Chords for Grandmaster Flash "The Message" 1982 (Reelin' In The Years Archives)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C#m] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ [G#] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Okay, now y'all know what [D] this is.
Now I want to see everybody put their hands up in the [G] air.
And that means everybody, let me [Dm] see them hands up.
We need more hands over there.
[G] Let's see them hands up.
Hey, everybody, clap your hands up in the air like you see here.
Loud, I'm being loud so I can hear it now.
_ [D] Am I [C] hearing this kind of thing?
So [A] do it louder.
_ _ [D] Y'all all right?
[G] We got it together now, y [C]'all.
Hey, clap your hands.
This is [G] unity now.
Everybody is unity.
This is unity.
[D] This is a message.
Now check this out.
Check it out.
_ It's like a thunderstorm, it makes me wonder how people go under.
Hey, it's like a thunderstorm, it makes [N] me wonder how people go under.
Hey, fellas, what you want to do?
Let's dance. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Now we're going to tell you all about New York City.
We love it over there, but this is what it's [D] like.
We're going to tell you all about this.
We got stroke [G]-a-gram everywhere.
People pissing on the stairs.
You know [D] they just don't care.
I can't take the smell.
Can't take the noise.
Got no money to move on.
I guess I got no choice.
Rats in the front door, roaches in [G] the back.
Junkies in the alley with the baseball bat
I tried to get [Gm] away but I couldn't get off
Cause a man wasn't supposed to repossess my [D] car
Don't put me in cars
I'm close to the edge
And I'm trying not to lose my head
Ha ha ha ha ha
In fact [Gm] I struggle sometimes
It makes me wonder how [Cm] I keep it going
But [G] I'm standing on the front stoop
Hanging out the window
Watching all the father byron as the season flows
Crazy lady living in a bag
[D#] Eating out of garbage [D] barrels
Used to be a bag cat
Kept it there for tango
Skipped the life of tango
[F] And break off bridges
Seen [D] the lost of schools
And down at [G] the food show
Watching all the food
[G#] So she could tell the story to the girls back [G] home
She went to the city and got so so so greedy
She had to get a food she couldn't make it on her own
Don't push me
Cause I'm close to [D] the edge
And I'm [G] trying not to lose my [D] head
Ha ha ha ha ha
In fact I struggle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep it going
Hey
In fact [G] I struggle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep it going
Listen my man
My brothers do it
No my mother's pee pee
Say she watches too much
It's just not healthy
All my children in the day time
Dallas at night
Can't even see the game
Or [D] the sugar raising
The bill [G] collectors
They ring my phone
Scares my wife
When I'm not home
I got a bonus education
Double digit inflation
Can't get [D] the train to the car
There's a strike at the station
A neat off gig
Cause I'm standing on my back
Can't stop the turnaround
Broke my sacroiliac
Mid [G] range not great
Can't celebrate some time
I think I'm going to set [D] a trail
My head's at the plane
Don't push me
Cause I'm close to [D] the edge
And I'm [G] trying not to lose my [D] head
Ha ha ha ha
In fact [G] I struggle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep it going
In _ [D] fact I struggle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep it going
Hey _ let's [C] dance
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Em] _
Okay now we want to ask everybody a serious question
If y'all believe in peace
Everybody put up a peace sign
If you believe in peace on earth
That means no more wars
And no more fighting
Now let me [F#] see everybody's peace [F] sign
Cause we don't need a bigger jet
Or a faster missile
We don't need [C] to add a bomb
We need [G] peace
That's what we need
Peace for everybody
[D] Not only us
And not only y'all
But us and y'all
There's no need to be selfish
We need to [Gm] have peace and unity For everybody
[D] All over the world
And this is Grandmaster Action of Grand 5
And this is the message Hey!
To my man Rahim
My son said
Daddy I don't want to go to [G] school
Cause the teacher's a [D] jerk
He must think I'm a fool
All the kids smoke [G] weeper
I think it'd be cheaper
If I just got a job
Learned to [D] be a street sweeper
Or dance to [Gm] the beat
Jump on my feet
Wear a shirt [D] and tie
And run with the heat
Cause it's all about [G] money
Ain't a damn thing funny
[D] Got to have a con in the slant of milk and honey
Push that down in front of the chain
Come until the doctor sold the arm of the game
Snap that man right in the slot
Give him a chance to play for a brand new slot
Again [G] walk through the front
Cause it's crazy I can keep my hand on my gun
Cause they got me on the road
I feel like a outlaw
But my last class jaw
He'll say you want some more living on the street
So don't push me
Cause I'm close to the edge
And I'm trying not to lose my [D] head
Ha ha ha ha ha
Cause I get [G] trouble sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from going under
Say it for one [D] time fellas
Cause I get trouble sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from going under
Say it for him louder [Gm] fellas
Cause I get trouble sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from going under
Now say it as loud as you can
Cause I get [G] trouble sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from going under
A child is born with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you but he's frowning too
Cause only God knows what you'll go through
You'll grow in the ghetto live a second rate
Your eyes will see us all compete
The places you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alleyway
You'll admire all the number books
The stuff, pimps, and coochies and the big money
Make a job, make cars, spend the twenties and tens
And you want to grow [D] up to be just like them
Ha, smugglers, gamblers, burglars, gamblers
Pickpockets, peddlers, even panhellers
You say I'm [G] cool, ha, I'm no fool
Then you wind up flopping out of [D] high school
Now you're unemployed, [G] all non-void
Walking [Dm] around like you're pretty boy
Turned stick up [G] kid but look what you done did
Got set up for the eight year pitch
Now your manhood is broke
You're a maytag, spend the [D#] next two years
As an undercover [D] fan, being used in a [G] few
Served like hell to a date
You were found hunkered [D] dead in the cell
It was plain to [G] see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes see the sad sad song
How you [D] lived so fast and died so young
So [C] don't [G] push me cause I'm close to the edge
And I'm trying not to lose my head
[D] Ha ha ha ha, it's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep on going under
Ha ha ha ha ha, it's like a [F] jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep on going under
The [D] sounds of the city, yo, in your mouth
You see that girl, [F#] man?
Yo, that sound like [Em] cowboy, man
Yo, what's [F] up, buddy?
_ Where's Kareem and Raheem at, man?
I don't know, [E] man, I think they're upstairs cooling out, man
So what's up for tonight, yo?
I think I'm gonna get out of the stupor, man
Check out who's up
You know why that girl named Betty?
Yeah, man
Her mom got robbed [G] yesterday
Yeah, she got her ass in real time
[C#] Please, double nothing, we know what this is
[G] Get him up, get him up
I got you, you, [N] you
I got it, though, get right here for all of you Wait _ _
_ _ Wasting a people's time
What's wrong with you?
You ain't no cop
You ain't nothing
You ain't nothing
All this man here, grab him, y'all
Grab him, look
Look, he ain't no cop
He's just stupid
And he's bald-headed
And he's ugly
Look at him
Now get on out of here
You're stupid, bald-headed, ugly, so-and-so
You get on out of here
But you never come back _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _