The Temptations were soul, The Drifters were R&B, The Monkees were pop.
Today they bunch people like Beyonce, Shakira & Prince into an R&B mold and that is not true R&B. Could they sing R&B? Probably, but I haven't heard much yet. The connotation has lost its meaning. Like Taylor Swift is country music? I'm still trying to figure that one out. Prince touched on multiple styles, he was never locked into just one.
James Brown dabbled in R&B but he is primarily soul/funk. You know that. He sang some R&B but he is not known for that. He's too explosive in his performances. There's a smoothness to an R&B artist, a finesse. Sam Cooke & early Ray Charles ("You Don't Know Me") are probably the most noted purveyors of true R&B.
Eddy Grant? He's far closer to reggae than R&B or funk. Hell, Parliament is funk, George Clinton, Sly & the Family Stone is rock/funk. Not Eddy Grant. He may be more rock/reggae but Syc holic -- of all the people I know in the music business -- no one ever said Eddy Grant was an R&B/funk/pop artist. Maybe when he was performing with The Equals (on RCA label) he was...but not on "Electric Avenue."
I think you're a fan of true raw rootsy reggae and that's why you object to that song as reggae -- I can respect that. It's not Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Buju Banton, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear & the like. But to reach "white" ears and its audience that love reggae -- you have to sweeten the recipe. That's what Eddy Grant did. Put a lot of sugar into it. We can have a civil talk -- don't be so defensive. It's just music.
@Enterprise-D666
Electric Avenue Lyrics:
[Intro]
Oi!
Oi!
[Verse 1]
Now in the street, there is violence
And a lots of work to be done
No place to hang out the washin'
And I can't blame all on the sun, oh no
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
[Verse 2]
Workin' so hard like a soldier
Can't afford a thing on TV
Deep in my heart, I abhor ya
Can't get food for the kid, good God
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
[Interlude]
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no
Oh, Lord
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
[Verse 3]
Who is to blame in one country?
Never can get to the one
Dealin' in multiplication
And they still can't feed everyone, oh no
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Ho no, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
[Bridge]
Ho, out in the street
Out in the street
Out in the daytime
Out in the night
[Chorus]
Oh, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
[Bridge]
Out in the street
Out in the street
Out in the playground
In the dark side of town
[Chorus]
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Hey, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
[Outro]
Rock it in the daytime
Rock it in the night
Rock it in Miami mama, meh
Whoa, in a Brixton
@ladisaproductions2993
This song is currently not on Spotify and we need to fix that
@sumr5757
Yes it is, just a crappy version:(
@thejessewalker9980
😭😭
@ladisaproductions2993
@@sumr5757 not the original, it does not count
@Acredence
I know, right! I just looked and not there so here I am!
@wwemontagesandtributes6225
It ain’t no where, whyyyy
@dudrushpowerforce
anyone came here because of a wizard in arbys?
@c0ck48
Yeah
@markportillo2992
No 💀
@picklesplease2053
Yes