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You’ll Get Yours Aplenty Lyrics
The skies are full of dirt and gray
The city's kids come out to play
Running in the broken glass
From old deserted windows
Dollar winos fill the streets
The poolroom music's soulful beat
Engulfs the gray and dirty air
In inner city limits
Children run in hopeless heat
Long the dirty junkie streets
Women sell themselves to men
Through ruthless mediators
The sidewalk cracks are deep and wide
The children kneel to look inside
For pennies, maybe nickels
Dropped in passing
They live their lives like others past
The winos drink, the pimps sell ass
Little girls ten years ago
Are older now by twenty
Social change is still just talk
The things you see in urban walks
Should make you sick and lose your lunch
Inside your high-rise diners
Make the laws, you own the land
You hold them down when you can't stand
One of these day's you'll get yours aplenty
One of these day's you'll get yours aplenty
One of these day's you'll get yours aplenty
The city's kids come out to play
Running in the broken glass
From old deserted windows
The poolroom music's soulful beat
Engulfs the gray and dirty air
In inner city limits
Long the dirty junkie streets
Women sell themselves to men
Through ruthless mediators
The children kneel to look inside
For pennies, maybe nickels
Dropped in passing
The winos drink, the pimps sell ass
Little girls ten years ago
Are older now by twenty
The things you see in urban walks
Should make you sick and lose your lunch
Inside your high-rise diners
You hold them down when you can't stand
One of these day's you'll get yours aplenty
One of these day's you'll get yours aplenty
One of these day's you'll get yours aplenty
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In short, Foley is describing a dirty and crime-ridden inner city (presumably early 1900s, based on language)--one whose issues are deep-rooted and sickening, but remain unresolved by the people in charge who have the power to change them.
He uses words like "dirt", "gray", and "deserted" depict a setting that is neglected or problematic. Intermixed with visual descriptions are caricatures of inner city characters, such as drug users and prostitutes. The beginning and majority of the song paints a picture of the setting in contrast to the closing.
Foley writes: "The things you see in urban walks Should make you sick and lose your lunch Inside your high-rise diners" Not only is he pointing out that the rich and powerful should be disgusted by the state of the world around them, he is also stating that the elite are completely separated from real world issues (i.e. through a diner window), regardless of how apparent they are.
The last excerpt of the song contains the title "You'll Get Yours Aplenty." I interpreted 'aplenty' to mean that at some point in life, all powerful and rich people will face some sort of crisis. It could mean a massive revolt, financial loss, or death, but the power-seekers who chase assets all return to the earth eventually.
The was Foley writes is reminiscent of a concerned citizen at a. public hearing, crying out to the lawmakers about the conditions of everyday living and the need for change.