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