We wish this song wasn’t timely.
In “Which Side Are You On?,” SF queer punk supergroup the Homobiles have a question for the police. Especially “the good ones.”
We wrote this song after a queer, trans friend joined the police force. We recorded it separately during the pandemic. The message is clear: you may try to change the system, but the system will certainly change you.
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At the time of this release, THE HOMOBILES ARE:
Lynn Breedlove: vocals
Stephany Joy Ashley: vocals
Fureigh: electric guitar
Mya Byrne: bass and acoustic guitar
KB Boyce: drums
Engineered by KB Boyce, Fureigh and Mya Byrne
Mixed by KB Boyce
Mastered by Ed Varga
Recorded in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco during the pandemic
Album art by Fureigh, derived from "Riot cops in line" by blmurch, used under CC BY 2.0. "The Homobiles – Which Side Are You On?" is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Written by the Homobiles, adapted from the original by Florence Reece.
© 2021 The Homobiles, all rights reserved
keep up at thehomobiles.com
thank you, stay strong, be good to each other
Lyrics
It’s come around again, the fascists on the rise
It’s time for all good queers to truly organize
Our people are in cages and sleepin’ on the street
And some are puttin’ handcuffs on ones with none to eat
(chorus)
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
They’ll offer you a deal, American as pie
Say you keep the peace but the peace you terrorize
I see you hypocrites all standin’ in a row
Claimin’ law and order while racist seeds you sow
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
You think that you’re a good one ‘cause once they came for you
But nothin’ stays the same when your uniform is blue
They’ll make you in their mold, yeah, they’ll make you toe the line
Do favors for the devil while on the people’s dime
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, now, which side are you on?
The cops and the Klan go ridin’ hand in hand
Yeah, the cops and the Klan go ridin’ hand in hand