family affair

Sly and the Family Stone came back after more than two years with this deep, dark, funky reflection of the troubled times. 'Family Affair' was produced without most of the Family Stone. Sly had become disillusioned with performing and had missed a lot of concert dates. He had become paranoid and addicted to drugs, surrounding himself with gangsters. This led to friction with the band. For 'Family Affair', Sly played most of the instruments, recording many of the tracks alone in his Winnebago and his home studio. His sister Rose Stone sang lead vocals along with him. Billy Preston played piano while Bobby Womack handled guitar. Sly didn't think much of the song and had to be convinced to release it as the leadoff single for 'There's a Riot Goin' On' by his manager and Epic Records. His manager, David Kapralik, suggested that the song was about the factions in Sly's life and his own family; but Sly retorted, "Song's not about that. Song's about a family affair, whether it's a result of genetic processes or a situation in the environment." The somber soulful single became his fourth and final number one hit.

It's a family affair, it's a family affair

It's a family affair, it's a family affair

One child grows up to be

Somebody that just loves to learn

And another child grows up to be

Somebody you'd just love to burn

Mom loves the both of them

You see it's in the blood

Both kids are good to Mom

Blood's thicker than mud

It's a family affair, it's a family affair

Newlywed a year ago

But you're still checking each other out, yeah.

Nobody wants to blow

Nobody wants to be left out

You can't leave, 'cause your heart is there

But you can't stay, 'cause you been somewhere else!

You can't cry, 'cause you'll look broke down

But you're cryin' anyway 'cause you're all broke down!

It's a family affair

It's a family affair