From the recordings Queen City Rag and Songs Inspired by Cincinnati
Lyrics
Hard Times in Cincinnati
Come you ladies and you gentlemen and listen to my song
I’ll sing it to you right but you might think it’s wrong
Just a little story ‘bout a Midwest town
Where what goes up comes right back down
Chorus:
And it’s hard times in the city
Cincinnati town
Cincinnati town is like any other place
Liberty run right smack into Race
Race run right through the middle of town
A road everybody needs to go down
Rich folks sit high up on the hills
Counting their cars and dollar bills
They come downtown for a baseball game
Then run right back from where they came
Way downtown there’s Fountain Square
Got something to say, then say it down there
Everybody goes there talking ‘bout a mission
Everybody talking; don’t nobody listen
Police, mighty mean and tough
Keep the law quite fair and just
If you’re in town, you’ll be allright
Just make sure your skin looks white
Black boy shot dead from behind
White cop said, “I feared for my life,
Seen him reach with a mean black arm”
Report come out: black boy unarmed
Black folks gather in Over the Rhine
Mad as hell, you can see it in their eyes
White folks gather in City Hall
Don’t see nothing, nothing at all
Riot broke out and it broke real quick
Listen to my fire, listen to my brick
Ya’ll want peace? Well, we got news
Ain’t no peace in a black man’s shoes
Now ladies and gentlemen, I’m done with my song
I sung it to you right, but you might thought it wrong
Just a little story ‘bout a Midwest town
Where what goes up comes right back down