Song picture
41 Times
Like
Playlist
Comment Share
Free download
An acoustic rock song about the killing of Amadou Diallo by NYC's Street Crime Unit.
Artist picture
The world's original virtual pop group. Guaranteed 100% dis-corporate since 1993.
The world's original virtual pop group. Guaranteed 100% discorporate since 1993. Made up of one part Matt Perry (guitars, bass, vocals, cryptic asides), one part Joe Perry (keyboards, vocals, bad guitar playing), and one part John White (drums, assorted other noises).
Song Info
Genre
Acoustic • Acoustic Rock
Charts
#19,894 today Peak #350
#4,128 in subgenre Peak #53
Author
Matt Perry and Joe Perry
Rights
1999 by Matt Perry and Joe Perry
Uploaded
July 12, 2000
Track Files
MP3
MP3 3.2 MB • 128 kbps • 0:00
Story behind the song
The song was written at home in Sri Lanka (upstate New York). Joe went down into the basement and banged it out on his guitar and piano over the course of a few days. Meals were sent in. Air was recirculated. He threw the tape up the stairs and we pressed a cheap disc from it. Joe Perry tells about writing the lyric: "When I heard about the Diallo shooting, I kept thinking about the number of shots fired. Forty one. Forty one. It made me want to do something. I thought, 'This is a democracy, for Chrissake.' So I went out to vote. But it wasn't election day, and the people at the fire house just laughed at me. Next day, I tried again…same thing happened. Turns out, you can't vote until November. Who knew? And even then, I'm told, there won't be a lever for 'Revoke death penalty for SWB (standing while black).' So I threw together this lousy song. That's my vote, for now. Download it. Throw it on your Diamond Rio, or whatever. Then figure out what your vote will be."
Lyrics
You pulled the trigger forty-one times You put his profile face-down in the hallway You pulled the trigger forty-one times And you said, "Oh, Hey, Amadou Diallo, Boy, are you feeling lucky tonight? Hey, Amadou Diallo You got your Street Crime Unit invite Oh, Amadou Diallo Bet you can't count to twenty…" Then SCU, he made it SCU, he made your day You can tell your mayor It's "New York's Finest" hour You pulled the trigger… (SCU, you made it true…) forty-one times You pulled the trigger… (SCU, you made it true…) forty-one times… (C)1999 by Matthew & Joseph Perry
Comments
Please sign up or log in to post a comment.