Street Justice

You can see it any night on the night of the news
Some punks think they're big, bad dudes
Commit some crimes and power abuse
Those punks who think they're big, bad dudes
Don't serve a day, don't do no time
They get away and that's a crime
You call that justice, you call that fair?
Now dig me brother, listen here
Only way the working man will ever get his justice
Is on the street

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

When I left for work I thought things were cool
With the wife at home and the kids at school
I walked down the street, got on the bus
Put my coin on the box, "In God We Trust"
I'm a working man and I do my job
I pull my weight and I work real hard
For the things I have, I have paid the price
In sweat, in blood, in sacrifice
I call that justice, I call that fair
Now dig me brother, listen here

I got to work about ten to 8
Worked til 12 and then took a break
Worked straight through til the boss came by
Put his hand on my shoulder and he looked me in the eye
He said "Listen man, you gotta call
Take it in my office just down the hall"
I looked at the clock it was ten past 4
And that was all he said, he didn't say anymore

Was my brother-in-law, on the line
He said "Hey man, you better make some time
Come on home as fast as you can
And I dropped the phone and I ran
I ran past the trucks unloading in the alley
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me
I ran through the streets of no-man's land
Burnt out place where tenements stand

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

I was not prepared for the things I saw
When I opened up the apartment door
The TV was in pieces, the furniture was scattered
Mirrors were all busted up and window panes were shattered
My kids were in the bedroom, they were beat up bad
With tears in his eyes my little boy said
"We did all we could, we put up a fight"
And I took him in my arms and I told him he did right
Then I picked up my daughter and she started to cry
She said "Daddy, oh Daddy, oh Daddy why?"

But the worst that day was about to come
When I saw my wife and what they had done
She was bruised all over, cuts on her hand
I gotta tell ya brother it was more than I could stand
She was taken by the medics, out of the kitchen
Taken by a stretcher in a terrible condition
She looked like a ghost as they moved her through the hall
And when I saw her face I saw the writing on the wall
I saw it on her lips, I read in her eyes
Said "My God, I've been compromised"
A cut will heal, a graze will heal
Her bleeds will heal and a scrape will heal
But a woman's virtue is her pride
Oh my God, she's been compromised

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Well the next thing that happened was the cops arrived
This brother cop comes and pulls me aside
And says "Brother, I'm sorry" and he looks real sincere
"Now dig what I'm saying, make sure you read me clear
For you this here is something that is terrible and cruel
But it ain't no exception, it's more like a rule
Go to the precinct and you know what they'll say
This happens here 24 hours a day
No one was killed, ain't no big deal
Some lady was raped but her scars will heal
Let's say brother that we catch the punk
And you take him to court and all that junk
Think about it brother, think about it good
This here ain't like Hollywood
We're living in the US of Hypocrisy
Where the innocent pay and the criminals go free"

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Well I heard his words and I thought it out
Believe me when I tell you that I had my doubts
But in the end I did was brought up to do
I took it through the system of the red, white, and blue
They caught the punks, put them up on trial
And the lawyers talked in their double-talk style
They called 'em "misdirected youth"
And made all kind of lies from truth
Was a great big game that was going on
And truth and justice were the pawns
Lost in the shuffle, left behind
And man what really blew my mind
Was the final day of the courtroom show
The final play was the final blow
When the judge came in and did his talk
And them 3 punks were free to walk

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Justice hadn't served me (No, no!)

Justice let me down (Yeah!)

Was just a 3-ring circus that had played me for a clown

Had my back to the courtroom ready to leave
When them 3 punks came up to me
And said "Hey man, we got your wife
But next time sucker we're coming for your life"
And I took a vow and I took it then
That the next time that we met again
I would give them punks what they deserved
And finally justice would be served

Gotta meet the punks on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punks on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

I sent my family to my mother's in LA
And I got ready for the dudes to come my way
The lights were on, the shades were drawn
The night was cold but I felt real warm
It was like a calm before the storm
And when them 3 punks came
A bomb went off inside my brain
Was like a man who had gone insane
I felt no hurt, I felt no pain
I felt some things I can't explain
I came down so heavy, I came down so hard
I felt like a one-man demolition squad
I took all their knives, I took all their guns
And then when I had them punks on the run
I picked them off, one-by-one
And finally I saw justice done

Gotta meet the punks on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punks on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

(Hey Rake! You alright?)

But down on the corner, the sirens sound
And there are police all around
Running up the fire escapes, flashing their lights
Calling out my name and tryin' to see if I'm alright
But that's ok, ain't no need for alarm
Ain't nobody left here to do them any harm
For tonight I've had my victory
And I wait for them peacefully

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

So now my brothers as I wait to leave
And give this weary soul some rest
Go my brothers, go in peace
And to your loved ones, all the best

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice

Gotta meet the punk on the battlefront
Gotta beat the punk, street justice