van Zandt was born as Steven Lento in Winthrop, Massachusetts. His mother, Mary Lento, remarried when he was young and Steven took the last name of his stepfather, William Van Zandt. The family moved from Massachusetts to Middletown Township, New Jersey when he was seven.
Van Zandt subsequently became a songwriter and producer for fellow Jersey shore act Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes in the mid- to late-1970s, penning their signature song "I Don't Wanna Go Home", co-writing other songs for them with Springsteen, and producing their most-acclaimed record, Hearts of Stone. As such, Van Zandt became a key contributor to the Jersey Shore sound. Van Zandt then went on to share production credits on the classic Springsteen albums Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and Born in the U.S.A..
Van Zandt has produced a number of other records, including an uncredited effort on the Iron City Houserockers' Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive). Less successful was his work on Lone Justice's second album Shelter, which was a career-ending flop for the Los Angeles cowpunk band.
In 2004, he contributed the song "Baby Please Don't Go" to Nancy Sinatra's self-titled album
Van Zandt officially left the E Street Band in 1984 (Springsteen's song "Bobby Jean" is said to be inspired by the split) and has been involved in numerous solo musical projects and collaborations since then, ranging from soul music to hard rock to world music. In particular, he released four albums in the 1980s and one in 1999, sometimes fronting an on-and-off group known as Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Van Zandt has written that these albums are each elements in a five-part concept cycle. The first of them, 1982's white soul Men Without Women, earned the most critical praise (Jay Cocks of TIME magazine dubbed it one of the ten best albums of the year), while its follow-up, 1984's Voice of America, did the best on the U.S. albums chart, although none of them were much of a commercial success. With Voice of America, his music became explicitly political, with the central theme being opposition to Ronald Reagan-era American foreign policy.
Continuing his involvement in issues of the day, in 1985 he created the music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid as an action against the Sun City resort in South Africa. Forty-nine top recording artists, including Springsteen, U2, Bob Dylan and Run DMC, collaborated on a song called "Sun City" in which they pledged they would never perform at the resort. The effort was modestly successful. In 1987 he released the album Freedom - No Compromise, which continued the political messaging in an even more strident fashion. Some U.S. appearances in that year as opening act for U2's arena-and-stadium Joshua Tree Tour continued in the same vein – Oliver North was labelled a "criminal motherfucker" – but were not well-received by audiences, who found the sound overbearing and the performances lacking musicality. Both the record and his concerts were more popular in Europe, however. Little Steven's fourth album, 1989's Revolution, attracted little attention.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Van_Zandt
Justice
Little Steven Lyrics
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Nobody knows just what they're fighting for
Somebody's baby dressed in black
There's a war at home
But he ain't never coming back
Hey, I want justice
Can't get no protection, you know that ain't right
I'm getting tired of paying for shit I never get
Somebody promised justice
But he ain't delivered yet
I've been patient, I've been trying
Can't watch my brothers and my sisters dying
Don't read the papers, don't watch the news
Don't want the government point of view
This is my country, this is my war
This time I know just what I'm fighting for
Until we get the streets back
We're prisoners you and I
I'll be here fighting 'till the day I die
The song "Justice" by Little Steven addresses issues with the government and injustice in society. The opening lines of the song proclaim that there is always someone's country and someone's war, indicating the never-ending cycle of violence and conflict in the world. The next line, "nobody knows just what they're fighting for," highlights the fact that many times, we fight or go to war without fully understanding the cause or purpose behind it. The song continues to speak about the loss of life, specifically "somebody's baby dressed in black" who is never coming back from the war.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of the singer's desire for justice. He wants it for his "baby" who can't walk the streets at night without fear and wants the government to deliver justice. However, it's clear from the lyrics that there is dissatisfaction with the lack of action and empty promises from those in power. The frustration and anger are palpable in the lyrics, with the singer stating that he's tired of "paying for shit I never get."
The song ultimately conveys a sense of despair and hopelessness about the state of society. The singer can't watch his "brothers and sisters" dying and is sick of hearing about the government's point of view. The song ultimately serves as a call to action, demanding change in the face of injustice and inequality.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody's country, somebody's war
Someone's land, someone's conflict
Nobody knows just what they're fighting for
The purpose behind the war is unknown
Somebody's baby dressed in black
A young soldier dressed in mourning attire
There's a war at home
There's violence and unrest in the streets
But he ain't never coming back
The young soldier will not return alive
Hey, I want justice
The desire for fairness and equality
You know my baby can't walk the streets at night
My loved one is not safe in the city
Can't get no protection, you know that ain't right
The lack of safety measures is unjust
I'm getting tired of paying for shit I never get
Tired of paying for unfulfilled promises
Somebody promised justice
Someone committed to fairness and equity
But he ain't delivered yet
The promise remains unfulfilled
I've been patient, I've been trying
Tried to wait and work for a better situation
Can't watch my brothers and my sisters dying
Cannot witness the death of family and friends
Don't read the papers, don't watch the news
Avoiding the negative and biased media
Don't want the government point of view
Not interested in the perspective of those in power
This is my country, this is my war
This land and this struggle belong to me
This time I know just what I'm fighting for
This time the purpose of the fight is clear
Until we get the streets back
Until peace and order are restored
We're prisoners you and I
We are captives of the chaos and violence
I'll be here fighting 'till the day I die
Will continue to strive for change with determination
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN VAN ZANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind