In the Heat of the Summer (LP版)

In the Heat of the Summer (LP版) - Phil Ochs

In the heat of the summer

When the pavements were burning

The soul of a city was ravaged in the night

After the city sun was sinkin'

Now no one knows how it started

Why the windows were shattered

But deep in the dark someone set the spark

And then it no longer mattered

Down the streets they were rumbling

All the tempers were ragin

Oh where oh

Where are the white silver tongues

Who forgot to listen to the warnings

On and On come the angry

No longer following reason

And all the stores were the target now

Where just the other day they were buyin'

Drunk with the memory of the ghetto

Drunk with the lure of the looting

And the memory of the uniforms

Shoving with their sticks

Asking "Are you looking for trouble "

"No no no " moaned the mayor

"It's not the way of the order

"Oh stay in your homes

Please leave us alone

"We'll be glad to talk in the morning "

"For shame for shame

" wrote the papers

"Why the hurry to your hunger

"Now the rubble's resting

On your broken streets

"So you see what your rage has unraveled "

Baricades sadly were risin

Bricks were heavily flyin'

And the loudspeaker drowned

Like a whisperin' sound

When compared to the angered emotions

And when the fury was over

And the Shame was replacing the anger

So wrong so wrong but we've been down so long

And we had to make somebody listen

In the heat of the summer