Song Lyrics

In the heat of the summer
F a
When the pavements were burning
Dm c dm
The soul of a city was ravaged in the night
Gm dm
After the city sun was sinkin'

Dm gm dm
Now no one knows how it started
F a
Why the windows were shattered
Dm c dm
But deep in the dark, someone set the spark
Gm dm
And then it no longer mattered.

Dm gm dm
Down the streets they were rumbling
F a
All the tempers were ragin
Dm c dm
Oh, where, oh, where are the white silver tongues
Gm dm
Who forgot to listen to the warnings?

Dm gm dm
On and on come the angry
F a
No longer following reason
Dm c dm
And all the stores were the target now
Gm dm
Where just the other day they were buyin

Dm gm dm
Drunk with the memory of the ghetto
F a
Drunk with the lure of the looting
Dm c dm
And the memory of the uniforms shoving with their sticks
Gm dm
Asking, are you looking for trouble?

Dm gm dm
No, no, no, moaned the mayor.
F a
It's not the way of the order.
Dm c dm
Oh stay in your homes, please leave us alone
Gm dm
We'll be glad to talk in the morning.

Dm gm dm
For shame, for shame, wrote the papers.
F a
Why the hurry to your hunger?
Dm c dm
Now the rubble's resting on your broken streets
Gm dm
So you see what your rage has unraveled.

Dm gm dm
Baricades sadly were risin
F a
Bricks were heavily flyin
Dm c dm
And the loudspeaker drowned like a whisperin' sound
Gm dm
When compared to the angered emotions

Dm gm dm
And when the fury was over
F a
And the shame was replacing the anger.
Dm c dm
So wrong, so wrong, but we've been down so long
Gm dm
And we had to make somebody listen
Gm dm gm dm gm dm
In the heat of the summer......

Phil Ochs

The duration of In the Heat of the Summer is 3:08 minutes and seconds.