[Intro]
A
[Verse]
There was a fire in the sky over Gratiot
D A
You could see it all the way from Springwells
E F#m
Standing on the front lawn in the blackness
E
Holding fast to mama's knees
The whole block on the street
A
When Detroit was burning
[Verse]
Dad said this had been coming for sometime
D A
The black guys on the line had told him so
E F#m
The city of the ghettoes burned on fire
E
There was nothing on the news
But all the neighbours knew
A
When Detroit was burning
[Chorus]
D F#m
When Detroit was burning, burning
D E
When Detroit was burning, burning down
[Verse]
A
There were no kids in the park on Saturday
D A
The Guardsmen set up tents under the swings
E F#m
They drove their jeeps around Vernor Highway
E
Then they'd go downtown at night
To shoot everything in sight
A
When Detroit was burning
[Bridge]
D A
I was just a little girl playing with my friends
D E
I didn't know what it meant to live in a black kid's skin
D E
I'm older now and there's still so much I don't understand
[Instrumental]
A D A E F#m E A
[Verse]
The farmer's market's thriving down on Gratiot
D A
But there's fire in the night around Springwells
E F#m
Detroit wasn't reborn from the ashes
E
It's been nearly thirty years
And hate's still living here
A
Where Detroit was burning
[Chorus]
D F#m
When Detroit was burning, burning
D E
When Detroit was burning, burning down
Bm F#m
Our hometown burning down