Throwing back to the week of July 16, 1983, we find The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’ in the #1 spot for the second straight week. As I featured that classic 14 years ago, I’m skipping it today to focus on that week’s #2 song.
In the second spot is the lone U.S. top ten hit by Guyanese-British artist Eddy Grant: ‘Electric Avenue.’ The reggae-tinged rock song spent five weeks at #2, held off from the top spot first by Irene Cara’s ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling‘ and then by the aforementioned ‘Every Breath You Take.’
Grant wrote ‘Electric Avenue’ about the titular street in the Brixton district of London, the site of a 1981 riot over racist policing of the area’s Black resident. Those riots were recently depicted in director Steve McQueen’s 2020 Small Axe series.
‘Electric Avenue’ is also on the long list of songs former president Donald Trump has used without the artist’s permission, in this case as the soundtrack to a 2020 tweet poking fun at Joe Biden. Trump actually answered questions for a court-ordered deposition in the case last December. Imagine if it’s not Jack Smith but Eddy Grant who finally takes down the Donald.
Now in the street, there is violence
And a lots of work to be done
No place to hang out the washing
And I can’t blame all on the sun, oh no
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
Oh, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
[Verse 2]
Working so hard like a soldier
Can’t afford a thing on TV
Deep in my heart, I abhor ya
Can’t get food for the kid, good God
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
[Interlude]
Oh, no
Oh, no
Oh, no
Oh, no
Oh, Lord
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
[Verse 3]
Who is to blame in one country?
Never can get to the one
Dealing in multiplication
And they still can’t feed everyone, oh no
[Chorus]
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
Ho no, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
[Bridge]
Ho, out in the street
Out in the street
Out in the daytime
Out in the night
[Chorus]
Oh, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
[Bridge]
Out in the street
Out in the street
Out in the playground
In the dark side of town
[Chorus]
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
Hey, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we’ll take it higher
[Outro]
Rock it in the daytime
Rock it in the night
Rock it in Miami mama, meh
Whoa, in a Brixton
Meet Me In Montauk 
I feel Eddy Grant is the perfect person to take Trump down!