SouthSide

[Interlude]
Well, as you'll see, it's an unusual story
And a story that begins on the streets of South Auckland

[Verse 1: David Dallas]
278, you already know
It ain't really much to look at but it's home
Used to bus from the old bar which was to go
Into town rolling through Otahuhu depot
Thinking how we ended up here
Ain't no secret there's some people doing tough here
Could be rough here, if your parents come here from an island
In the hope of a better life for their child and an education
But they ain't got time to keep an eye on 'em
They workin' every day, they won't ever see retirement
School don't teach you to deal with this environment
'Nother Poly kid left to his own devices
And you look at what they reinforce
Only talk about us doing crime, playing sports
Standing at the dole line or in the court
Think it don't affect us all?

[Chorus 1: David Dallas]
Look at boys from the Southside
If you looking from the outside
Some scared to death when they see us
'Cause every Ten 7 they featurin'
Boys from the Southside
But we represent it with pride
When you feel you come from the bottom
Till you reach the top, ain't no stoppin' the
Boys from the Southside

[Verse 2: David Dallas]
It's about time
All the people talking shit now figure out why
This town is so influential
The real melting pot, immigration central
Culture and arts [?] so instrumental
But still we never acting like we too damn special
Don't ever let nobody say we all just criminals
Round here, it ain't all that simple

[Verse 3: Sid Diamond]
Raised there
Struggle city, a place where
A population, Hori F.O.B. slash amazin'
When most of 'em work nine-to-five to pay rent
Go to church, sing songs and pray for better days
Better pay and a better location
The kids choose sport over education
And dream that one day the All Blacks take them
Somewhere, exposed to the drugs and the gang life
Think it's cool to get involved, end up in the can, right
Got a lot of teens pushing prams 'fore they see life
'Cause their parents did the same thing so it seems right
It seem right to say, yes, I am a product of
Proud of it also
[?] got my back like the tat' on my torso
That's why I give back, ask where my awards go

[Chorus: Sid Diamond]
To the schools in the Southside
If you're looking for me outside
Some scared to death when they see us
And then talk shit when they leave
Like the boys from the Southside
Are good for nothing, so fuck 'em
Give 'em no chance, just cuff 'em
If it was up to the cops and the judges
The boys from the Southside

[Verse 4: Sid Diamond]
Would be outlined
Shot on sight
Yeah, we got crime in the area
If you got shine, then it's ante up
Only 'cause we broke tryna get our accounts right
What's going in our minds
Six words: how we gonna get by?
I don't know exactly
But we ain't gonna wait in the dole line

[Verse 5: Mareko]
Yeah
267 landed a aeroplane
Back when my parents came
From the islands
With a Bible and a pair of J's (Yeah, Jandals)
Tryna set a better way to get our educa-
Tions that we found street smarts and a free pass to the green pastures
Around these parts, we were blessed with a big heart
That can see past all the eat asses
Aw, what you thought I was gonna talk
All about walking with gangs where the drugs be
How about I touch on how
David Lange ran the country, right where the thugs be
John Walker might run at the tops, long distance
Scott Dixon on the track now
Rather a hand up than a hand out
All my people stand down

[Chorus: Mareko]
When I'm back out the Southside
Black white with the brown pride
Even yellows part of the picture
The boil up’s a perfect mixture
Here up out the southside
Everywhere this shit til the death
Walk with my head held high to the sky
My T-shirt say Southside til I die
The boy from the Southside

[Verse 6: Mareko]
The bodies outlined with an aura
You can see it so clearly
I mean it looks like a (?) dairy
Or a Scorpians home crowd cheering
Or a Otahuhu mums eyes tearing
Not when the sons graduated from OC
26 to the 27 to the 29 of the 09 that's where the home be