Attica State (live)
John Lennon&Yoko Ono
"I´d just like to say, it´s an honour and a pleasure to be here at the Apollo and for the reasons we´re all here."
"It´s my pleasure and privilege at this very solumn moment to introduce a young man
and his wife, who saw fit to put down in music and lyrics so that it will never be
forgotten in our country, by anyone, the tragedy of Attica State."
"There´s no more that I can say, Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to introduce you to John and Yoko Lennon."
"This song, Yoko and I wrote, is called ´Attica State´."
What a waste of human power
What a waste of human lives
Shoot the prisoners in the towers
Forty-three poor widowed wives
Attica State, Attica State
We're all mates with Attica State
Media blames it on the prisoners
But the prisoners did not kill
"Rockefeller pulled the trigger"
That is what the people feel
Attica State, Attica State
We're all mates with Attica State
Free the prisoners, jail the judges
Free all prisoners everywhere
All they need is truth and justice
All they want is love and care
Attica State, Attica State
We're all mates with Attica State
They all live in suffocation
Let's not watch them die in sorrow
Now's the time for revolution
Give them all a chance to grow
Attica State, Attica State
We're all mates with Attica State
Come together join the movement
Take a stand for human rights
Fear and hatred clouds our judgement
Free us all from endless night
Attica State, Attica State
We're all mates with Attica State
Attica State, Attica State
We all live in Attica State
Attica State, Attica State, Attica, Attica, Attica State.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, aah."
"Some of you wonder what I´m doin´ here with no drummers and no nothing like that."
"Well you might know I lost my old band or I left it. I´m putting an electric band together, it´s not ready yet."
"Ah, things like this keep comin´ up so, I just have to busk it."
"So I´m gonna sing you a song now you might know. It´s called ´Imagine´."
Pozn:Attica State Prison je státní vězení situované v severní části státu New York. 13.září 1971 zde vypuklo rozsáhlé povstání, kterého se zůčastnilo na 1200 vězňů. Při následném potlačení vzpoury bylo zabito 33 vězňů a 10 dozorců, kteří byli drženi jako rukojmí. Pod vlivem těchto událostí napsal Lennon tuto píseň ve které vyzývá k osvobození vězňů a zavření soudců. Dnes má tato věznice i své vlastní internetové stránky a hříčkou osudu si zde odpykává svůj trest i Lennonův vrah.
Záznam zde uvedené písně byl pořízen 17.12.1971 na Apollonově stadionu v Harlemu, kde se Lennonovi zůčastnili dobročinného koncertu jehož cílem bylo shromáždit prostředky na pomoc rodinám zabitých při povstání v Attice.