WE OWN THE STREETS - video/brazil

So, we shot most of the footage for our "WE OWN THE STREETS" music video while riding on this past weekend's NYC critical mass, to be combined with live footage shot at the TOmpkins Square Park BIKE NOISE! concert the next day...
a busy weekend indeed,,,

but not too busy to reply to this coincidentally relevant email request from BRAZIL...


On Jun 30, 2008, at 9:28 AM, Sandinista . wrote:

Hi,

I'm a participant of the Sao Paulo Critical Mass in Brazil and I'm
also a fan of punk rock music. I've found a video of your at
http://bikeblog.blogspot.com/ and Ioved it!
I'd like to write to our discussion list talking about you (we have
some other punk rock lovers in the group!) and I want to also include
the lyrics to "We own the Streets" translated into portuguese. But
although I'm used to do that, in this case it's been a little hard for
me to understand most of it. Who's the writer of this song? I noticed
it's not in any of your CDs, so I guess it's a cover, right?


====XRIS/TS===========
cool, no i wrote it, ( with teamies contributing solos etc later)
after being locked up / arrested for riding Critical Mass nYC , in August 2004
then i added to it 2 years later, when having to attend "public" hearings in the police station (!) as the police introduced laws, falling directly in opposition w/ the US constitution's Right of Assembly, ( 7 people gathering on bikes, or 30 people gathering in a park would be an arrest able offense),
on a day i found particularly relevant, as the family of the recently murdered Sean Bell, was across the street from One Police Plaza, in city hall park, holding a rally ( which would be illegal / an arrestable offense under these new proposed rules ) ...
and the African American community had no idea these rights, arguably even more crucial to their lives, were being brushed away right across the street, and the only people who knew it was underway were the cyclists... **( since then the two groups have come together... see MASS WITH THE REVEREND video , also at teamspider.blogspot.com)

We Own the Streets is on our "FUCK BRAKES " album,
its up at itunes, can get the CD at interpunk.com
we actually shot a music video for 'We Own the Streets' at last weeks critical mass in NYC , gonna be great

would love to see the lyrics translated, we are trying to come and play south america this winter,, january maybe? maybe you know bookers / venues.,..

=============Sandinista . wrote:

Well, I also plan to donate to get the Tee+CD, but is the shipment to
Brazil included on that ($25+)? I'm waiting for the answers from the
others, so that you can ship several items at once and I think the
total cost will be less.

=============Xris====
sound great, i think to brazil / europe etc. people usually include a couple extra dollars for the additional postage... ( 4 or 5 dollars i think does it)

=============Sandinista . wrote:

Best regards!
Igor Garcia

=============Xris====
---thanks for writing , will mention brazil, your letter in our blog!
xris

//////////////////////////////////

LYRICS YOU WANTED:

=======We own the streets=======Xris/TS
I may never get
What we’re taught to expect
What you call privilege
I call respect
Counting me and my friends
Black sheep until the end
The rights you take we don’t fuckin’ lend
To One P.P., ( one police plaza) they summon me
Pant legs stained with grease
Deli bag on my seat, as the cops ride shotgun next to me
Meanwhile across the street, Sean Bell’s grieving widow bride
Gathers with some friends to cry
Unaware these rights are saying goobye
--We’ve got to take a stand
--NO FUCKING PERMITS
--remove your fucking hands
--WE’RE CALLING BULLSHIT !
Right of Assembly, robbed right from under both you and me
My wounded heart grows cold, so fucking cold
It’s power unchecked on America’s favorite set… but
We’re LARGE, Never IN CHARGE, WE OWN THE STREETS
Manifest at my feet…

City council usurped, as they thank the cops for invading their turf..
Feel a dark buzz as I enter their hive, photographed and scanned
Anonymity dies, 50 cops against a back wall grin,
50 shots they’d Like to see me have within..
‘Till they hear the words from one of their own,
See the weakness in their Imagined throne,
only thing that’s worse than a sucker unchecked
is a sucker who knows
He’s got nothing left….
'cause
We’re LARGE, Never IN ChARGE, WE OWN THE STREETS
Manifest at my feet…

The uncaged heart so easily offended, sit close to the pole, never feel your chain end yet,
They drink freely on the rights you expect, till the drunk mutha fucka’s wrap a noose
Around your neck…

Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…
Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…
Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…
Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…