The song describes a violent gang war that broke out in Chicago between Al Capone's gang and the police. On a hot summer night, the sounds of gunshots and shouting filled the streets as over 100 police officers were killed in the battle. The narrator recalls hearing their mother crying and praying loudly that night as the violence raged outside. Eventually, the last of Capone's gang surrendered or died, and silence fell over the city. The narrator's father then returned home, kissed their mother, and comforted her about the violent events of the night that Chicago died.