Walking Down Madison
Kirsty MacColl
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Walking down madison - I swear I never had a gun No I never shot no-one - I was only having fun Walking down madison - swear I never had a gun I was philosophizing some Checking out the bums See you give 'em your nickels, your pennies and dimes But you can't give 'em hope in these mercenary times, oh no And you feel real guilty about the coat on your back And the sandwich you had, oh no From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train It's not that far From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement It's not that far To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park Oh no it's not that far Would you like to see some more? I can show you if you'd like to Walking down madison - I swear I never had a gun No I never shot no-one - wouldn't do it just for fun Walking down madison - trying to keep my head screwed on I was philosophizing some Checking out the nuns When you get to the corner don't look at those freaks Keep your head down low and stay quick on your feet, oh yeah The beaming boy from harlem with the airforce coat The ones who died The ones who tried The ones that sit and gloat From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train It's not that far From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement It's not that far To the bag lady frozen asleep on the church steps It's not that far Would you like to see some more? I can show you if you'd like to Within every city and town there's a madison Frozen lives for whom nothing's happening Hungry children is a mother's dilemma Dumpster diving to feed her baby emma So you walk on by like it doesn't affect you The held out hand that you pay no respect to Nickels and dimes won't even buy your guilt Another wino burnt to death in his quilt It's a cardboard city, newspaper metropolis The system can't cope or keep on top of this The authorities come as you're not for display Do they solve the problem no they move him away They're in a vicious circle of no fixed abode The social won't pay 'em the money they're owed When you've got no money you can't pay rent Hypothermia kills ''cause the system is bent From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train It's not that far From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement It's not that far To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park Oh no it's not that far Would you like to see some more? I can show you if you'd like to From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train It's not that far From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement It's not that far To the bag lady frozen asleep on the church steps It's not that far Would you like to see some more? I can show you if you'd like to In the subway sits a vacuous man His grip on life is a bent tin can It's a holy shrine where he burns his light It makes things easy and removes his plight For an hour or two but he can't escape They're all penned in with government tape There are good samaritans who bring the soup The sally army with their bibles and boots You can see yourself as it's not too far One short trip you don't who they are Till the night comes then it all comes back Like the smell of patchouli and the armies of rats It's a shame to be human it's a human shame It seems we've forgotten we're one and the same
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Written by: JOHNNY MARR, KIRSTY MACCOLL
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Genre Type"Walking Down Madison" is an intriguing blend of pop, rock, and hip-hop beats that reflects Kirsty MacColl's penchant for genre fusion.
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Lyrics InspirationThe lyrics show Kirsty MacColl's personal impressions of the stark inequality and homelessness she witnessed while walking down Madison Avenue in New York.
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Chart RankingsThe song achieved considerable success, peaking at No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1991.
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Special Collaboration"Walking Down Madison" was co-written by Kirsty MacColl and popular musician Johnny Marr, former guitarist of the band The Smiths.
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Album ContributionThe song is part of MacColl's third studio album "Electric Landlady", which released in 1991.
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Commenting on Society"Walking Down Madison" was considered one of McCall's most overtly political songs due to its sociopolitical commentary on the wealth gap.
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Different VersionsThe song has a variety of versions, including two main remixes (Urban Mix and 6 a.m. Ambient Mix) that are widely popular.
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Notable ProducerAmong those who worked on the song, notable producer Steve Lillywhite, who was also MacColl's then-husband, made substantive contributions.
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Lyrical ReceptionCritics praised the song’s evocative and challenging lyrics, which speak to the extremes of affluence and poverty experienced in one city block.
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EnduranceDespite being released in the early '90s, the topic of the song remains relevant today, testifying to its enduring effect and MacColl's insightful songwriting.
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"Walking Down Madison Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1120392/Kirsty+MacColl/Walking+Down+Madison>.
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