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
Inner City Blues
Rodríguez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I plotted
Madness passed me by, she smiled hi
I nodded
Looked up as the sky began to cry
She shot it
Met a girl from Dearborn, early six o'clock this morn
Asked about her bag, suburbia's such a drag
Won't go back
'Cause Papa don't allow no new ideas here
And now he sees the news, but the picture's not too clear
Mama, Papa, stop
Treasure what you got
Soon you may be caught
Without it
The curfew's set for eight
Will it ever all be straight
I doubt it
7 jealous fools playing by her rules
Can't believe her
He feels so in between, can't break the scene
It would grieve her
And that's the reason why he must cry
He'll never leave her
Crooked children, yellow chalk
Writing on the concrete walk
Their King died
Drinking from a Judas cup
Looking down but seeing up
Sweet red wine
'Cause Papa don't allow no new ideas here
And now you hear the music
But the words don't sound too clear
Mama, Papa, stop
Treasure what you got
Soon you may be caught
Without it
The curfew's set for eight
Will it ever all be straight
I doubt it
Going down a dusty, Georgian side road
I wonder
The wind splashed in my face
Can smell a trace
Of thunder
The song "Inner City Blues" by Rodriguez explores the frustration and disillusionment that can arise from living in poverty and urban decay, as well as the challenges of trying to overcome these obstacles. The opening lines of the song immediately set the tone and imagery of the setting, with the singer walking down a neglected inner-city side road amidst the chaos and madness of his surroundings. Despite this, he encounters a woman who smiles and greets him, a rare moment of human connection and positivity in an otherwise bleak environment. However, she promptly shoots down the sky as it begins to rain, seemingly embodying the feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness that many people in these situations experience.
As Rodriguez continues his journey, he meets a girl from the suburbs who is similarly disillusioned with her sheltered, stagnant life. Her father is resistant to change, and the news that he receives only further complicates things. The singer urges the parents to treasure what they have before it's too late, but he doubts that things will ever truly get better. The song's chorus echoes these sentiments, with the curfew set for eight and the prospects for improvement looking bleak.
In later verses, Rodriguez references the death of a king and the betrayal of Judas, symbolizing the corruption, violence, and injustice that pervade the world. The song ultimately expresses a sense of frustration, lamenting the current state of affairs while acknowledging that change may be difficult or even impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
Going down a dirty inner city side road
Walking along a neglected street in a deprived urban area
I plotted
I thought about my direction
Madness passed me by, she smiled hi
I saw someone crazy, but they greeted me
I nodded
I acknowledged them
Looked up as the sky began to cry
The rain started to fall from the sky
She shot it
The rain was heavy and intense
Met a girl from Dearborn, early six o'clock this morn
I encountered a woman from the town of Dearborn very early in the morning
A cold fact
It was a harsh reality
Asked about her bag, suburbia's such a drag
I questioned her about her belongings and how boring suburbs can be
Won't go back
She does not want to go back to living in the suburbs
'Cause Papa don't allow no new ideas here
Her father is resistant to change and new thoughts
And now he sees the news, but the picture's not too clear
He is exposed to current events, but still does not fully understand what is happening
Mama, Papa, stop
Family, please pay attention
Treasure what you got
Be grateful for what you have
Soon you may be caught
You might lose it all soon
Without it
Without the things you treasure
The curfew's set for eight
There is a designated time to be back home
Will it ever all be straight
Will things ever be normal or correct?
I doubt it
I don't think so
7 jealous fools playing by her rules
Seven envious and foolish people following her directives
Can't believe her
They struggle to accept her actions
He feels so in between, can't break the scene
He feels conflicted and cannot change the situation
It would grieve her
She would be unhappy
And that's the reason why he must cry
That is why he cries
He'll never leave her
He will remain with her
Crooked children, yellow chalk
Children drawing on the pavement with uneven chalk
Writing on the concrete walk
They are writing on the path with the chalk
Their King died
Their leader has passed away
Drinking from a Judas cup
Drinking from a dangerous or deceitful source
Looking down but seeing up
Appearing somber, but having hope
Sweet red wine
A sweet grape-based alcoholic beverage
'Cause Papa don't allow no new ideas here
Her father does not appreciate novel or revolutionary thoughts
And now you hear the music
Now you hear the new ideas
But the words don't sound too clear
However, the message is not easily understood
Going down a dusty, Georgian side road
Travelling down a dry, rural road in Georgia
I wonder
I question things
The wind splashed in my face
The gust of wind whipped onto my face
Can smell a trace
I notice a faint smell
Of thunder
It is the scent of an impending rainstorm
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SIXTO DIAZ RODRIGUEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheAngryGrandpaShow
This music is so awe inspiring, I can't believe it went under the radar for so long. Thank you to South Africa for keeping this music alive, thank you for the creators of the SugarMan documentary. Amazing.
@springbok4015
Totally agree. As a South African, definitely inspirational to me. An absolute gem.
@johnnydark9239
R.I.P. Sixto...We at WSRF Fort Lauderdale were one of the few stations to play this great song back in 1970. Thank you for your music !!
@rotten969
a legend doesn't need to be famous, that simple
@tahliacotton6404
🎈
@MarioMaserati187
#eztloptam
@WutangKillah
Fact's
@ekulnotrahw3790
Joe Rogan and Post Malone played him on their podcast and it’s been a fire storm of views ever since, I’m in my thirties and it was the first I ever heard it hopefully there is another revival of this music
@cocolores4276
❤
@MzFaithluvly
He deserves to be in the rock and roll hall of fame. Great music great voice.