Steve Winwood

Released: February 19, 2008

Featuring: Eric Clapton

Songwriter: Peter Godwin Steve Winwood

Producer: Steve Winwood

The gangster came to see by boy
When I was working nights to pay one more bill
He promised the kid a sweeter life
Said, "Gotta understand it's dog eat dog out there"
Well I looked in his room when I got home
And underneath the covers found a loaded gun
He looked at me with empty eyes
He said, "It's time for me to be moving on"

Dirty city, this is a dirty town
Where's the pity, I can't move on up to higher ground

I spoke to my woman the other day
She said, "I need more cash we can't pay our way"
She said, "Everything gets really hard
And I need something sweet, don't you understand?"
The roar of the train runs by my room
And on these summer nights I can't sleep anymore
I walk in the streets to greet the dawn
Or stay at home all night and stare at the floor

Dirty city, this is a dirty town
Where's the pity, I can't move on up to higher ground
Dirty city, this is a dirty town
Where's the pity, I can't move on up to higher ground

Help me now
Move on to a higher ground
Help somehow
Make a move to a higher ground
Won't you help somehow
Make a move to a higher ground
Won't you help somehow
I need a little help...

Dirty city, this is a dirty town
Where's the pity, I can't move on up to higher ground...

Steven Lawrence Winwood is most famous for his solo work, including two number one hits Higher Love and Roll with It, and for being the member of two supergroups, Traffic and Blind Faith, along with helping found the Spencer Davis Group at fourteen years old.

Speaking of which, Mozart had nothing on Winwood as a keyboard

As a boy in middle school, little Stevie Winwood played the Hammond synth for Blues gods and Rock & Roll founders like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, when they toured in Britain. We’d list more, but it’s exhausting to link all of those names.

more tracks from the album

Nine Lives

From the album

Nine Lives (2008)

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Dirty CitySteve Winwood

Steve Winwood

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