Born in Detroit in 1942, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez came from a working-class background and dropped out of high school at the age of 16. Dividing his time between hanging around the university campus and playing assorted unconventional clubs and bars, he was introduced to Impact's Harry Balk, which led to the recording of his first single, "I'll Slip Away," in 1967. When Balk took off for a career as a creative director at , session players and ardent Rodriguez supporters and Mike Theodore put him under the direction of Clarence Avant. About to set up his label, the latter was genuinely impressed with the artist's take on Detroit street life and supplied Theo-Coff Productions with sufficient means to cut an album's worth of material. Naturally, Theodore and took up keyboard and guitar duties, in addition to employing second-wave for a rhythm section. Recording Rodriguez separately, they matched his voice and acoustic guitar afterwards to a sonic palette of various orchestrations and psychedelic effects. Being 's first release, the resulting Cold Fact was a stone-cold folk-rock classic with an otherworldly feel to it.
Though industry-wise it was met with positive reviews, commercially the album gathered only dust. Theories as to why it didn't catch on in the climate of socially conscientious albums like Cloud Nine and What's Going On range from either not being played by underground radio and thus not meeting its intended public, or insufficient marketing by , with whom had a promotion and distribution deal. Though subsequently concentrating on , Avant offered Rodriguez the chance to record a follow-up in London with Steve Rowland (renowned for Family Dog's "Sympathy"). When 1971's Coming from Reality met a similar fate as its predecessor, the artist left the music business to enroll at university when he wasn't working construction to support his family and wasn't heard from again until 1979, when, much to his surprise,
he was requested to do some small theater shows Down Under, coinciding with the chart success of Australian re-releases of his albums. Fast forward to 1998, when Rodriguez was even more amazed to find vast amounts of mainstream acceptance. Apparently, some South African fans had invested quite a bit of effort in tracking down their long-lost hero. Their excitement at finding him alive and well convinced Rodriguez to play arena-sized venues.
At last, in the 21st century, his genius was acknowledged across America and mainland Europe, his popularity re-sparked by hip-hop-loving-crate diggers like , whose mix compilation Come Get It, I Got It used Cold Fact's opening shot "Sugar Man" for its own eclectic musical journey. In 2008, Cold Fact became more easily available through a lovingly annotated re-release, followed in 2009 by Coming from Reality. To celebrate his umpteenth rediscovery, Rodriguez embarked upon a world tour, meeting old fans and a whole new generation of admirers. This renaissance was spurred by the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man and its compilation soundtrack. The success of the film earned Rodriguez a significant audience in the United States, and he began touring in North America, playing the songs he recorded in the '70s for a new and enthusiastic audience. Despite having a fan base in the United States, Rodriguez continued to live a quiet life in Detroit. He passed away on August 8, 2023, at the age of 81. ~ Quint Kik, Rovi
Hate Street Dialogue
Rodríguez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've stayed here much too long
Don't you wish that you could cry
Don't you wish I would die
Seamy, seesaw kids
Child woman on the skids
The dust will choke you blind
I kiss the floor, one kick no more
The pig and hose have set me free
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
I kiss the floor, one kick no more
The pig and hose have set me free
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
The inner city birthed me
The local pusher nursed me
Cousins make it in the street
They marry every trick they meet
A dime, a dollar they're all the same
When a man comes in to bust your game
The turn key comes, his face a grin
Locks the cell I'm in again
I kiss the floor, one kick no more
The pig and hose have set me free
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
The song "Hate Street Dialogue" by Rodriguez is a poignant commentary on the struggles and hardships of life in the inner city. The lyrics use stark, vivid imagery to paint a picture of a world filled with poverty, violence, and despair. The opening lines of the song, "Woman please be gone, You've stayed here much too long" suggest a sense of hostility and rejection towards a female figure who has overstayed her welcome in this grim setting.
The following lines "Don't you wish that you could cry, Don't you wish I would die" echo the feelings of hopelessness and desperation that pervade this environment. The description of "Seamy, seesaw kids, Child woman on the skids, The dust will choke you blind, The lust will choke your mind" further highlight the bleakness of life in the inner city.
The repeated lines "I've tasted hate street's hanging tree" convey a sense of inevitability and hopelessness, as though the cycle of violence and despair is inescapable. The anger and frustration of the singer is palpable in the imagery of "The pig and hose have set me free," which suggests a sense of oppressive authority and violent struggle.
Overall, Hate Street Dialogue is a haunting and powerful song that vividly captures the struggles of life in the inner city, its lyrics providing a glimpse into a world that is often hidden from view.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman please be gone
I want this woman to leave me alone and never come back
You've stayed here much too long
She has been around for too long and has overstayed her welcome
Don't you wish that you could cry
I know you want to cry, so just let it out
Don't you wish I would die
I think you want me to die, so just say it
Seamy, seesaw kids
The children here are poor and unsteady
Child woman on the skids
This woman is young but has lost everything and is struggling to survive
The dust will choke you blind
The dust is so thick in this area that it will blind you
The lust will choke your mind
The desire for material wealth and power will consume your thoughts and actions
I kiss the floor, one kick no more
I have been beaten to the ground, but I won't let it happen again
The pig and hose have set me free
The police and firefighter have rescued me
I've tasted hate street's hanging tree
I have experienced the violence and desperation of this area
The inner city birthed me
I was born and raised in a poor and dangerous part of town
The local pusher nursed me
The drug dealer helped me survive and provided for me
Cousins make it in the street
My family members have found success through illegal means
They marry every trick they meet
They marry anyone who can help them move up in the criminal world
A dime, a dollar they're all the same
Any amount of money, no matter how small, is valuable in this environment
When a man comes in to bust your game
When someone comes to stop your illegal activities
The turn key comes, his face a grin
The prison guard comes to lock me up and enjoys it
Locks the cell I'm in again
I am back in jail once more
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS JAMES COFFEY, GARY WAYNE HARVEY, MIKE THEODORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind