Beatrice Lang
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue/And then we'll take it higher are lyrics from the song Electric Avenue by Guyanese-British singer Eddy Grant. The song was released in 1982 as a single and on his album Killer on the Rampage. It was one of the biggest hits of 1983 in the United States and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Performer | Eddy Grant |
| Genre | Rock |
| Year of Release | 1982 |
| Album | Killer on the Rampage |
| Song's Inspiration | 1981 Brixton Riots |
| Song's Theme | Racial Equality, Unemployment, Police Brutality |
| Song's Impact | Grammy Award Nomination, Covered by Other Artists, Used in Politics |
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What You'll Learn
The song's inspiration
"Electric Avenue" is a song by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant. Written, produced, and performed by Grant, it was released on his 1982 studio album "Killer on the Rampage". The song was one of the biggest hits of 1983 in the United States, thanks in part to the MTV music video that accompanied it.
The song refers to Electric Avenue in London, specifically in the south London district of Brixton. Electric Avenue was the first market street in London to be lit by electricity. The area is known for its high population of Caribbean immigrants and their descendants, especially Jamaicans.
The song was inspired by the 1981 Brixton riots, which were a response to police brutality, racial tension, and high unemployment among the Caribbean immigrant population in Britain at the time. Eddy Grant spent time with the Black Theatre of Brixton in the 1970s, and it was there that he first learned of Electric Avenue, thinking it would make a great song title.
The song's lyrics reflect the social issues of the time, with lines such as "Now in the street, there is violence/And a lot of work to be done/No place to hang out the washing/And I can't blame it all on the sun". Despite the serious subject matter, the music is upbeat and catchy, a signature style of Grant's.
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Lyrics and their meaning
"Electric Avenue" is a song by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant. It was released on his 1982 studio album "Killer on the Rampage". The song refers to Electric Avenue in London during the 1981 Brixton riots. The title of the song refers to Electric Avenue in the south London district of Brixton, the first market street to be lit by electricity.
The song is a response to the Brixton riots, which were a reaction to police brutality, racial tension, and high unemployment among the Caribbean immigrant population of Britain at the time. The lyrics "Now in the street, there is violence/And a lot of work to be done" highlight this point. The line "We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue/And then we'll take it higher" is an implicit statement about going to rich neighbourhoods to burn down their homes rather than tearing up their own poor neighbourhoods.
Throughout the song, Grant paints a picture of poor, jobless "warriors" who are struggling for racial equality. This is reflected in the lyrics "Working so hard like a soldier/Can't afford a thing on TV/Deep in my heart, I'm a warrior/Can't get food for the kid, good God". The song also touches on societal issues such as poverty and the inability to feed everyone, as seen in the lyrics "Dealin' in multiplication/And they still can't feed everyone, oh no".
The song's lyrics have been interpreted in various ways, with some believing that the phrase "and then we'll take it higher" refers to smoking marijuana. However, the song's overall message is one of protest and a call for change in the face of social and racial injustice.
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Chart performance
"Electric Avenue" is a song by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant. It was released on his 1982 album "Killer on the Rampage". The song was one of the biggest hits of 1983 in the United States, thanks in part to the MTV music video he made for it.
"Electric Avenue" initially reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart after its release as a single in 1983. It spent five weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and hit No. 1 on Cash Box Magazine's chart. On two other US charts, the song peaked at No. 18 on the Hot Black Singles chart and No. 6 on the Dance/Disco Top 80 chart. It was also a hit on the soul/R&B chart. In 2001, a remixed version of "Electric Avenue" reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 16 on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart.
The song was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best R&B Song of 1983 but lost to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean".
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Copyright infringement
"Electric Avenue" is a song by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant. It was released on his 1982 studio album "Killer on the Rampage". The song was a response to the 1981 Brixton riots, which were a reaction to police brutality, racial tension, and high unemployment among the Caribbean immigrant population in Britain.
In 2020, US President Donald Trump used "Electric Avenue" in a 55-second commercial without permission. Grant sued for copyright infringement, and in September 2024, a federal judge ruled in Grant's favor, holding Trump liable for damages and legal fees. This incident highlights the importance of understanding copyright infringement, especially in the music industry.
To avoid copyright infringement, it is essential to obtain permission from the copyright holder or their representative, such as a music publisher or performing rights organization. Alternatively, one can use works in the public domain or license the work according to the terms set by the licensing contract. Registering musical works and sound recordings with the appropriate copyright office provides additional protection and benefits, such as access to federal courts in infringement cases.
It is important to note that copyright infringement claims are typically civil cases, with the plaintiff alleging infringement by the defendant. These cases are heard in federal courts, and the plaintiff must specify their claims, supporting facts, and the court's jurisdiction. While criminal copyright cases are rare in musical work disputes, they can occur in piracy cases involving sound recording copyrights. Musicians should be aware of copyright principles and take the necessary steps to protect their creative works and respect the works of others.
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Covers and remixes
"Electric Avenue", a song by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant, has been covered and remixed by various artists. The song, written and produced by Grant, was initially released as a single in 1983 and became one of the biggest hits of that year in the United States.
Covers
In 1997, the Refugee Camp All-Stars covered "Electric Avenue" for the soundtrack of the film "Money Talks". This version, titled "Avenues", featured reggae artists Pras and Ky-Mani Marley.
Remixes
In 2001, Peter Black remixed "Electric Avenue" as the Ringbang Remix, which reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and number 16 on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart.
Other remixes and samples of "Electric Avenue" can be found on WhoSampled.com. Additionally, the song has inspired other songs, such as "Electric Boogie" by Bunny Wailer, written for Marcia Griffiths in 1982.
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Frequently asked questions
Guyanese-British singer Eddy Grant.
1982.
Killer on the Rampage.
The Brixton riots of 1981.
This line is an implicit statement about going to rich neighbourhoods to burn down their homes rather than tearing up their own poor neighbourhoods.
