1) Sixto Diaz Rodrig… Read Full Bio ↴At least five artists share the name Rodriguez.
1) Sixto Diaz Rodriguez (also known as Rodriguez or as Jesus Rodriguez) (born in Detroit, MI, on 10 July 1942; died 8 August 2023) was an American folk singer-songwriter. He was named 'Sixto' (pronounced seex-toe) because he was the sixth child in his family. Rodriguez's parents were middle-class immigrants from Mexico, who left in the 1920s. In most of his songs he takes a political stance on the cruelties facing the inner city poor.
In 1967 (under the name Rod Riguez) he released the single "I'll Slip Away" through the small label Impact. He did not produce anything for another three years until he was signed to Sussex Records; an offshoot of the Buddah label. It was after the move to Sussex that he changed his professional name to just Rodriguez. Rodriguez recorded two albums with Sussex—Cold Fact in 1970, and Coming from Reality in 1971. But after mixed reviews and low album sales he was dropped from the label, which later folded in 1975.
After failing to make an impact in America, he gave up his career as a musician. However, although he was relatively unknown in his home country by the mid 70s, his albums were starting to gain airplay in countries like South Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), New Zealand and Australia.
After imported copies of his Sussex albums ran dry, an Australian record label, Blue Goose Music, bought the Australian rights to his back catalogue in the mid 70s. The label released his two studio albums plus a compilation album At His Best (featuring unreleased recordings from 1976 "Can't Get Away", "I'll Slip Away" (a re-recording of his first single), and "Street Boy"). Unbeknownst to Rodriguez, it went platinum in South Africa, where he achieved cult status.
With a new buzz around Rodriguez, in 1979 he toured Australia with the Mark Gillespie Band as support. Two shows from the tour were later released on the Australian only album Alive—the title being a play on the rumors caused by his public obscurity that Rodriguez had died years ago. After the '79 tour he returned to Australia for a final tour in 1981 with Midnight Oil before quietly slipping back into normal life.
The 2012 Sundance Film Festival hosted the premiere of Searching for Sugar Man, from Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul, detailing the efforts by two fans to see if his rumored death was true - and if not, to discover what had become of him. The Simon Chinn and John Battsek produced documentary went on to win the World Cinema Special Jury Prize and the Audience Award, World Cinema Documentary. The film opens in NY and LA on July 27, 2012.
2) Rodriguez was a band which originated in San Luis Obispo, California. Formed in 1991 by bassist/vocalist Kyle Field (aka Little Wings) and guitarist/vocalist Matt Ward (aka M. Ward), drummer Mike Funk joined in 1993. Their only album to date, Swing Like A Metronome, released in 2000, was recorded by Grandaddy's Jason Lytle and featured songs written between 1992 and 1997. After Rodriguez disbanded, both songwriters went on to illustrious solo careers.
3) Rodriguez is a Garage Punk-Rock Band from Austria. More info at http://www.rodriguez.at
4) Rodriguez is a Swedish indie-electronica artist that released 2 EPs during the late 1990's and the early 2000's. He makes minimalistic instrumental tunes like Karate-dö, Kungen, Fred på jorden and Dominguez och Fernanduez.
5) Rodriguez is Pop - Techno Band fromGeorgia.
Members
David Svanidze - ვლადიმირ (დავით) სვანიძე
Levan SvaniSvili - ლევან სვანიშვილი
info, tracks : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rodriguez/174566509308994?sk=wall
Inner City Blues
Rodriguez 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.