Songs for the Homeless

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With wages low and ever rising rents,

folks live in cars, or hunker down in tents

This is a crisis, and it’s plain to see:

low income homes are what we need

When tons of money pour into our state,

why are so many folks in dire straights?

In nuclear bombs, our state is number one

In poverty, we’re bottom rung

In such a wealthy nation, don’t you think

we’d house the homeless,

quick as you can wink?

Stop spending trillions building bombs for war

Let’s build new housing for the poor

New Mexico, let’s solve it!  Let’s get down

get down to housing all the poor in town

Let’s do it now – On this we must agree:

Don’t fight the poor – fight poverty                       3

Don’t fight the poor – fight poverty

The right to housing is a right

just like our other human rights:

right to life, religion & freedom

for them all, we’ve got to fight

Our housing market makes no sense

The average wage can’t pay these rents

Greedy landlords must be governed

To dispossess is violence

Let’s tackle poverty and debt

Let’s weave a stronger safety net

We must lend a helping hand to

those who do not have assets

The folks who have no property

deserve respect and dignity

Folks with wealth are not more worthy

All deserve equality!

Equality means everyone

It means we leave behind no one

We will end all forms of injustice

by including everyone

In common good we must invest

The good of all is what we stress

We all win, and nobody loses

We’re all blessed when all are blessed

Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me

I fell on some hard times, that I could not foresee

I have lost my home and now I'm living on the street

Do remember me

When I cannot find a meal, do remember me

When the cops destroy my camp, forcing me to flee

When there’s no place left to go, do remember me

Do remember me

Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me

When I see no hope in this perverse economy

Billions go to making bombs while millions go hungry

Do remember me

Do Lord, tell Congress to tax the well-to-do

Tell them tax the profits of corporations, too

Tell them build a safety net 

so folks like me aren’t screwed

Do remember me

Do Lord, tell the city to curb Airbnb's

Make more long-term rentals to meet the local needs

We could use some rent control,

or how about rent freeze?

Do remember me

I've got a home in glory land – but I can’t wait that long

I need a home in this here land, a place where I belong

No one should have to live this way – 

the system is all wrong!    Do remember me!

Tucked into an alley, sometimes I live in a box

Or sleep in the bushes down by the railroad track

Consider it lucky that I have two pairs of socks    

Couple of smokes, candy bars in my pack

[Chorus:]  Oh, I’ve seen heat and I’ve seen rain

I’ve seen bitter cold that I thought would never end

I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend

But I always know I’ll get on my feet again

I worked as a waitress, don’t you know, back in the day

Then came the babies, and all the bills to pay

Their daddy walked out, hardly a word to say

That’s when the landlord told us we couldn’t stay

[Chorus:]  Oh, I’ve seen heat and I’ve seen rain

My children were taken, taken right out of my arms

Failed as a mother, wish I had more to give

I pray for them daily,

Lord won’t you keep them from harm

Sometimes I’ve wondered, why do I choose to live

[Chorus:]   Oh, I’ve seen heat and I’ve seen rain . . .

If you should see me roaming the streets all alone

know it ain’t easy, living without a home 

My body’s aching and I’m tired to the bone

Sure wish I had a place to call my own

[Chorus:]   Oh, I’ve seen heat and I’ve seen rain

I’ve seen bitter cold that I thought would never end

I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend

But I always know I’ll get on my feet again 

I always know I’ll get on my feet again

I always know I’ll get on my feet . . . again