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There But For Fortune Lyrics
Show me the prison, show me the jail
Show me the prisoner whose life has gone stale
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I
Show me the alley, show me the train
Show me the hobo who sleeps out in the rain
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I
Show me the whiskey, stains on the floor
Show me the drunkard as he stumbles out the door
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I
Show me the country, where the bombs had to fall
Show me the ruins of the buildings, once so tall
And I'll show you a young land
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you and I, you and I.
Show me the prisoner whose life has gone stale
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I
Show me the hobo who sleeps out in the rain
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I
Show me the drunkard as he stumbles out the door
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I
Show me the ruins of the buildings, once so tall
And I'll show you a young land
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you and I, you and I.
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I don't know the meaning of this song, would appreciate some light.
Nice cover of Phil Ochs. I think the title says it all, we are all here for fortune. There's the inmate, the hobo, the drunk and a war torn land (for Baez, possibly in reference to the Vietnam War). All have failed an attempt to gain good fortune.
Except for my/your/our good fortune/luck we could easily be living a very sad, difficult life; maybe as a prisoner, hobo or drunk, or maybe as a person trying to survive and hold on to hope in the hell of a war-torn country.
Lately, when I see someone who is obviously dealing with tough issues, such as poor health, I've been thinking of this song and how fortunate I am.