Washington DC politicians and council candidates, as well as local charity Community Of Hope, have criticised PJ Harvey for her recent song of the same name, saying she has "reduced the dignity" of those who live there.
The song, taken from Harvey's forthcoming album The Hope Six Demolition Project, was written about Ward 7, an economically deprived part of Washington DC. She sings, "This is just drug town, just zombies / But that's just life / In the Community of Hope." The song also includes the lyrics, "The school just looks like shit-hole," and, "Here's the old mental institution."
The song has been met with disappointment and upset amongst the people of Ward 7, including the non-profit organisation after which the song is named. In an open letter, the charity's Leah Garrett said, "By calling out this picture of poverty in terms of streets and buildings and not the humans who live here, have you not reduced their dignity? Have you not trashed the place that, for better or worse, is home to people who are working to make it better, who take pride in their accomplishments."
She also wrote, "We’ve been tackling some of the challenges you named in your song. We improve life in a place that you call the ‘pathway of death’. Life in the form of ending homelessness for thousands of families. Life in the form of helping tens of thousands of mothers, fathers and children achieve good health. But your picture is also incomplete."
Meanwhile, former mayor Vince Gray said, "I will not dignify this inane composition with a response" while his campaign treasurer added: "PJ Harvey is to music what Piers Morgan is to cable news."
Read Community Of Hope's full open letter here.
