The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Another vacant building is a tax shelter and nothing more
Cemented doors and windows keeping out the poor
What purpose does it serve to keep these buildings emply
Destroying our community to protect abandoned property
Functioning as financial loopholes instead of the housing they could make
Because those owning empty buildings claim a generous government tax break
So is housing just a luxury to b enjoyed by the upper class
Another right you don't deserve if you haven't got the cash
The trouble with ruling class financial tactics
Is that it's the people who need shelter not their taxes
Destruciton described as progress evicting people from their shelter
Renovating and rebuilding under the guise of making cities better
But who does this progress better by putting people in the street
Has it benefitted the community when construction is complete
Housing is not a privledge, not a luxury but a right
communities don't function any better with their problems out of sight
Our communities consise of more than concrete, brick and steel
It's made up of people including the homeless they conceal
The trouble with ruling class financial tactics
Is that it's the people who need the shelter not their taxes
Every inch of established land got that way by means of force
And by paying rent were forced to contribute to that source
With our communities our people suffer under this establishment
It's not about housing these are human rights they make us rent
Only the landlords profit as our lives are sold and bought
And those who fight this process get evicted from their squat
So while our leaders carry out these unjust squat evictions
They prove that freedom can't exist under capitalist conditions
The trouble with ruling class financial tactics
Is that it's the people who need shelter not their taxes
Cemented doors and windows keeping out the poor
What purpose does it serve to keep these buildings emply
Destroying our community to protect abandoned property
Functioning as financial loopholes instead of the housing they could make
Because those owning empty buildings claim a generous government tax break
So is housing just a luxury to b enjoyed by the upper class
Another right you don't deserve if you haven't got the cash
The trouble with ruling class financial tactics
Is that it's the people who need shelter not their taxes
Destruciton described as progress evicting people from their shelter
Renovating and rebuilding under the guise of making cities better
But who does this progress better by putting people in the street
Has it benefitted the community when construction is complete
Housing is not a privledge, not a luxury but a right
communities don't function any better with their problems out of sight
Our communities consise of more than concrete, brick and steel
It's made up of people including the homeless they conceal
The trouble with ruling class financial tactics
Is that it's the people who need the shelter not their taxes
Every inch of established land got that way by means of force
And by paying rent were forced to contribute to that source
With our communities our people suffer under this establishment
It's not about housing these are human rights they make us rent
Only the landlords profit as our lives are sold and bought
And those who fight this process get evicted from their squat
So while our leaders carry out these unjust squat evictions
They prove that freedom can't exist under capitalist conditions
The trouble with ruling class financial tactics
Is that it's the people who need shelter not their taxes
Lyrics submitted by 202033
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there are so many fucking empty buildings in detroit... MI is the poorest state in the country and we still got homeless people on every fucking street in the big city.