Sal
It was the morning of october 6th, 1960
I was wearing my brown suit
Preparing to leave the house of d.
Shook some hands then adios brooklyn amigos
Maybe some of them had hopes of seeing me again
Some even said that my judge-judge gerald culkin-
Wouldn't play it by the book
Maybe let us off the hook
But, woh-oo-woh, i knew better.
Sal & salvador
Afraid to leave the projects
To cross into another neighborhood
Sal
The blancos and the nigger gangs
Well, they'd kill you if they could.
Aurea & women
Angel of mercy, people are suffering
All over the world
Spanish children are taught on their knees to believe
Angel of mercy, people are suffering
All over the island tonight,
Mothers weep
Sal & aurea
Sisters grieve.
Sal
Well, i entered the courtroom, state of new york
County of new york, just some spic
They scrubbed off the sidewalk
Guilty by my dress
Guilty in the press
Let the capeman burn for the murder
Well the 'spanish boys' had their day in court
And now it was time for some ****in' law and order
The electric chair
For the greasy pair
Said the judge to the court reporter
Sal & salvador
Afraid to leave the projects
To cross into another neighborhood
Salvador
The newspapers and the t.v. crews
Well, they'd kill you if they could
Aurea & women
Angel of mercy, people are suffering
All over the world
A spanish boy could be killed every night of the week
Sal
But just let some white boy die
And the world goes crazy for blood-latin blood.
I don't lie when i speak.
Sal & salvador
Well they shackled my hands
Sal
A heavy belt around my waist to restrain me
Sal & salvador
And they shackled my legs
Sal
Hernandez, the 'umbrella man,' chained beside me
Then we rode that black maria
Through the streets of spanish harlem
Calling old friends on the corners
Sal & aurea
Just to lay our prayers upon them
Sal
Crying
Adios hermanos, adios
Sal & salvador
Adios hermanos, adios
Lead vocal-paul simon
Background vocal-briz
Background vocal-myrna gomila
Background vocal-karen bernod
Background vocal-renee connell-adams
Background vocal-dewayne snype
Background vocal-kia jeffries
Background vocal-ed vasquez
Background vocal-derrick james
Organ-oriente lopez
Background vocals recorded by roy halee