The
Hood© TonyFallon 101518
I
first came to America during the civil rights campaign
The poor were angry and organizing and I could feel their pain
While there were no deaths here but they were dying in southern states
They just wanted some action they were tired of dead end debates
My first job was deep in the South Bronx a rather scary place
The housing the poor were living in was an American disgrace
My friends asked if I was afraid to work or if I was uptight
But I only worked there in daylight I did not volunteer for night
Most areas of the South Bronx burned to the ground I was often scared
While you could feel the anger smoldering our part never flared
I never will forget Martin Luther King his death was pure evil
But the poor did not riot in New York everybody acted civil
I worked in three other boroughs and then one day my heart sank
They sent me to the South Bronx again to work for Chemical Bank
In the years I was there I was neither robbed or assaulted
And while there were shortages I was never personally faulted
Then I worked for a furniture store with bargains in great supply
I was now in the Brooklyn Hood which is known as Bedford Sty
The economic side was better and the Blacks were being employed
Then we had a blackout and many businesses were almost destroyed
I bought a house in Jamaica which is considered the Queens Hood
I owned it for forty years and the neighbors and I got on real good
The drugs have come into all the Hoods and young lives are destroyed
And once you are sentenced to time in jail you may not be employed
The drug lords have left the Hoods in almost total paralysis
And the sick are lucky if they get some kind of analysis
Avenues have opened up so all qualify for any occupation
And there is no question on the application to see if you're Caucasian
There are great people in the Hood who want hope serenity and peace
And they don't want to be wakened every morning by the sound of police
The poor were angry and organizing and I could feel their pain
While there were no deaths here but they were dying in southern states
They just wanted some action they were tired of dead end debates
My first job was deep in the South Bronx a rather scary place
The housing the poor were living in was an American disgrace
My friends asked if I was afraid to work or if I was uptight
But I only worked there in daylight I did not volunteer for night
Most areas of the South Bronx burned to the ground I was often scared
While you could feel the anger smoldering our part never flared
I never will forget Martin Luther King his death was pure evil
But the poor did not riot in New York everybody acted civil
I worked in three other boroughs and then one day my heart sank
They sent me to the South Bronx again to work for Chemical Bank
In the years I was there I was neither robbed or assaulted
And while there were shortages I was never personally faulted
Then I worked for a furniture store with bargains in great supply
I was now in the Brooklyn Hood which is known as Bedford Sty
The economic side was better and the Blacks were being employed
Then we had a blackout and many businesses were almost destroyed
I bought a house in Jamaica which is considered the Queens Hood
I owned it for forty years and the neighbors and I got on real good
The drugs have come into all the Hoods and young lives are destroyed
And once you are sentenced to time in jail you may not be employed
The drug lords have left the Hoods in almost total paralysis
And the sick are lucky if they get some kind of analysis
Avenues have opened up so all qualify for any occupation
And there is no question on the application to see if you're Caucasian
There are great people in the Hood who want hope serenity and peace
And they don't want to be wakened every morning by the sound of police
