Southland Street

Henry was a man of steel
He built his cars in twos and fours
With a Motown sort of soulful feel
And phatter than before
Back home to Henrietta
Kiss the kids, the kids would let him
Champaign soup and dancing lessons
Dizzy on the floor
Refrain:
They had it all til it all went south to Southland St
They had it all til it all went headin’ south
Hammer fall and strike the steel and bend the beat
They had it all til it all went headin’ south
The factory was made of gold
And all the workers loved him so
And thirteen hour days are slow
But they kept the children fed
Every year at Christmas time
He’d send em home with pork and wine
So sound the horn and ring the chimes
It’s Christmas time again
Refrain
A breakthrough at the factory
They built a car from subsidies
It was fast and it was duty-free
And -- sssshhhhhhww -- right out the door
They called them days the Golden Years
They cried them big old golden tears
Til the kickbacks kicked their golden rears
Cause the border ain’t no more now
Refrain
So they packed their bags for Southland Street
Where the water’s brown, the air is cheap
And the workers work for refried beans
It’s the waste of all wastelands
But that don’t mean they give a damn
They’ll build them big old ass sedans
And say: “Screw it, cause the master plan says:
Catch us if you can!”
Refrain
So they threw themselves a big parade
They were flyin’ flags and gettin’ laid
Cause the peso makes an easy trade
Just freedom for a feast
Til who came crashing through the door
It was dancin’ dervishes galore
It was the Indians and banking whores
Saying: “Come on to the East!”
Refrain:
They had it all til it all went south to Southland St
They had it all til it all went headin’ south
Hammer fall and strike the steel and bend the beat
They had it all til it all went headin’ . . . east