Eddy Grant

Eddy Grant

A little something about Eddy Grant
Guyana-born singer/guitarist Eddy Grant was hardly a young pop upstart when he had his solo hits in the early 1980s. Grant's first modest chart success came in the 1960s as a member of the Caribbean-influenced, British R&B band the Equals. In 1977 Grant released his first solo album, "Message Man," with limited success. The late '70s revival of reggae and ska music opened up a market for artists like Grant. Grant fused his Caribbean musical roots with the electronic sounds that were creeping into the pop charts. In 1982 the pay-off came with his "Killer on the Rampage" album, and the international hit "Electric Avenue." The next year he had another hit with the title track for the film "Romancing the Stone." Grant continued releasing music, and had another notable hit in the late 80's with "Jo'anna."

Lyrics featured below: "Electric Avenue", "Gimmie hope Jo'anna".

Electric Avenue

Down in the street there is violence
And a lots of work to be done
No place to hang out our washing
And I can't blame all on the sun, oh no

CHORUS:
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher

Workin' so hard like a soldier
Can't afford a thing on TV
Deep in my heart I'm a warrior
Can't get food for them kid, good God

CHORUS

Oh no...
Oh no...
Oh no...
Oh no...

CHORUS

Who is to blame in one country
Never can get to the one
Dealin' in multiplication
And they still can't feed everyone, oh no

CHORUS

Out in the street...
Out in the street...
Out in the playground...
In the dark side of town...

CHORUS

Rock it in the daytime
Rock it in the night ...


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Gimme hope Jo'anna

Well Jo'anna she runs a country
She runs in Durban and the Transvaal
She makes a few of her people happy, oh
She don't care about the rest at all
She's got a system they call apartheid
It keeps a brother in a subjection
But maybe pressure can make Jo'anna see
How everybody could a live as one

(Chorus:)
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Hope, Jo'anna
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
'Fore the morning come
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Hope, Jo'anna
Hope before the morning come

I hear she make all the golden money
To buy new weapons, any shape of guns
While every mother in black Soweto fears
The killing of another son
Sneakin' across all the neighbours' borders
Now and again having little fun
She doesn't care if the fun and games she play
Is dang'rous to ev'ryone

(Chorus)

She's got supporters in high up places
Who turn their heads to the city sun
Jo'anna give them the fancy money
Oh to tempt anyone who'd come
She even knows how to swing opinion
In every magazine and the journals
For every bad move that this Jo'anna makes
They got a good explanation

(Chorus)

Even the preacher who works for Jesus
The Archbishop who's a peaceful man
Together say that the freedom fighters
Will overcome the very strong
I wanna know if you're blind Jo'anna
If you wanna hear the sound of drums
Can't you see that the tide is turning
Oh don't make me wait till the morning come

(Chorus)