Released: December 7, 1985
Featuring: Bruce Springsteen Hank Williams Jr. Ray Charles Jimmy Ruffin Joey Ramone Stetsasonic Scorpio Lionel Richie Kurtis Blow Grandmaster Melle Mel Whodini El DeBarge Fat Boys Tina B. Tech And The EFFX Miles Davis Bootsy’s Rubber Band Bootsy Collins George Clinton Malopoets Shankar Lou Reed Nona Hendryx Will Downing & Gerald Albright Bobby Womack Peter Gabriel Bonnie Raitt Darlene Love Rick James Loose Ends Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul Diana Ross Hall & Oates TKA Club Nouveau Prince The Time LL Cool J Duke Bootee Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force MC Jazzy Jeff UTFO Anthrax Pat Benatar Kenny G Aerosmith U2 The Temptations Carol Hitchcock Pebbles Janet Jackson The Deele Starpoint Third World New Edition Metallica Natalie Cole Run-DMC
Songwriter: Little Steven
Producer: Rick Rubin Arthur Baker Little Steven
Ahh, sun city
Sun city
South Africa
South Africa
[Scatting]
[Verse 1]
[Run-D.M.C]
We're rockers and rappers united and strong
[Grandmaster Melle Mel & Duke Bootee]
We're here to talk about South Africa we don't like what's going on (tell it)
[Afrika Bambaataa & Kurtis Blow]
It's time for some justice it's time for the truth (speak it)
[Big Youth & all rappers]
We've realized there's only one thing we can do
[Hook]
We gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
Oh, no, no, no
I, I, I, I, I, I
I ain't gonna play sun city
Everybody say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
No, no, baby
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
[Verse 2]
[David Ruffin]
Relocation to phony homelands
[Pat Benatar]
Separation of families I can't understand
[Eddie Kendrick]
23 million can't vote because they're black
[Bruce Springsteen]
We're stabbing our brothers and sisters in the back
[Hook]
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
[Verse 2]
[George Clinton]
Our government tells us we're doing all we can
[Joey Ramone]
Constructive engagement is Ronald Reagan's plan
[Jimmy Cliff & Daryl Hall]
Meanwhile people are dying and giving up hope
[Darlene Love]
Well this quiet diplomacy ain't nothing but a joke
[Hook]
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I ain't gonna play, no, no
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
Don't wanna play, don't wanna play
[Scatting]
[Verse 3]
[Bonnie Raitt]
It's time to accept our responsibility
[Ruben Blades & John Oates]
Freedom is a privilege nobody rides for free
[Lou Reed]
Look around the world baby it cannot be denied
[Bobby Womack]
Some-somebody tell me why are we always on the wrong side
[Hook]
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
Will someone tell me what's going on?
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
[Verse 4]
[Run-D.M.C.]
Bophuthatswana is far away
[Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Afrika Bambaataa]
But we know it's in South Africa no matter what they say (No matter what they say)
[Duke Bootee, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Afrika Bambaataa]
You can't buy me I don't care what you pay
[Linton Kwesi Johnson & All Rappers]
Don't ask me sun city cause I ain't gonna play
[Hook]
We've gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
[Verse 5]
[Jackson Browne & Bob Dylan]
Relocation to phony homelands
[Peter Garrett]
Separation of families I can't understand
[Nona Hendryx & Kashif]
23 million can't vote because they're black
[Bono]
We're stabbing our brothers and our sisters in the back
[Hook]
We've gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
No, no no, no, no
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
We've gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
No, no, no no no
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
[Over scatting]
It ain't that far away
It ain't that far away, sun city
Don't go, no, no, no no no no no
Sun, sun, sun, sun city
Ain't gonna play sun city
Brothers and sisters being stabbed in the back
Don't, not gonna play sun city