No blacks no jews and no gays

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1979

“There but for the Grace of God Go I” by Machine is a classic Disco track, established for its socially awake lyrics and powerful hit. Released in 1979, the song was written by August Darnell, also recognizable for his work with Kid Creole & The Coconuts, and his brother Stony Browder Jr. Its story addresses themes of societal pressures, racism, and the desire for a better life.

The song follows a Latino couple, Carlos and Carmen Vidal, who move from the South Bronx to try to raise their daughter in a safer, more affluent environment. However, in their attempt to distance her from the influences they consider harmful, they isolate her and ultimately meet the irony of trying to shield her from the very world they were once part of. The line “Too much love and protection can lead to your child’s rejection” captures this tragic twist perfectly.

Musically, “There but for the Grace of God Go I” combines funky basslines, driving percussion, and a memorable horn section, encapsulating the disco sound with a feel of Latin influence. Machine’s vocals are intense and commanding, matching the urgency of the no blacks no jews and no gays

Lyrics of There But for the Grace of God Go I by Machine

Carlos and Carmen Vidal just had a child

A beautiful girl with a crooked smile

′Cus the Bronx ain't fit

Let′s find a place they say

With no Blacks, no Jews and no Gays

But for the grace of God, there travel I, I, I

There but for the grace of God, oh go I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I

Carlos and Carmen Vidal just had a child

A pleasant girl with a crooked smile

'Cus the Bronx ain't fit

Let′s find a place they say

With no Blacks, no Jews and no Gays

But for the grace of God, there proceed I, I, I

There but for the grace of God, oh go I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I

Papi and the family left the dirty streets

To spot a quiet place overseas

And year after year, the kid has to hear

The do′s and don'ts and the dear′s

And when she's ten years old she digs that rock′n'roll

But Papi bans it from the home

But for the grace of God (But for the grace of God) there go I, I, I

But for the grace of God, there proceed I, I, I

(It could be me, it could be you)

There but for the grace of God (No it couldn′t be!) oh go I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I

Baby, she turns out to be

Gaining weight and losing sleep

A musical film was once released during a presidential election year. It was a highly-anticipated followup to a surprise hit from the same talent collective. It opened with an exuberant and elaborately-staged tribute to a world-famous urban area. And shortly upon its release, it swiftly became a target of ridicule, with critics ripping apart its song score, its leading actors, its whitewashing of a musical genre founded by marginalized people, and for being a corny unrealistic beacon of idealism in a politically depressed, heated, and divided climate where a former television personality turned right-wing firebrand was on the verge of becoming President of the United States. To this day, its title has become an instant punchline, a code term for blithe and reckless ambition.

That movie, of course, was the 1980 Allan Carr production Can’t Stop the Music. Though riddled with poorly-thought choices that has left it more often regarded with scorn and snark, it has nonetheless found a select audience that still regards it with authentic affection.

The ever-present bias applied to the body of music generated from 1976-1981 which has generally been ascribed to “disco” i

No Blacks, No Jews and No Gays

FJ, I am a southern girl. Everything should be “reserved” in our perspectives. Also, I don’t consider every black person ran to the front seats of buses or to white only water fountains. It was a slower adjustment. Think about it, the Civil Rights Movement began 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. After segregation ended, blacks attending Universities in the South, still had to be escorted to school. So water fountains and front seats happened during the movement but usually as an organized group event. Most wouldn’t do it just for a show, not if they were alone and surrounded by a organization of whites. If you ever read any Rosa Parks interviews, she wasn’t trying to start a movement. The official version is she sat down because she was just tired, but I understand some people involved in the movement at that time and the “unofficial” version “rumored” is that she was trying to pass as white, as many light complexion blacks did during that hour, and thought no one would notice. Sorry for the long post, I feel like I am completing a college assignment.