While I agree with man2542 that it's one of the Greats and it's surprising that there have not been more comments to that effect~I guess I wish I were MORE surprised that the comments there ARE are nitpicking about the particulars of the Harlem neighborhood of NYC. And the way Streets & Avenues are commonly arranged in most towns.
Note the following two lines: In every city you find the same thing going down/Harlem is the capitol of every ghetto town.
You Dig?
It's Pretty Damn Sad to have to explain one of the more self-explanitory songs EVER written,but folks, Come On! What MAKES this song one of the Greats,what MAKES it, for example, the PERFECT song for the final shot of Jackie Brown', as she sings along to it on the radio as she drives off into her well-earned,wonderful future? Well,the KEY to Why is in those two lines, which takes it out of the Strictly Literal.It's not JUST about 110th Street in Harlem~it could be Whateverthehell Boulevard in ANY ghetto in the US: Oakland,Dallas,Gary,Detroit,Newark,New Orleans,Tuscon,Chicago,Vallejo,Los Angeles~anywhere. What the song is ABOUT is Getting Over & Getting Out,& how this requires the strength and courage and intelligence to NOT get caught up in The Game. Pam Grier's character in Jackie Brown DID Get Over & Get Out.But in the BEGINNING of that film, her life can be better described by the lyrics in Randy Crawford'sStreet Life' ~ a song that pretty much illustrates the seductiveness of getting caught up in The Game & ultimately being stuck in (& victimized by) that.This song is ALSO featured in the movie.
It doesn't have anything to do with the specifics of 110th Street. Really, I promise.
While I agree with man2542 that it's one of the Greats and it's surprising that there have not been more comments to that effect~I guess I wish I were MORE surprised that the comments there ARE are nitpicking about the particulars of the Harlem neighborhood of NYC. And the way Streets & Avenues are commonly arranged in most towns. Note the following two lines: In every city you find the same thing going down/Harlem is the capitol of every ghetto town. You Dig? It's Pretty Damn Sad to have to explain one of the more self-explanitory songs EVER written,but folks, Come On! What MAKES this song one of the Greats,what MAKES it, for example, the PERFECT song for the final shot of
Jackie Brown', as she sings along to it on the radio as she drives off into her well-earned,wonderful future? Well,the KEY to Why is in those two lines, which takes it out of the Strictly Literal.It's not JUST about 110th Street in Harlem~it could be Whateverthehell Boulevard in ANY ghetto in the US: Oakland,Dallas,Gary,Detroit,Newark,New Orleans,Tuscon,Chicago,Vallejo,Los Angeles~anywhere. What the song is ABOUT is Getting Over & Getting Out,& how this requires the strength and courage and intelligence to NOT get caught up in The Game. Pam Grier's character in Jackie Brown DID Get Over & Get Out.But in the BEGINNING of that film, her life can be better described by the lyrics in Randy Crawford'sStreet Life' ~ a song that pretty much illustrates the seductiveness of getting caught up in The Game & ultimately being stuck in (& victimized by) that.This song is ALSO featured in the movie. It doesn't have anything to do with the specifics of 110th Street. Really, I promise.