MC5- IS YOUR LUCKY #5 ?

Eric Rairigh
(November 1998)

The FIVE we called them at the time.
            They kicked 'em out 
             And blew 'em away!
No, Bob Dylan they weren't
But they showed some revolutionaries
             The way.


The way I'm talkin' about got nothin' to
             Do with Heaven.
I'm talkin' 'bout the way to have fun.
The '5' were sure having a blast.
I don't even care if it was in the past.


Sometimes the past was fast.
And others didn't think it'd last.
Well, it's thrived 'till today.
30 years older but that's okay.


Motor City Madness is where the '5' were at.
They sang about it burnin'.
            It WAS the blues
            It WAS.
Yea, the Motor City was crazy.
Even a little schizoid at that.


The '5', revolutionaries at the least.
I think they broke up because of the beast.
            Yea, that beast.
The one who eats the young.
The pretty one who fooled them too.
And I'm sure it's after YOU.


Lincoln Park, Michigan
Where the '5' hung out at first.
Saw them in '66 playing covers
Of some of the best.
At the Lincoln Park Bandshell
They passed my test.


The test was that they moved me,
            This way and that.
My ass shook. My insides felt great.
This band was something.
It was still early.
Who knew their fate?


I didn't know much at all
In those early days of life
But this band the '5'.
Man, I knew.
I knew somehow they'd get there.
             To the top!


TIP-TOP was where they should have went
But the Bourgeoisie
And powers that be
Wouldn't let this band be free.
When John Sinclair was fired
And Jon Landau was hired,
The '5' tried to stay the same
But the powers that be
Were pitifully lame.


Man, they had the '5'.
What more did they want?
              They wanted it all.
              They wanted them to crawl.
What selfish people always do,
They don't take a little,
             They rape it all.


The MC5 put out two more albums
For Mr. Landau the man.
What did he know about revolution?
The records had great songs
But that raw power.
Looks to me like he left that in the can.


Rob Tyner and Sonic Smith are gone,
Hangin' with Jimi, Janis and the Son.
With the different styles there.
             Up there in Heaven
For their audience,
Someone in a great big, big chair.