Ray Collins (lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine, finger cymbals, bobby pin, tweezers)

Jimmy Carl Black (drums)

Roy Estrada (bass, guitarron, boy soprano)

Elliot Ingber (lead guitar, rhythm guitar)



Well I'm about to get sick

From watchin' my TV

Been checkin' out the news

Until my eyeballs fail to see

I mean to say that every day

Is just another rotten mess

And when it's gonna change, my friends

Is anybody's guess



So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'

Hopin' for the best

Even think I'll go to prayin'

Every time I hear 'em sayin'

That there's no way to delay

That trouble comin' every day

No way to delay

That trouble comin' every day



Wednesday I watched the riot...

I seen the cops out on the street

Watched 'em throwin' rocks and stuff

And chokin' in the heat

Listened to reports

About the whisky passin' 'round

Seen the smoke & fire

And the market burnin' down

Watched while everybody

On his street would take a turn

To stomp and smash and bash and crash

And slash and bust and burn



And I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'

Hopin' for the best

Even think I'll go to prayin'

Every time I hear 'em sayin'

That there's no way to delay

That trouble comin' every day

No way to delay

That trouble comin' every day



Well you can cool it,

You can heat it...

'Cause, baby, I don't need it...

Take your TV tube and eat it

'N all that phony stuff on sports

'N all the unconfirmed reports

You know I watched that rotten box

Until my head began to hurt

From checkin' out the way

The newsmen say they get the dirt

Before the guys on channel so-and-so

And further they assert

That any show they'll interrupt

To bring you news if it comes up

They say that if the place blows up

They'll be the first to tell

Because the boys they got downtown

Are workin' hard and doin' swell,

And if anybody gets the news

Before it hits the street,

They say that no one blabs it faster

Their coverage can't be beat



And if another woman driver

Gets machine-gunned from her seat

They'll send some joker with a brownie

And you'll see it all complete



So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'

Hopin' for the best

Even think I'll go to prayin'

Every time I hear 'em sayin'

That there's no way to delay

That trouble comin' every day

No way to delay

That trouble comin' every day



Hey you know something people

I'm not black

But there's a whole lots a times

I wish I could say I'm not white



Well, I seen the fires burnin'

And the local people turnin'

On the merchants and the shops

Who used to sell their brooms and mops

And every other household item

Watched the mob just turn and bite 'em

And they say it served 'em right

Because a few of them are white,

And it's the same across the nation

Black & white discrimination

They're yellin' "You can't understand me!"

And all the other crap they hand me

In the papers and TV

'N all that mass stupidity

That seems to grow more every day

Each time you hear some nitwit say

He wants to go and do you in

Because the color of your skin

Just don't appeal to him

(No matter if it's black or white)

Because he's out for blood tonight

You know we gotta sit around at home

And watch this thing begin

But I bet there won't be many left

To see it really end

'Cause the fire in the street

Ain't like the fire in my heart

And in the eyes of all these people

Don't you know that this could start

On any street in any town

In any state if any clown

Decides that now's the time to fight

For some ideal he thinks is right

And if a million more agree

There ain't no great society

As it applies to you and me

Our country isn't free

And the law refuses to see

If all that you can ever be

Is just a lousy janitor

Unless your uncle owns a store

You know that five in every four

Just one amount and nothin' more

Don't watch the rats go across the floor

And make up songs about being poor

Blow you harmonica son!