'American Skin'
Controversy erupted this week over a new Bruce Springsteen song about the 1999 police killing in New York of Amadou Diallo, a black West African immigrant. Four New York City officers, who were cleared of murder charges at trial, shot the unarmed Diallo 41 times believing they saw him reach for a weapon. The elegy, not recorded yet, was performed for the first time in Atlanta, June 4. New York police organizations called for a boycott of the rocker's 10-night Madison Square Garden stand. Springsteen issued no comment, except to perform the song at his New York opening, Monday. These are the lyrics:
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots and we'll take that ride
Across this bloody river to the other side
41 shots they cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet?
This is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
Laina gets her son ready for school
She says now on these streets Charles
You got to understand the rules
Promise me if an officer stops you that you'll always
be polite
Never ever run away,
Promise me you'll keep your hands in sight
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet?
This is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it in your heart?
Is it in your eyes?
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
41 shots and we'll take that ride
Across this bloody river to the other side
41 shots I got my boots caked with this mud
We're baptized in these waters and in each other's blood
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet?
This is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
(c)Copyright Bruce Springsteen 2000 with permission
(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society
