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NEWS
June 23, 2013
David Hinds to perform at The Legacy of Bob Marley at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC
March 22, 2013
Steel Pulse perform at the United Nations General Assembly Hall, NYC. WATCH >>
March 5, 2013 SteelPulse.com relaunched to help fans learn more about us, the music, and our focus on love and justice.
February 9, 2013 From Natty to Hattie: Steel Pulse's version of the Bob Dylan classic - on the 50th anniversary of her death. Listen >>
BLOG
HISTORY
In 1978, race relations in Britain were in crisis. The National Front was gathering power and immigrants lived in fear of violence.
But that year also saw the birth of a campaign - Rock Against Racism (RAR) - aimed at halting the tide of hatred with music - a grassroots movement culminating in a march across London and an open-air concert in the East End. The campaign involved groups like TheClash, Steel Pulse, Buzzcocks, X-Ray Spex, The Ruts, and others, staging concerts with an anti-racist theme, in order to discourage young people from embracing racist views.
'Paint It Black' is a song that is dedicated to the hundredth anniversary of Rosa Parks but also serves as a testimony of the African diaspora that have survived Western world society," says David Hinds. "Despite the disadvantages of slavery and colonialism, we have managed to have a man of color as a leader of this world, in the White House.” The group endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 and the song celebrates the political victory and social change of his reelection, right down to its chorus of, "We have to open up those doors for President 44."
LYRICS
VERSE I
It ain’t easy up from slavery
Ten thousand miles we’ve made that journey
Crosses burning and mob lynchings
And the boycotts of Montgomery
From the fountains were no drinking
And forever in my memory
With love and time came natural healing
Time to turn this page of history, yeah!
‘Cause there’s one thing for sure
The poor can’t take no more
You had to open up those doors
For President Forty-four, eh!
CHORUS I
Black
Paint the White House Black
We gonna paint Black
Paint the White House Black, eh yeah
VERSE II
Broken down are racial barriers
And the laws of segregation
It’s the healing of the nation
Let’s re-write the constitution
As we’re drowning in this crisis
And who dare to roll the dices?
As our martyrs paid the prices
Laid their lives as sacrifices yeah
‘Cause there’s one thing for sure
The poor can’t take no more
You had to open up those doors
For president forty-four
CHORUS II
Black
Paint the White House black
Paint it Black y’all
Paint it Black y’all
That’s because
There’s one thing for sure
The poor can’t take no more
You had to open up those doors
For president forty-four
CHORUS III
Black
Paint the White House Black
We gonna paint Black
Paint the White House Black
ADLIB
Paint it Black yah!
Paint It Black yah!
Paint it Black yah
We gonna paint it Black yah
Paint the White House Black
Paint the White House
Ebony Mahogany
Nubian Cush from the Nile Valley
Ashanti Fulani
The Mansa Musa Dynasty, hey
We gonna paint it
Paint it Black yah
We gonna paint it
We gonna paint it
Black Black Black Black Black
see also:
Steel Pulse release "Paint It Black," a new song celebrating Obama and the history of the struggle for equality, on Rolling Stone online.
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