You listen to the radio
These days it’s getting harder to find a good band
Now that the boss got older
Looks like I gotta take things in my own hands
There’s millions of people now
Trying to tell the world that white is black
But I’m gonna stand up
Shoot ‘em all down and make ‘em take it all back
The night is growing colder
The world is [sh]icing over and I just can’t fall asleep
The storm cloud grow bigger
The lightning flashes and the questions run so deep
But I’ll get the answers
Even if it means collapsing into one big heap
‘Cause Ah got de power!
I’m gonna give it all I got to give
Ah got de power!
And I’m gonna be your reason to live
The pressure passed the limits
Something had to break and it just broke
I know it’s beautiful out there
‘Cause living ‘round here man, you know it’s just one big joke
I’m growing more and more restless
I gotta pick myself up and unchain myself from this town
I got a fire inside me
It’s either gonna warm me up or burn me down
You listen to the records
It all looks new and different but it’s really all the same
And I’m leaving this city
‘Cause I don’t wanna play the club scene in a band with no name
But you guys will soon hear from me now
I’m the one who’s gonna put those rock’n’roll snobs to shame
‘Cause Ah got de power!
I’m gonna give it all I got to give
Ah got de power!
And I’m gonna be your reason to live
Ah got de power
Remember drowning the nights away with some beers at the bar
Ah got de power
The gang all wished me luck and said I’m gonna go far
Ah got de power
I’ll give it all I got to give
Well babe just let me in I’ll be your reason to live
I’ll be your star!
©2023 The Hesh Inc.
This song was written in 1984, as an answer to Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark." The Kids From Fame's "We Got the Power" was also echoing in the back of my mind when I wrote this. I was living in Israel, killing time after high school and waiting for the Israeli military to draft me; I was on edge, and a big part of me wanted to be back on the East Coast of the United States rocking it up instead of serving three years with my life on hold (and the not-unrealistic possibility that I might not complete those years, 'nuff said).
About eight years, two continents, a sea, and an ocean later, I had begun playing in bands in New Jersey and New York, acting on that deferred dream. The band I was in, formed with friend and drummer Izzy Kieffer and guitarist Stephen Czeslowski, played the song often at gigs and recorded a demo version of the song at The Place studios in Manhattan's Meat Market neighborhood. Later on it was released on Everybody's in the Money, a collection of demos and oddities, on the now-defunct mp3.com label.