Black Day in July - Gordon Lightfoot

Seemed fitting given the events of the past few days.




Lyrics:
Black day in July
Motor city madness has touched the countryside
And through the smoke and cinders
You can hear it far and wide
The doors are quickly bolted
And the children locked inside

Black day in July
Black day in July
And the soul of Motor City is bared across the land
As the book of law and order is taken in the hands
Of the sons of the fathers who were carried to this land

Black day in July
Black day in July
In the streets of Motor City is a deadly silent sound
And the body of a dead youth lies stretched upon the ground
Upon the filthy pavement
No reason can be found

Black day in July
Black day in July
Motor City madness has touched the countryside
And the people rise in anger
And the streets begin to fill
And there's gunfire from the rooftops
And the blood begins to spill

Black day in July

In the mansion of the governor
There's nothing that is known for sure
The telephone is ringing
And the pendulum is swinging
And they wonder how it happened
And they really know the reason
And it wasn't just the temperature
And it wasn't just the season

Black day in July
Black day in July
Motor City's burning and the flames are running wild
They reflect upon the waters of the river and the lake
And everyone is listening
And everyone's awake

Black day in July
Black day in July
The printing press is turning
And the news is quickly flashed
And you read your morning paper
And you sip your cup of tea
And you wonder just in passing
Is it him or is it me

Black day in July

In the office of the President
The deed is done the troops are sent
There's really not much choice you see
It looks to us like anarchy
And then the tanks go rolling in
To patch things up as best they can
There is no time to hesitate
The speech is made the dues can wait

Black day in July
Black day in July
The streets of Motor City now are quiet and serene
But the shapes of gutted buildings
Strike terror to the heart
And you say how did it happen
And you say how did it start
Why can't we all be brothers
Why can't we live in peace
But the hands of the have-nots
Keep falling out of reach

Black day in July
Black day in July
Motor city madness has touched the countryside
And through the smoke and cinders
You can hear it far and wide
The doors are quickly bolted
And the children locked inside

WIKIPEDIA wrote:
The 1967 Detroit riot, also known as the 12th Street riot, was a violent public disorder that turned into a civil disturbance in Detroit, Michigan. It began on a Saturday night in the early morning hours of July 23, 1967. The precipitating event was a police raid of an unlicensed, after-hours bar [...] Police confrontations with patrons and observers on the street evolved into one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in the history of the United States, lasting five days.

The scale of the riot was surpassed in the United States only by the 1863 New York City draft riots during the U.S. Civil War, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Here is an article from today:
Gordon Lightfoot's 'Black Day in July' about Detroit riots inspires new art
http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/gordon-lightfoot-s-black-day-in-july-about-detroit-riots-inspires-new-art-1.2980754

Now, the figurative artist from St. Jacobs, Ont. is adding to his creative tribute to Lightfoot. He has created a sculpture inspired by the singer-songwriter's "Black Day in July," which addressed the 1967 race riots in Detroit.

The artist's one-metre high sculpture inspired by "Black Day in July" is cast in bronze and will be displayed on a granite pedestal with the song title carved into the face of the stone.

The sculpture is a Maple Leaf that features a scene from Detroit, with smoke rising from the city transforming into clouds. Within the clouds, two outstretched hands -- one black, one white -- reach out to clasp the other. Hovering above the clouds is a dove.

"It's really a sculpture that's meant to bring healing and peace, and I think one of the first steps to that is acknowledging the actual event happened," said Schmalz.

Because it is a CTV article it has to end with the usual liberal pablum: "As Gordon Lightfoot would sing... 'Why can't we all be brothers, why can't we live in peace."' 
Didn't you listen to the song?! Lightfoot tells us exactly why:

And you say 'how did it happen'?
And you say 'how did it start'?
'Why can't we all be brothers'?
'Why can't we live in peace'?
But the hands of the have-nots
Keep falling out of reach



Here is Detroit DJ Moodymann's 2008 -Det.riot '67- which samples audio recordings from news reels talking about the riot. It's minimalistic dub-bass, strange tones with just a touch of strings so there is no comparison to Lightfoots but combined with the samples and picture give it a unsettling ambiance. Not an easy listen but it is short, made in Detroit and the straight-forward samples fulfill the St.Jacob's sculpture statement that if we want to learn from that event then "the first step [...] is acknowledging the actual event happened"