Rape is hauntingly political but with a beautiful gospel flavor and a stunning female chorus about a violent and personal encounter. Justice is not served is the message while the perpetrator believes he will escape punishment because he's "sick, rich, and stoned." The final verdict is: "Justice just is . . . Not" punctuated by majestic backing vocals.
Singin' In The Rain by Gene Kelly was the original intro for the song and similar to the juxtaposition between high art and violence in A Clockwork Orange. Kelly rang Fred Heller, Hunter's manager, and felt the inclusion of his song might tarnish his image and the intro was dropped in 1976. Upon the reissue Kelly had passed away in the meantime thus maybe Sony took advantage of his passing and released the Kelly intro although the label denied it and said it was a mistake. In any event, the intro works and supports the point that Ian was making. Violent criminals take advantage of society and often there is no justice, for victims.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
Rape
(Ian Hunter)
He searched through his love like a thief on the run
He searched through his face - to see the guilt water run
But he's fresh out of tears and nobody has come
And justice has got to be done
Oh moon in the city stay open and clear
For his vision ain't good and his mind's disappeared
"Get along mother nature" they spat at your son
So justice has got to be done
And beauty is lying alone in the park
Her friend has gone bowling in the alleys so dark
Where's her knight in white armour who rides a chrome Ford
Justice would seem to be bored
Justice would seem to be bored
A knife full of life penetrated the bait
While he thinks 'o the sister and the mother that he hates
And he thinks he'll get off 'cos he's sick, and stoned
And justice was made to be honed
And justice was made to be honed
And his lawyer is smiling one hell of a smile
'N he's lying all the lies - of the lies in exile
While she's dying of grief he's defending his brief
And justice would seem to be cheap
And justice would seem to be cheap
Well I've searched through the falling, and I searched through the failed
I've searched through the jury - the judge and the jailed
But sleeping beauty is dead no use pricking her thumb
And justice has got to be done
Justice just is - justice just is - justice just is - Not!
The 1998 CD also came with a previously-unavailable version of Rape, which had the Singin' In The Rain intro. This version was previously available only on a few US test pressings and had never been issued officially before!
| Rape | 4:04 | Originally issued on All American Alien Boy. Also on the compilation The Singles Collection 1975-83 |
| Rape (alternate version) | 4:20 | A rare version, with the Singin' In The Rain intro, was released on the 2000 CD reissue of All American Alien Boyin place of the 'regular' version. Note it is not on subsequent issues, and not in the box set. |
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