'Sun City' record roars its musical protest
1985Mark Harris 1985-12Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 19 →
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Every two-and-a-half minutes a Black South African is arrested for violating any one of the 317 laws that, by definition, only a Black person can violate. These laws ensure privilege, power, and profit for the white mino -rity, but at the cost of what those in public relations One way that the apartheid government has tried to counter its international isolation is by bringing well-known entertainers to Sun City, a $90 million gambling and resort complex located in the so-called independent Of course, Bophuthatswana is controlled lock-stockand-barrel by the apartheid government in Pretoria. And there is not a nation on earth that doesn't know that.
The same cannot be said, however, for some well-known entertainers. Many stars, such as Linda Ronstadt, George Benson, John Denver, Rod Stewart, Frank Sinatra, and others have been lured to perform at Sun City by astronomical salaries, despite the cultural boycott called by the United Nations of South Africa, Performing at Sun City, however, will not be such an easy thing to do since the release of the "Sun City" single and LP by Artists United Against Apartheid.
Written by Little Steven Van Zandt, former lead guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's band, "Sun City" delivers a But we know it's in South Africa no matter what roaring denunciation of apartheid and Ronald Reagan's (KURTIS BLOW, RUN DMC DMC, AFRIKA BAME You can't buy me I don't care what you pa "Sun City" packs a wallop not only in its message. It is a hard-driving, pounding rock song. The lyrics and the artists who sing on the single version are as follows:
Relocation to phony homelands (DAVID RUFFIN)
Separation of families I can't understand (PAT It's time to accept our responsibility (BONNIE RAITT)
Freedom is a privilege nobody rides for free (RUBEN Look around the world baby it can't be denied (LOU We're stabbing our brothers and sisters in the back Why are we always on the wrong side (BOBBY WOMACK)
Relocation to phony homelands (JACKSON BROWNE, Constructive engagement is Ronald Reagan's plan Separation of families I can't understand (PETER SOCIALIST ACTION DECEMBER 1985 might call a colossal "image" problem.
nation of Bophuthatswana. including Sun City. "constructive engagment" policy. BENATAR) 23 million can't KENDRICKS)
(BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN)
I ain't gonna play Sun City (CHORUS) Our government tells us we're doing all CLINTON)
(JOEY RAMONE)
FOSATU Worker News BAMBAATAA)
vote because they're black (EDDIE REED)
BOB DYLAN)
GARRETT Meanwhile people are and giving CLIFF, DARRYL HALL)
This quiet diplomacy ain't nothing but a joke (DI LOVE)
I ain't gonna play Sun City (CHORUS)
Bophuthatswana is far away (RUN DMC)
BOOTEE, GRANDMASTER MELLE MEL, Don't ask me Sun City cause I ain't gonna play KWESI JOHNSON & ÁLL RAPPERS) I ain't gonna play Sun City (CHORUS)
BLADES, JOHN OATES)
I ain't gonna play. Sun City (CHORUS) they say (AATAA) r (DUKE AFRIKA HENDRYX, KASHIF)
(BONO)
Hancock.
lives."
modern slavery. apartheid. apartheid groups in the United States.
disgust with the apartheid system.