Promenade
Street Sweeper Social Club Lyrics


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Well I got a new kinda square dance rap
Gon' talk smack, flash my gat
I'm finna spit and hold my dick
And heat shit up like a thermostat
Grab your partner by the chaps
Give your partner a pimp-slap
To symbolize the ghetto trap
Step to the right, give three claps
Kids jam-packed in tenement shacks
Ain't shit cooking on the stove but crack
This is the bat this hell beget
'Cause bosses are kleptomaniacs

Two by two Promenade
Duck from a B1 bomber raid
Ain't 'bout the plans Osama made
Banks getting paid off petrol trade
Circle eight, do-si-do
How much cash could a o-z grow?
'Til all are fed and all have beds
My skin is black, my star is red

FBI coming round the outside
Which one of us finna die tonight?
Is we finna fight over crumbs to bite
Or make a whole motherfucking world ignite?
Everybody throw them blows
Right upside your partner's nose
By now you've got bloody clothes
Crabs in the barrel so the story goes
Think of all their savage acts
Grab 'n scratch from average cats
Bureaucrats with strings attached
Walk in place, light the match

Two by two Promenade
Duck from a B1 bomber raid
Ain't 'bout the plans Osama made
Banks getting paid off petrol trade
Circle eight, do-si-do
How much cash could a o-z grow?
'Til all are fed and all have beds
My skin is black, my star is red

Everybody get down low 'bout the level of your toes
These dance moves we usually do are not the ones that we have chose
Grab on to that beat and grind, try your best to stay alive
We can't run, we can't hide, might as well just stay and fight

Two by two Promenade
Duck from a B1 bomber raid
Ain't 'bout the plans Osama made
Banks getting paid off petrol trade
Circle eight, do-si-do
How much cash could a o-z grow?




'Til all are fed and all have beds
My skin is black, my star is red

Overall Meaning

The song "Promenade" by Street Sweeper Social Club is a strong statement on social and political issues. The lyrics convey a sense of rebellion and call to action against the widespread social injustices that exist in our society.


The first verse of the song is filled with aggressive imagery, with the lines "Gon' talk smack, flash my gat" and "heat shit up like a thermostat" painting a vivid picture of a violent confrontation. The following lines talk about the struggles of people living in poverty, with "Kids jam-packed in tenement shacks" and "Ain't shit cooking on the stove but crack" depicting the harsh realities that many people face.


The chorus of the song features a call-and-response style, with the repeated lines "Two by two Promenade" and "My skin is black, my star is red" serving as a rallying cry for those who feel oppressed. The song also tackles issues such as war, the influence of big banks, and the corruption of those in power.


Overall, "Promenade" is a powerful anthem that encourages people to stand up for what is right and fight against injustice. The aggressive tone and bold lyrics make for a song that is difficult to ignore.


Line by Line Meaning

Well I got a new kinda square dance rap
I have a new style of music that is a mix of country square dance and rap.


Gon' talk smack, flash my gat
I'll talk trash and show off my gun.


I'm finna spit and hold my dick
I'm going to rap and act arrogantly.


And heat shit up like a thermostat
I'll make things intense like a thermostat that controls the temperature.


Grab your partner by the chaps
Take your partner by the waist.


Give your partner a pimp-slap
Hit your partner with a backhand slap.


To symbolize the ghetto trap
This action represents the situation of poverty and violence in the ghetto.


Step to the right, give three claps
Take a step to the right and clap three times.


Kids jam-packed in tenement shacks
Many children are crammed into small apartments.


Ain't shit cooking on the stove but crack
There is no food being cooked, only drugs being sold.


This is the bat this hell beget
This is the result of living in this hellish environment.


'Cause bosses are kleptomaniacs
The leaders are stealing everything and not taking care of the people.


Two by two Promenade
Walk in pairs in a formal dance.


Duck from a B1 bomber raid
Avoid being bombed by warplanes.


Ain't 'bout the plans Osama made
This is not related to Osama bin Laden's plans or terrorism.


Banks getting paid off petrol trade
The banks are profiting from the trading of oil.


Circle eight, do-si-do
Dance move where partners circle around each other and switch places.


How much cash could a o-z grow?
How much money can be made selling drugs?


'Til all are fed and all have beds
Until everyone has enough food and a place to sleep.


My skin is black, my star is red
I am proud of being Black and a Communist.


FBI coming round the outside
The FBI is approaching from outside the building.


Which one of us finna die tonight?
Who is going to die tonight?


Is we finna fight over crumbs to bite
Are we going to fight over scraps of food?


Or make a whole motherfucking world ignite?
Or are we going to start a revolution and change the whole world?


Everybody throw them blows
Everyone starts punching each other.


Right upside your partner's nose
Punch your partner in the face.


By now you've got bloody clothes
By now your clothes are covered in blood.


Crabs in the barrel so the story goes
Like crabs in a bucket that pull each other down, we are destroying ourselves.


Think of all their savage acts
Think about all the evil things they have done.


Grab 'n scratch from average cats
The average people are fighting and scratching each other.


Bureaucrats with strings attached
The government leaders have hidden motives and secrets.


Walk in place, light the match
Stand still and wait for the right moment to start a revolution.


Everybody get down low 'bout the level of your toes
Everyone crouch down to the level of their toes.


These dance moves we usually do are not the ones that we have chose
The dance moves we normally do are not the ones we want to be doing right now.


Grab on to that beat and grind, try your best to stay alive
Hold onto the rhythm and fight for survival.


We can't run, we can't hide, might as well just stay and fight
We can't escape or hide, so we might as well fight.




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Boots Riley, Tom Morello

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@mr.krinkle8173

I translated (all) the lyrics to this:

Listen! I got a new class.
let them cover their ears
I like to throw a bowl.
And summer is a hat
Golik Kata
Give your friends water and rice.
Cold head
It's 3 shots
The square is full.
Nothing but pieces were cooked.
It is a fiery snake
After all, my parents have kleptomania
there are two possible outcomes
The bird was shot with a B1 bomb.
It has nothing to do with Osama's plans.
The bank has reduced oil prices.
8 lazy, notice-C-you
How high will the o-z be?
Stir the whole mixture
My skin is black and the stars are red.
The FBI has come out
Who among us will die tonight?
We fight the cry of the scorpion.
Are mothers all over the world free?
Everyone raises their hands
grab your friend's nose.
They are now covered in blood
Let's look at the history of barrels.
Think of all the problems
Make friends with wild cats.
tying the guard on a rope
The game is still open
The second time, the second time
Duck bomb B1
This is not Osama's plan.
The bank works to sell oil.
Do it yourself eight times
What is O-Z?
We all eat and sleep
My skin is black and the stars are red.
Let the size of your fingers make them all hopeless.
We do not always choose to play.
Shoot and try to survive
Sometimes you can be free; They can hide or attack.
Tourists, tourists
Duck and box B1
This is not the case with Osama bin Laden's plan
The bank accepts the work of buying oil.
Eight hours already
How much does O-S increase?
“Everyone is seventy years old and everyone is asleep
My skin is black, the stars are red



All comments from YouTube:

@esuohdica

How can i have missed this song for the last 12 years - unforgiveable!

@shadowtiger

A mixture of rock, funk, rap. They brought the 80's back

@johndonovan3264

It’s rap rock

@luisaucedo

+tom morello😈👍

@Lucradym

@John Donovan no, that would make it Nu Metal

@simonemaurovich3415

How did I do without this song for 12 years? Gosh. The riff, the base line, perfect mix between rock, funky, pop. Tom's guitar sounds like "Psycho Killer" from Talking Head but, i say again, this song is amazing ❤️. I wanna hear it again and again.

@xxxxenoxxx

I think we should all take a moment in 2020 to appreciate the genius of this track.

@bigshambowski

If Jimi Hendrix could make a guitar cry, then Tom Morello can make a guitar scream in agony. Amazing solos.

@emzetkin1100

Tom Morello can make a guitar cum.

@jtyler1998

Emily Anarres Buckethead can make the guitar squirt

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