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
This Is Not a Song It's an Outburst: Or The Establishment Blues
Rodríguez Lyrics
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Council woman hesitates
Public gets irate but forget the vote date
Weatherman complaining, predicted sun, it's raining
Everyone's protesting, boyfriend keeps suggesting
You're not like all of the rest
Garbage ain't collected, women ain't protected
The mafia's getting bigger, like pollution in the river
And you tell me that this is where it's at
Woke up this morning with an ache in my head
I splashed on my clothes as I spilled out of bed
I opened the window to listen to the news
But all I heard was the Establishment's Blues
Gun sales are soaring, housewives find life boring
Divorce the only answer smoking causes cancer
This system's gonna fall soon, to an angry young tune
And that's a concrete cold fact
The pope digs population, freedom from taxation
Teeny Bops are uptight, drinking at a stoplight
Miniskirt is flirting I can't stop so I'm hurting
Spinster sells her hopeless chest
Adultery plays the kitchen, bigot cops non-fiction
The little man gets shafted, sons and monies drafted
Living by a time piece, new war in the Far East
Can you pass the Rorschach test?
It's a hassle it's an educated guess
Well, frankly I couldn't care less
The song "Establishment Blues" by Rodriguez highlights the societal and political issues prevalent in America in the 1970s. The lyrics depict a country grappling with rising crime rates, corrupt politicians, social injustices, and economic woes. The song also delves into the effect of media and popular culture on society as a whole.
The opening lines refer to the political machinery, where politicians and political parties use techniques like vote-counting, diversion, and manipulation to control the public. The subsequent lyrics highlight issues like garbage accumulation, domestic violence, pollution, and mafia activities, which the Establishment turns a blind eye to. The line "This system's gonna fall soon, to an angry young tune" rings true as the song highlights the frustrations of the younger generation who have become disenchanted with the system and status quo.
The lyrics also portray the media's role in commodifying society, where the latest trends like gun sales, smoking, adultery, and flirtatious behavior are propagated without highlighting their deleterious effects. Throughout the song, there is a sense of disillusionment and frustration with the traditional order of things as the future seems bleak with another war outbreak imminent. The song conveys the message that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Line by Line Meaning
The mayor hides the crime rate
The mayor is concealing the actual number of crimes happening in the city to avoid an uproar.
Council woman hesitates
A council woman is uncertain about making a decision which might cost her the next election.
Public gets irate but forget the vote date
The public gets angry about the current political state, but they don't remember the date to vote and bring about change.
Weatherman complaining, predicted sun, it's raining
The weatherman's forecast is wrong and he's blaming his job while people end up facing the consequences.
Everyone's protesting, boyfriend keeps suggesting
Everyone is voicing their frustration towards the government, but the artist is trying to move away from such topics and focus on something else.
You're not like all of the rest
The singer appreciates the individuality of his partner and doesn't want her to get caught up in the chaos of politics.
Garbage ain't collected, women ain't protected
The city authorities aren't taking care of their basic duties, and women still don't feel safe in society.
Politicians using, people they're abusing
Politicians are taking advantage of their power and using people for their benefit.
The mafia's getting bigger, like pollution in the river
The mafia is growing and getting powerful like the pollution level in the river.
And you tell me that this is where it's at
The artist is frustrated with the state of things but is aware that people around him are trying to make it sound like it's the best it can be.
Woke up this morning with an ache in my head
The singer wakes up with a headache from the stress and frustration related to the current government.
I splashed on my clothes as I spilled out of bed
The artist gets out of bed hurriedly and unmindfully.
I opened the window to listen to the news
The singer starts his day by hoping there's good news to hear from the media.
But all I heard was the Establishment's Blues
However, all the media talks about is the gloomy state of the government.
Gun sales are soaring, housewives find life boring
People in society are feeling unsafe and uninterested in their mundane lives.
Divorce the only answer, smoking causes cancer
Marriage is falling apart, and smoking is a cause of fatal illnesses.
This system's gonna fall soon, to an angry young tune
The current governing system is expected to fall apart under the anger and frustration of the youth of society.
And that's a concrete cold fact
This is not just a random notion but a realistic future prediction.
The pope digs population, freedom from taxation
The Pope endorses the growth in population and freedom from paying taxes.
Teeny Bops are uptight, drinking at a stoplight
The young population is pushing against societal norms and doesn't care about breaking rules.
Miniskirt is flirting I can't stop so I'm hurting
The artist is tempted by a girl who is flirting with him, and he feels more frustrated and helpless.
Spinster sells her hopeless chest
An older single woman in society is going unnoticed and neglected due to her age.
Adultery plays the kitchen, bigot cops non-fiction
Adultery and discrimination are rampant, and the police are continuing their actions without any consequences.
The little man gets shafted, sons and monies drafted
The common man is being exploited, and younger generations are compelled to fight wars they don't believe in.
Living by a timepiece, new war in the Far East
People are too busy working to keep up with their busy lives to prepare for wars on the other side of the world.
Can you pass the Rorschach test?
The singer is wondering if the people in power are sane enough to pass a Rorschach psychological test.
It's a hassle, it's an educated guess
The situation is complicated, and the singer can only make an educated guess at what the future holds.
Well, frankly I couldn't care less
Despite his understanding of the issue, the artist doesn't seem to care about the government's current state and prefers to focus on his personal life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, Jesus Rodriguez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind