In the heat of the summer
While the pavements were burning
The soul of a city was ravaged in the night
After the headed sun was sinking

Now no one knows how it started
Why the windows were shattered
Another black kid face down in the road
Whose life did not seem to matter

Down the street they were rumbling
All the tempers were raging
Oh, where, oh, where were the white silver tongues
Who forgot to listen to the warnings?

On and on they were coming
Bricks and bottles were flying
And the loudspeaker drowned like a whispering sound
Compared to the angered emotions

"No, no, no" moaned the mayor
“That's not the way of the order
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
You can see what your rage has unraveled"

And when the fury was over
Shame was replacing the anger
So wrong, so wrong, but it's gone on so long
And we had to make somebody listen

In the heat of the summer...