VID: Black Steel

by Lila Futuransky (futuransky)

Summary:

"The right to violence is like the right to pee. You've got to have the right place and the right time."

Revolutionary becoming in a past speculative future: a transformative homage to Lizzie Borden's 1983 film Born in Flames.

Notes:

Music: Black Steel, Tricky (original song by Public Enemy; vocals by Martina Topley-Bird)
Video: Born in Flames (dir. Lizzie Borden, 1983)
Edited by Lila Futuransky

YouTube:

Vimeo (password: revolution):

Black Steel from Lila Futuransky on Vimeo.

Download (67MB .mov file, zipped)

Announcement post on Dreamwidth

Notes:

Lyrics:

i got a letter from the government the other day
opened and read it, it said they were suckers
they wanted me for the army or whatever
picture me giving a damn, i said never

here is a land that never gave a damn
about a brother like me and myself
because they never did
i wasn't with it but just that very minute
it occurred to me
the suckers had authority

cold sweatin as i dwell in my cell
how long has it been
they got me sitting in the state pen
got to get out but that thought was thought before
i contemplated a plan on the cell floor

i'm not a fugitive on the run
but a brother like me begun to be another one
public enemy serving time
they drew the line y'all
to criticize me for some crime

many switch in/switch on/switch off
many switch in/switch on/switch off

nevertheless they could not understand
that i'm a black man
and i could never be a veteran
on the strength the situation's unreal
i got a raw deal
so i'm looking for the steel
looking for the steel