As I saw through the eyes of Portland one day There were so many homeless, they'd all gone astray They slept on the corners during the day As not to be harmed when the sun went away There were old ones and young ones, white ones and black They were all shapes and sizes, with rags on their backs So many people mixed up in this stew With no place to go and nothing to do All of these homeless, where do they come from? In this land of plenty where nothing gets done To help those who are empty and unable to run Your tears and prayers won't help the homeless Some are mentally ill, some are higher than kites Selling their bodies as day turns to night Where are their loved ones, does anyone care? To be lost and alone in the middle of nowhere All of these homeless, where do they come from? In this land of plenty where nothing gets done To help those who are empty and unable to run Your tears and prayers won't help the homeless What will it take for this country to see For the grace of God go they and not you and me The fallen and forgotten, who are down on their knees Living here in the gutters in this land of the free All of these homeless, where do they come from? In this land of plenty where nothing gets done To help those who are empty and unable to run Your tears and prayers won't help the homeless Your tears and prayers won't help the homeless