DESCRIPTION:
this cover (originally by Phil Ochs) was included on the folk-y covers album i made with my dad, Jack Palmer: “You Got Me Singing”.
the song was originally written after the harlem riots of 1964. my dad, who also re-wrote a few of the lyrics to the song, wrote a bit about it on Medium here: http://bit.ly/2aZYFDv

…and the complete lyrics are below and at the project page: http://amandapalmer.net/intheheatofthesummer/

you can get the album for $1 here on bandcamp: https://amandapalmer.bandcamp.com/album/you-got-me-singing-2
and even better, you can join the patreon for $1 and up….and then follow this link for a free download code: http://bit.ly/2aFYgr5

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lyrics:

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

no need to ask how it started
Why the windows were shattered
another black kid face down in the street
whose life did not seem to matter

Down the street they were rumbling
All the tempers were ragin'
Oh, where, oh, where are the white silver tongues
Who forgot to listen to the warnings?

on and on they were comin'
bricks and bottles were flyin;
And the loudspeaker drowned like a whisperin' sound
When compared to the angered emotions

"No, no, no" moaned the mayor
“That's not the way of the order
stay in your homes, please leave us alone
We'll be glad to talk in the morning"

"For shame, for shame" wrote the papers
"Why the hurry to your hunger?
Now the rubble's resting on your broken streets
So you see what your rage has unraveled"

And when the fury was over
shame was replacing the anger
So wrong, so wrong, but it’s gone on so long
And we had to make somebody listen
In the heat of the summer...

Photo of Philando Castile is via Lavish Reynolds/Facebook
Photo of Alton Sterling is via CNN