Phil Ochs - That's What I Want To Hear (LP Version)

That's What I Want To Hear
Phil Ochs
03:09
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Song lyrics

Oh, you tell me that your last good dollar is gone,
And you say that your pockets are bare,
And you tell me that your clothes are tattered and torn,
And nobody seems to care.

Now don't tell me your troubles,
No, I don't have the time to spare,
But if you want to get together and fight,
Good, buddy, that's what I want to hear.

And you tell me that your job was taken away
By a big ol' greasy machine,
And you tell me that you don't collect no more pay,
And your belly is growing lean.

Now if I had the jobs to give,
You know, I'd give them all away,
But don't waste your breath calling out my name
If you don't have nothing to say.

And you tell me that you don't have nothing to do,
And you keep on wasting your time,
And you say when you want to get your family some food,
You gotta stand in a relief line.

Now it's a sin and a bloody shame
'Bout the way they're pushing you 'round,
But when you decide not to take no more,
You know, I'll put my money down.

'Cause I've seen your kind many times before
And I'll see 'em many times again,
Oh, but every bad thing that's happened to you
Has happened to better men.

So don't explain that you've lost your way,
That you've got no place to go,
You've got a hand and a voice and you're not alone,
Brother, that's all you need to know.

And if you're still wondering what I'm trying to say,
Let me tell you what it's all about,
Now nobody listens to a single man
When he's walkin' 'round down and out.

So if you're looking for an answer,
He's standing there by your side,
And you'll never really know how far you'll go
'Til you join together and try.

Oh, you tell me that your last good dollar is gone,
And you say that your pockets are bare,
And you tell me that your clothes are tattered and torn,
And nobody seems to care.

Now don't tell me your troubles,
No, I don't have the time to spare,
But if you want to get together and fight,
Good, buddy, that's what I want to hear.