Reflections of the structure fire
Turn my brown eyes to red
Power is in my hand
Thoughts of apartheid fill my head

“Riot on the streets of LA!”
We will fight this fight for Rodney
I fight for my brothers
And all my brothers fight for me

I think of all the battered boys
And pigs who leave unscathed
I raise the power in my hand
Because this ends today

Left fist comes down on white man’s head
For all of those who died,
Blacks forever trapped in ghettos,
And all their children’s lives

My face fills up with bright red rage
As I raise the power
With loud shots like thunder
I’ll make this city ours


I raise my gun to white man’s face
I snarl at suits of blue
My power cocked and pointed now
“My son, this one’s for you”

In the chaos I remember
Young Mike, so bold and free
I scream out loud at white man’s reign
“You took my son from me!”


But he who stares down my barrel
Couldn't have taken young Mike
I lower my means of power
And say to him, “Goodnight.”

I recall the things Mike had done
And blame it on his teachers
People who ignore the patterns
All those counselors and preachers

O’ now my dear son is dead and gone
So I burn this city down
And with it goes all corruption
Because this ends right now

I may not have the guts to kill
But Mike, you’ll get your way
I’ll avenge the pigs who took you
One year ago today