Well part of it was I didn’t live in an apartment, but a middle class neighborhood of homes mainly inhabited by older people or families, from Mexican backgrounds. And very few if any single people. People there didn’t listen to much tejano, which is sort of the equivalent to country music, or any rap at all. (To me it sounds very weird that the kids who would listen to rap play tejano…when I was a kid, tejano was very ‘uncool’).If you did hear music it would be softer music (Marco Antonio Solis, Luis Miguel, Rocio Durcal…not exactly wall rattling) or just ordinary pop and rock - especially oldies, 60’s rock. Heavy Metal was the preferred music of rebellion…
Of course I also think I talk like a normal American, but when I call a friend from out of state, I am reminded I have an “foreign accent”. So maybe what to me is sort of mild everyday music coming from a neighbor is insufferable racket to someone from another background?
Actually… yes.
No jobs, means the rents go down, or the houses go empty. And the rents going down means that you get people moving in who previously couldn’t afford it. And so, Allentown went to hell. I went to school at Lafeyette, so I just know the basics… but what the heck do you think the song’s about?