Pistol Shots Ring Out In The Barroom Night

Enter Patty Valentine From The Upper Hall.

She Sees The Bartender In A Pool Of Blood,

Cries Out, "My God, They Killed Them All!"

Here Comes The Story Of The Hurricane,

The Man The Authorities Came To Blame

For Somethin' That He Never Done.

Put In A Prison Cell, But One Time He Could-a Been

The Champion Of The World.



Three Bodies Lyin' There Does Patty See

And Another Man Named Bello, Movin' Around Mysteriously.

"I Didn't Do It," He Says, And He Throws Up His Hands

"I Was Only Robbin' The Register, I Hope You Understand.

I Saw Them Leavin'," He Says, And He Stops

"One Of Us Had Better Call Up The Cops."

And So Patty Calls The Cops

And They Arrive On The Scene With Their Red Lights Flashin'

In The Hot New Jersey Night.



Meanwhile, Far Away In Another Part Of Town

Rubin Carter And A Couple Of Friends Are Drivin' Around.

Number One Contender For The Middleweight Crown

Had No Idea What Kinda Shit Was About To Go Down

When A Cop Pulled Him Over To The Side Of The Road

Just Like The Time Before And The Time Before That.

In Paterson That's Just The Way Things Go.

If You're Black You Might As Well Not Show Up On The Street

'Less You Wanna Draw The Heat.



Alfred Bello Had A Partner And He Had A Rap For The Cops.

Him And Arthur Dexter Bradley Were Just Out Prowlin' Around

He Said, "I Saw Two Men Runnin' Out, They Looked Like Middleweights

They Jumped Into A White Car With Out-of-state Plates."

And Miss Patty Valentine Just Nodded Her Head.

Cop Said, "Wait A Minute, Boys, This One's Not Dead"

So They Took Him To The InfirmaryAnd Though This Man Could Hardly See

They Told Him That He Could Identify The Guilty Men.



Four In The Mornin' And They Haul Rubin In,

Take Him To The Hospital And They Bring Him Upstairs.

The Wounded Man Looks Up Through His One Dyin' Eye

Says, "Wha'd You B