The Motor City Is Burning
John Lee Hooker
[Intro] [Verse 1] Oh the motor city’s burnin’ It ain’t no thing in the world that I can do Don’t ya know Don’t ya know the big D is burnin’? Ain’t no thing in the world that Johnny can do My home town burnin’ down to the ground Worser than Vietnam [Verse 2] Well it started on twelfth and Clairmont this mornin’ I just don’t know what it’s all about Well it started on twelfthand Clairmont this mornin’ I don’t know what it’s all about The fire wagon kept comin’ The snipers just wouldn’t let ’em put it out [Verse 3] Fire bomb bustin’ all around me An’ soldiers was everywhere Well fire bomb fallin’ all around me And soldiers standin’ ev’rywhere I could hear the people screaming Sirens fill the air [Verse 4] I don’t know what the trouble is I can’t stay around to find it out I don’t know I don’t know What the trouble is this mornin’ I just can’t stay around to find it out Takin’ my wife an my family And little Johnny Lee is clearin’ out [Verse 5] The motor city’s burnin’ Ain’t a thing that I can do Well the motor city’s burnin’ Ain’t a thing that I can do I just hope people It’ll never happen to you [Outro] Yes yes I could hear the fireman Said ’Look get outta here’ (fade)