Walking Down Madison

Iain Banks, Kirsty MacColl

About Walking Down Madison

"Walking Down Madison" is a 1991 song by Kirsty MacColl featuring Aniff Cousins. It charted at #23 on the UK Singles Chart and impacted a number of Billboard charts.


Year:
1999
4:37
169 
#1

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Walking down madison - I swear I never had a gun
No I never shot no-one - I was only having fun
Walking down madison - swear I never had a gun
I was philosophizing some
Checking out the bums

See you give 'em your nickels, your pennies and dimes
But you can't give 'em hope in these mercenary times, oh no
And you feel real guilty about the coat on your back
And the sandwich you had, oh no

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park
Oh no it's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

Walking down madison - I swear I never had a gun
No I never shot no-one - wouldn't do it just for fun
Walking down madison - trying to keep my head screwed on
I was philosophizing some
Checking out the nuns

When you get to the corner don't look at those freaks
Keep your head down low and stay quick on your feet, oh yeah
The beaming boy from harlem with the airforce coat
The ones who died
The ones who tried
The ones that sit and gloat

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep on the church steps
It's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

Within every city and town there's a madison
Frozen lives for whom nothing's happening
Hungry children is a mother's dilemma
Dumpster diving to feed her baby emma
So you walk on by like it doesn't affect you
The held out hand that you pay no respect to
Nickels and dimes won't even buy your guilt
Another wino burnt to death in his quilt
It's a cardboard city, newspaper metropolis
The system can't cope or keep on top of this
The authorities come as you're not for display
Do they solve the problem no they move him away
They're in a vicious circle of no fixed abode
The social won't pay 'em the money they're owed
When you've got no money you can't pay rent
Hypothermia kills ''cause the system is bent

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park
Oh no it's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep on the church steps
It's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

In the subway sits a vacuous man
His grip on life is a bent tin can
It's a holy shrine where he burns his light
It makes things easy and removes his plight
For an hour or two but he can't escape
They're all penned in with government tape
There are good samaritans who bring the soup
The sally army with their bibles and boots
You can see yourself as it's not too far
One short trip you don't who they are
Till the night comes then it all comes back
Like the smell of patchouli and the armies of rats
It's a shame to be human it's a human shame
It seems we've forgotten we're one and the same

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Kirsty MacColl

Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) was an English singer-songwriter. more »

2 fans

Written by: JOHNNY MARR, KIRSTY MACCOLL

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Genre Type
"Walking Down Madison" is an intriguing blend of pop, rock, and hip-hop beats that reflects Kirsty MacColl's penchant for genre fusion.
Lyrics Inspiration
The lyrics show Kirsty MacColl's personal impressions of the stark inequality and homelessness she witnessed while walking down Madison Avenue in New York.
Chart Rankings
The song achieved considerable success, peaking at No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1991.
Special Collaboration
"Walking Down Madison" was co-written by Kirsty MacColl and popular musician Johnny Marr, former guitarist of the band The Smiths.
Album Contribution
The song is part of MacColl's third studio album "Electric Landlady", which released in 1991.
Commenting on Society
"Walking Down Madison" was considered one of McCall's most overtly political songs due to its sociopolitical commentary on the wealth gap.
Different Versions
The song has a variety of versions, including two main remixes (Urban Mix and 6 a.m. Ambient Mix) that are widely popular.
Notable Producer
Among those who worked on the song, notable producer Steve Lillywhite, who was also MacColl's then-husband, made substantive contributions.
Lyrical Reception
Critics praised the song’s evocative and challenging lyrics, which speak to the extremes of affluence and poverty experienced in one city block.
Endurance
Despite being released in the early '90s, the topic of the song remains relevant today, testifying to its enduring effect and MacColl's insightful songwriting.

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