The Modulations fue un grupo vocal estadounidense de R&B de Durham, Carolina del Norte, formado por los cantautores Larry Allen, Larry Duncan, Hoyle Saunders y Henry Chanel. El grupo de Bull City, el apodo de Durham, tuvo cierto éxito con los sencillos «I’m Hopeless in Love» (1973) y «I Can’t Fight Your Love» (1974), ambos incluidos en el álbum autoproducido de Modulations, It’s Rough Out Here, lanzado en el 75 y con arreglos de Vince Montana, Norman Harris y Ronald Baker e instrumentación de miembros de MFSB. Posteriormente, el álbum fue reeditado en Japón y el Reino Unido.
IT’S ROUGH OUT HERE
I was standing on the corner, just killing time (time)
Watching cars for blocks, in a gas line (waiting in a gas line)
People everywhere, it’s looking very sad (aww)
The pressures so great, it’s driving people mad
It’s rough, so rough, out here (really, really, rough out here)
Yes it is (really, really, rough out here)
Rent is getting high (high)
Salaries getting low (low)
Truckers on strike, ‘cause the speeds too slow
Paying twice as much, for everything you buy
Inflation’s so great, you can’t afford to die
It’s rough, so rough, out here (really, really, rough out here)
Oh yes it is (really, really, rough out here)
Oh!
[Instrumental]
People out of work, can’t get a dime
Still, they wonder why there’s so much crime
It’s getting so rough, we all need to shout
Make the lord come down, and help us all out
It’s rough, so rough, out here (Really, really, rough out here)
You know it is (Really, really, rough out here)
It’s getting rougher every day (really, really, rough out here)
While people don’t have a people don’t have a decent place to stay (really, really, rough out here)
Millions been laid off thier jobs, no one cares
All about this, stealing, and killing, and dealing
When the pressures on politics, noo!
It’s really, really rough
It’s really really rough (really, really, rough out here)
It’s really really rough
So rough (really, really, rough out here)
Can’t afford to die
Can’t afford to die (really, really, rough out here)
It’s really really rough
It’s really really rough (really, really, rough out here)
It’s really really rough
So rough (really, really, rough out here)
Can’t get a dime
Can’t get a dime
Can’t get a dime
Yeah!