Remarks:
This came out in 1979, going to #17 on the US R&B chart and #36 on the pop chart. It was the height of her fame in her native US – but in Britain this song went to #5, the first of five top-20 hits for her in Britain. Six of her albums made the top ten there.
This song stuck in my mind because of its grim lyrics, which ran counter to the disco of the age, songs like “Good Times”, which came out earlier that same year. But “Good Times”, when you think about it, was not hopeful about the future either.
The street in question, by the way, is Hollywood Boulevard, the one in Hollywood with the pink stars.
See also:
- songs: the 1970s
- more famous abroad than in their native US:
- Hollywood
Lyrics:
I play the street life
Because there’s no place I can go
Street life
It’s the only life I know
Street life
And there’s a thousand cards to play
Street life
Until you play your life away
You let the people see
Just who you wanna be
And every night you shine
Just like a superstar
The type of life that’s played
A temptin’ masquerade
You dress you walk you talk
You’re who you think you are
Street life
You can run away from time
Street life
For a nickel or a dime
Street life
But you better not get old
Street life
Or you’re gonna feel the cold
There’s always love for sale
A grown up fairy tale
Prince charming always smiles
Behind a silver spoon
And if you keep it young
Your song is always sung
Your love will pay your way
Beneath the silver moon
Street life
Street life
Street life
Oh street life
I play the street life
Because there’s no place I can go
Street life
It’s the only life I know
Street life
And there’s a thousand cards to play
Street life
Until you play your life away – oh
Street life
Street life
Street life
Oh street life
Source: AZ Lyrics.
Memorable song. I heard it before it was used as the theme song for the film..”Sharkey’s Machine”, an 80’s B+ detective/romance thriller staring Bert Reynolds and Bernie Casey.
A boatload of memorable lines set this film apart from the standard offerings of that decade..
LikeLike
[…] via The Crusaders ft Randy Crawford: Street Life — Abagond […]
LikeLike
@ Black SciFi
Good to read your commentary again.
LikeLike
This is a great tune. Randy Crawford is an underrated music artist. I like a lot of her music.
LikeLiked by 1 person