Hazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress from Coventry, U… Read Full Bio ↴Hazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress from Coventry, United Kingdom. She shot to fame in 1980 playing the role of 'Kate' in the film "Breaking Glass" and featured her singing on the soundtrack Breaking Glass. Although her debut single Ee-I-Adio was released in 1979, she will be best-known for Eighth Day, reaching No.5 in the UK Singles Chart in 1980 Will You? reaching No.8 in the UK Singles Chart, the following year. These were both from the film Breaking Glass.

The following year she scored her third and final UK top ten hit with the single 'D-Days' from her album 'Sons And Lovers.'

Her recent work has included acoustic performances with harpist Cormac De Barra and an autobiographical stage show, "Beyond Breaking Glass".

Black Man
Hazel O'Connor Lyrics

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I am the Blackman and you are the white
I am the deviant and you're always right
I am the darkness and you are the light
I am the Blackman, you're the white

Yeah, I'm the good little holier than thou, hide my head in my hand
I hear no, see no, speak no, no, no, no understand

Well, I am the blackness, I am the dark
I am the alcoholic beast in a park
I am the girl who sold her body to the dark
I am the truth of it, you are the hypocrite

I am the dirty and you are the clean
I live in places where you've never been
I eat the garbage and you eat the cream
I am the dirty, you're the clean

You give me the third degree for being different to thee
You hit me, you kick me, you tell me [Incomprehensible] I should be

Well, I am the blackness, I am the dark
I am the alcoholic beast in a park
I am the girl who sold her body to the dark
I am the truth of it, you are the hypocrite

I am the white man, I paint you black
I am the traitor but I put you on the whack
I am the coward, I shoot you in the back
I am the white man, I paint you black

Yeah, I'm the good little holier than thou, hide my head in my hand
I hear no, see no, speak no, no, no, no understand

Well, I am the blackness, I am the dark
I am the alcoholic beast in a park
I am the girl who sold her body to the dark
I am the truth of it, you are the hypocrite

Say I am the blackness, I am the dark
I am the alcoholic beast in a park
I am the girl who sold her body to the dark

I am the truth of it, you are the hypocrite
Blackman

Overall Meaning

The song "Blackman" by Hazel O'Connor is about the struggles of being a Black person in a society dominated by White people. The lyrics depict the contrast between the Blackman and the White person, with the Blackman being portrayed as the "deviant" and the "darkness" while the White person is portrayed as the "light" and "clean". Hazel O'Connor sings from the perspective of a Black person who is constantly facing discrimination and being judged based on their skin color.

The lyrics "Yeah, I'm the good little holier than thou, hide my head in my hand, I hear no, see no, speak no, no, no, no understand" describe the frustration of being dismissed and ignored when trying to speak out against the discrimination faced by Black people. The song also touches on other forms of oppression faced by Black people, such as drug addiction, prostitution, and violence.

Overall, "Blackman" is a powerful commentary on the struggles of Black people in a society that still grapples with systemic racism and discrimination.

Line by Line Meaning

I am the Blackman and you are the white
I represent the Black community, while you represent the White community.

I am the deviant and you're always right
You always conform to societal norms while I am seen as an outsider.

I am the darkness and you are the light
You represent all that is good and holy while I represent all that is dark and unholy.

Yeah, I'm the good little holier than thou, hide my head in my hand I hear no, see no, speak no, no, no, no understand
You choose to ignore the problems I face, turning a blind eye while I struggle and suffer in silence.

I am the blackness, I am the dark I am the alcoholic beast in a park I am the girl who sold her body to the dark I am the truth of it, you are the hypocrite
I embody the struggles and pain of the Black community, while you deny or refuse to acknowledge that these struggles exist.

I am the dirty and you are the clean I live in places where you've never been I eat the garbage and you eat the cream I am the dirty, you're the clean
I live in poverty and in places that you consider beneath you, where basic necessities like food and shelter are scarce.

You give me the third degree for being different to thee You hit me, you kick me, you tell me [Incomprehensible] I should be
You subject me to harsh scrutiny and violence because I do not look or act like you do.

I am the white man, I paint you black I am the traitor but I put you on the whack I am the coward, I shoot you in the back I am the white man, I paint you black
You use your position of power to vilify and harm me, even though I have done nothing to deserve it.

Say I am the blackness, I am the dark I am the alcoholic beast in a park I am the girl who sold her body to the dark I am the truth of it, you are the hypocrite Blackman
Once again, I am telling you that I embody the struggles and pain of the Black community, while you refuse to acknowledge that these struggles exist.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HAZEL THEREASA O'CONNOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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