Black Steel in the Hour Songtext
von Public Enemy

Bass for your face, London!
Everybody in the house, make some noise!
I want everybody in the house to say, "Ho!" (Ho!)
Yo Chuck, kick it to ′em, man!

A ballad behind bars, or you could say real rock from the rock
An unusual musical happening in a most unusual place
The state prison have-
(Get in that cell, nigga)

I got a letter from the government the other day
I opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me givin' a damn, I said, "Never"
Here is a land that never gave a damn
About a brother like me and myself because they never did
I wasn′t wit' it, but just that very minute
It occurred 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 begun, to be another one (word!)
Public Enemy servin' time, they drew the line y′all
They criticize me for some crime
Nevertheless, they could not 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 goin′ for the steel

(Ayo! Chuck are you serious? You in the justice man?)
Word 'em up
I'm looking for that steel
(Yo man, we gon′ break you outta there, man)
(We ain′t goin' out like that, man)

Don′t you know they got me rotting in the time that I'm serving
Telling you what happened the same time they′re throwing
Four of us packed in a cell like slaves, oh well
The same motherfucker got us living in his hell
You have to realize, what is a form of slavery
Organized under a swarm of devils
Straight up, word 'em up on the level

The reasons are several, most of them federal (yeah)
Here is my plan anyway, and I say
I got gusto, but only some I can trust, yo
Some do a bid from one to ten
But I never did, and plus I never been
I′m on a tier where no tears should ever fall
Cell block and locked, I never clock it, y'all


'Cause time and time again
Time they got me serving to those, to them I′m not a citizen
But ever when I catch a C-O
Sleeping on the job, my plan is on go-ahead
On the strength, I′ma tell you the deal
I got nothing to lose
'Cause I′m going for the steel

(Ayo Chuck, we gon' break you outta there man)
(Word on the street G)
I′m going for the steel
(Wad up G, they tryin' to put black outta the gate)
(By keeping you in there, you know what I′m sayin'?)
(But you can't keep a good man down)

(Now they-, now they-, now they-, now they-, now they got me in a cell)
(Ayo Chuck, we got the-, y′all ain′t gon' doubt me man!)
(Now they got me in a cell)
(Now they-, now they-, now they-, now they-) (ayo Chuck, they feelin′ my boy Chuck)
(Now they got me in a cell)
(Now they-, now they-, now they-, now they-, now they got me in a cell) yeah

Don't you know I caught a C-O, fallin′ asleep on death row
I grabbed his gun, then he did what I said so
And every man's got served
Along with the time they served, decency was deserved
To understand my demands
I gave a warnin′, I wanted the governor, y'all
And plus the warden to know
That I was innocent, because I'm militant
Posing a threat, you bet it′s fuckin′ up the government (yeah)
My plan said I had to get out and break north

Just like with Oliver's neck, I had to get off
My boys had the feds in check, they couldn′t try nuthin'
We had a force to instigate a prison riot
This is what it takes for peace, so I just took the piece
Black for black inside time to cut the leash
Freedom to get out, to the ghetto, no sell out
Six C-O′s we got we ought to put their head out (word)
But I'll give ′em a chance, 'cause I'm civilized
As for the rest of the world, they can′t realize
A cell is hell, I′m a rebel, so I rebel

Between bars, got me thinkin' like an animal
Got a woman C.O to call me a copter
She tried to get away, and I popped her twice, right?
Now who wanna get nice
I had six C.O′s, now it's five to go
And I′m serious, call me delirious
But I'm still a captive, I gotta rap this
Time to break as time grows intense
I got the steel in my right hand
Now I′m lookin' for the fence

(Ayo! Chuck, we got the dope planned out, back G)
(Word to the street, man)
I'm lookin′ for that fence
(Wadup, I got the 98 box G, plus that′s good for the S1Ws)
(Yo Chuck, we comin' man)

As I ventured into the courtyard
Followed by 52 brothers bruised, battered, and scarred but hard
Goin′ out with a bang, ready to bang out
But power from the sky and from the tower shots rang out
A high number of dose, yes, and some came close
I figure I trigger my steel, stand and hold my post
This is what I mean, an anti-nigger machine
If I come out alive, and then they won't, come clean
And then I threw up my steel bullet flew up
And to my surprise the water tower blew up

Who shot what, who, the bazooka was who
And to my rescue, it was the S1Ws (yeah)
Secured my getaway, so I just got away
The joint broke, from the black smoke
Then they saw it was rougher than the average bluffer
′Cause the steel was black, the attitude exact
Now the chase is on tellin' you to c′mon
53 brothers on the run, and we are gone

(Yeah, clippy you know what I'm sayin' haha)
(That′s right, we can do it and we gon′ keep on doing it)
(Yo boy! That's right, we never let y′all stop the blood rush boy)
(You know what I'm saying? I don′t care what you know, I don't care what you do)
(But we gonna go, so you better know, door on the floor, you know what I′m saying?)
(Ayo Chuck man!)
(Now they got me in a cell)
(Now they-, now they-, now they-, now they-, now they got me in a cell)
(Now they-, now they-, now they-, now they-, now they got me in a cell)

Death row, wha-what an abomina'
Death row, what an abomina'
Death row, what an abomina′
Death row, wha-what an abomina′