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Added bit of context to Electric Avenue - Electric Avenue refers to the old high street in Brixton, London. It was one of the first streets in London to be lit up with electric lights in the 1880’s.
Post WW2, the area was (and still is, to a large extent) the place where many Windrush migrating citizens lived around (South London).
The song is about the ‘1981 Brixton riot, or Brixton uprising, was a series of clashes between mainly black youths and the Metropolitan Police in Brixton, London, between 10 and 12 April 1981. It resulted from racist discrimination against the black community by the mainly white police, especially the police’s increased use of stop-and-search in the area, and ongoing tensions resulting from the deaths of 13 black teenagers and young adults in the suspicious New Cross house fire that January. The main riot on 11 April, dubbed “Bloody Saturday” by Time magazine, resulted in 279 injuries to police and 45 injuries to members of the public; over a hundred vehicles were burned, including 56 police vehicles; almost 150 buildings were damaged, thirty of which were burnt out, and many shops were looted. There were 82 arrests. Reports suggested that up to 5,000 people were involved.’
The rioting didn’t actually hit Electric Avenue properly, but it was close enough that the symbolism of what was usually such a joyous place next to a backdrop of horrific police violence (practically warfare) was enough for Eddy Grant to write a song about it.
the music video for Electric Avenue is awesome too:
https://youtu.be/6kKFinPXJR8?si=LCxwcD6NX_99jxIL
Added bit of context to Electric Avenue - Electric Avenue refers to the old high street in Brixton, London. It was one of the first streets in London to be lit up with electric lights in the 1880’s.
Post WW2, the area was (and still is, to a large extent) the place where many Windrush migrating citizens lived around (South London).
The song is about the ‘1981 Brixton riot, or Brixton uprising, was a series of clashes between mainly black youths and the Metropolitan Police in Brixton, London, between 10 and 12 April 1981. It resulted from racist discrimination against the black community by the mainly white police, especially the police’s increased use of stop-and-search in the area, and ongoing tensions resulting from the deaths of 13 black teenagers and young adults in the suspicious New Cross house fire that January. The main riot on 11 April, dubbed “Bloody Saturday” by Time magazine, resulted in 279 injuries to police and 45 injuries to members of the public; over a hundred vehicles were burned, including 56 police vehicles; almost 150 buildings were damaged, thirty of which were burnt out, and many shops were looted. There were 82 arrests. Reports suggested that up to 5,000 people were involved.’
The rioting didn’t actually hit Electric Avenue properly, but it was close enough that the symbolism of what was usually such a joyous place next to a backdrop of horrific police violence (practically warfare) was enough for Eddy Grant to write a song about it.