Papa hit him, kissed him Made him go to With the sisters in their black and And all the time city streets Were teaching him another of wisdom When to run and to fight Up at the playground school to tales of the prison system And those avenues Down on a half darkened A footsteps repeat And something there turns Down those lawless Joe went down so bad He was the strongest fighter the had Stabbed in the he went down swinging Someone from other part of town No one even seen it down And you don't no church bells ringing And in the violent the police light Sweeps across the and the yards Following those lawless Down on a darkened street advance and retreat And struggle to control From lawless avenues sister Rosa Ran away with a surfer from Manuelito, a Rosa Hay como estan las cosas! (Manuelito, care of Rosa Look at how are) But who blame her after she saw Every boy die who could gotten close to her Rosa es joven y solo ver la del mundo (Rosa is and only wants to see the of the world) said-- "You gotta fight for you want in this life" Just they shipped him overseas to 'Nam Otra guerra sin Otra sin fin, sin honor (Another war reason war without end, without honor) And she was to understand When they shipped Manuelito's body All she heard was one shot Echoing lawless avenues Hoy amigo, tal igual ayer, La en el barrio no cambia Nuestros son los que han de crecer Por ley de la calle, viviendo abrazos Y (Today my friend, like yesterday, The struggle in the barrio change Our children are the ones to up By the law of the street, Living hugs and blows) Down on a darkened street Fathers' and sons' repeat And something there turns Down those lawless En el de la calle (In the of the street) Buscan el valor en la (Looking for in the street) final de la calle (Till the end of the street)