We Built This City
Starship - 1985 (#1) 11/16 2wks
-from Starship`s Knee Deep In The Hoopla CD - GRUNT PCD1-5488 (c) 1985
We built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll -
Built this city
we built this city on rock `n` roll.
Say you don`t know me
or recognize my face.
Say you don`t care who goes to that kind of place.
Knee deep in the hoop-la
sinking in your fight.
Too many runaways eating up the night.
Marconi plays the mamba,
Listen to the radio.
Don`t you remember,
we built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll?
We built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll -
Built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll.
Someone`s always playing corporation games.
Who cares; they`re always changing corporation names.
We just want to dance here (but) someone stole the stage.
They call us irresponsible;
Write us off the page.
Marconi plays the mamba,
Listen to the radio.
Don`t you remember,
we built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll?
We built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll -
Built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll.
(guitar interlude)
It`s just another Sunday in a tired old street.
(The) Police have got the choke hold
and we just lost the beat.
Who counts the money underneath the bar?
Who rides the wrecking ball in two-part guitars?
Don`t tell us you need us
`cause we`re the ship of fools
looking for America
calling through your schools.
(DJ voice [Les Garland]: lookin` out over that Golden Gate
Bridge on another gorgeous sunny Saturday and I`m seeing that
bumper-to-bumper traffic...)
(DJ voice [Les Garland]: It`s your favorite radio station in
your favorite radio city, the city by the bay, the city that
rocks, the city that never sleeps... )
Marconi plays the mamba,
Listen to the radio.
Don`t you remember,
we built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll?
We built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll -
Built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll.
Built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll.
Built this city,
we built this city on rock `n` roll.
(we built, we built this city) built this city
(we built, we built this city)
(we built, we built this city) built this city
(we built, we built this city)
(we built, we built this city) built this city
(we built, we built this city)
(we built, we built this city) built this city ((fade))
tradition of using music as a form of protest, We Built
This City is a social commentary on the impact of disco
on live bands. Say you don`t care to go to that kind of
place. Clubs looking to make quick money underneath the
bar were reluctant to pay for live performances. This
had the tendancy to choke out emerging talent. The
sarcastic taunt, Don`t tell us you need us is a slam
against the corporate producers who look at youth as
a market rather than as a source of new talent. The line,
`Cause we`re a ship of fools looking for America, calling
through the schools... says, we are the dreamers and
explorers seeking out new worlds through the youth. Some
transcribers even missed the reference to Marconi as the
Italian inventor of radio (Marconi plays the mamba.)
