Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Alison Goldfrapp
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Ragga
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
Tricky & Martina Topley-Bird
“Black Steel” is the fourth single released on Tricky’s debut 1995 album Maxinquaye. It is a cover of Public Enemy’s 1988 song “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”. The main vocals are by Martina Topley-Bird, Tricky’s collaborator and girlfriend at the time. The beat was from a cassette of 1980s India...
I got a letter from the government the other day
Opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me giving a damn, I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
About a brother like myself because they never did
I wasn't with it, but just that very minute
It occured to me the suckers had authority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell, how long has it been?
They got me sittin' in the state pen
I gotta get out but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor
I'm not a fugitive on the run
But a brother like me began to be another one
Public enemy servin' time, they drew the line y'all
They criticize me for some crime
I got a letter
I got a letter
I got a letter
Picture me giving a damn, I said never
It occured to me the suckers had authority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell, how long has it been?
They got me sittin' in the state pen
I gotta get out but that thought was thought before
I got a letter from the government the other day
Opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me giving a damn, I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
'Bout a brother like me and myself because they never did
I wasn't with it, but just that very minute
It occured to me the suckers had authority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell, how long has it been?
They got me sittin' in the state pen
I gotta get out but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor
I'm not a fugitive on the run
I'm not a fugitive on the run
Many switch in
Switch on, switch off
Many switch in
Switch on, switch off
Many switch in
Switch on, switch off
Many switch in
Switch on, switch off
Many switch in
Switch on, switch off
Nevertheless they cannot understand that I'm a black man
And I could never be a veteran
On the strength, the situation's unreal
I got a raw deal, so I'm lookin' for the steel
Lookin' for the steel
I got a letter from the government the other day
Opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me giving a damn, I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
'Bout a brother like me and myself because they never did
I wasn't with it, but just that very minute
It occured to me the suckers had authority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell, how long has it been?
They got me sittin' in the state pen
I gotta get out but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor
I'm not a fugitive on the run
I'm not
I'm not
I'm not a fugitive on the run
But a brother like me began to be another one
Public enemy servin' time, they drew the line y'all
They criticize me for some crime
I got a letter from the government the other day
Opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me giving a damn, I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
'Bout a brother like me and myself because they never did
I wasn't with it, but just that very minute
I got a letter from the government the other day
Opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me giving a damn, I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
Black Steel was written by Hank Shocklee & Eric Sadler & Chuck D.
Black Steel was produced by Mark Saunders & Tricky.
Tricky released Black Steel on Mon Feb 20 1995.