Empire (Queensrÿche cover) Lyrics

Last night the word came down
Ten dead in chinatown
Innocent, they're only crime was
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time
Too bad, people say, what's wrong with the kids today?
Tell you uright now they've got nothing to lose
They're building empire!

Johnny used to work after school
At the cinema show
Gotta hustle if he wants an education, he's got a long way to go
Now he's out on the street all day
Selling crack to the people who pay
Got an ak-47 for his best friend, business the american way

Chorus
Eastside meets westside downtown
No time the walls fall down
Can't you feel it coming? empire!
Can't you hear it calling?

Black man trapped again, holds his chains in his hand
Brother killing brother for the profit of another
Game point, nobody wins
Decline, right on time
What happened to the dream sublime?
Tear it all down, we'll put it up again
Another empire?

Chorus

In fiscal year 1986 to 87
Local, state, and federal governments
Spent a combined total of 16.6 billion dollars
On law enforcement
Federal law enforcement expenditures
Ranked last in absolute dollars
And accounted for only 6% of all federal spending
By way of comparison
The federal government spent 25 millon more
On space exploration and 43 times more on national defense
And national relations then on law enforcement)

Chorus

Can't someone here stop it... ?