[Verse 1]
That's the man you gotta give it to
We pay him our rent to have a hole in our roof
And when our neighbors burned
It was only because of telephone cords

[Pre-Chorus]
Trash on sidewalks, broken windowpanes
The pipes are leaking
They ain't gonna fix it 'til it's too far gone
They're gonna wash us away
We've got to say

[Chorus]
You've got to fan the flames
You've got to stand up and break the chains
Make a plan and demand what the damage pays
Fan the flames

[Verse 2]
In the dark and the bitter cold
They're freezing us out, it's as good as gold
Between the vacant homes
Are fancy doorbells wrapped with ribbon and bow

[Pre-Chorus]
Trash on sidewalks, broken windowpanes
The pipes are leaking
They ain't gonna fix it 'til it's too far gone
They're gonna wash us away
We've got to say

[Chorus]
You've got to fan the flames
You've got to stand up and break the chains
Make a plan and demand what the damage pays
Fan the flames

[Verse 3]
Getting hard to stay in tune
The boys are getting me down, I 'll be staying in my room
But when the yuppies push us out
The boys are picking me up and sticking around

[Verse 4]
That's the man you gotta give it to
Time and time again he plays us for a fool
And when our neighbors burned
The realtors shook hands with their backs turned

[Outro]
That's the man you gotta give it to
That's the man you gotta give it to