Written by: John Mellencamp

If you're feelin' shut down
May my thoughts be with you
If you're a black man bein' beat down and shoved all around
May my thoughts be with you
If your world's gettin' a little to tough
You know our thoughts are with you
Hey, I know that it's crazy out there
And my thoughts are with you

Chorus
We are the people
And we live forever
We are the people

Written by: John Mellencamp

Suzanne divorced her husband
She got the keys to the car and the home
But her friends were really his friends
No one stops by to see her much anymore
So one night she goes back down to the old haunts
That once upon a time were her own
She didn't know nobody out there no more
And the whole experience just made her feel so old
She says

Chorus

Written by: John Mellencamp

Got my hands on a little bit of dough
So I went to the grocery store
And got some steaks to go
went by and picked up my gal, Teddi Jo
We had ourselves a picnic
Beside a dirt road

Chorus
Rooty toot toot
Rooty toot toot
We had it made in the shade
Like a ball through the hoop
Spinnin' and tumblin' inside this hoola hoop
Livin' and learnin'

Drivin´ down a dry summer´s day
Old route 66 and I was just a kid
Met a pretty little indian girl
Along the way
Get her into my car
And tried to give her a kiss
I´ll give you beads and wampum
Whatever it takes, girl
To make you trade.
She jumped into the back seat
And she kinda flipped her lid
She said, "you´re trying to get
Somethin´ for nothin´

Written by: John Mellencamp

One man
Does his work
He's not satisfied
Not at all
Feels like
That he is being used
His self respect starts to fall
His frustration
Runnin' very very high
He takes it out
On the one he loves
Because it's safe
And who they gonna tell
And he hates the cold-bloodedness
That runs inside

Chorus
Oh yes
It's hard times
For an honest man

Written by: John Mellencamp and George Green

In the shadows of the smokestacks
Through the black snow that lay on the land
Walked home one winter morning
With my life's savings in my hand
Maryanne, she's fixin' up some breakfast
Got the lights on, on the Christmas tree
Sittin' there lookin' up at an angel
With something dyin' inside of me

Grew up with great expectations

Dear mr. president
I live in the suburbs
It´s a long way from washington, d.c.
Had me a job
Working for wages
And they forgot about me
Can´t draw unemployment
For some unknown reason
My kids are hungry
I´ve got four mouths to feed
I go out everyday lookin´ for siutable
Employment
Do you think, there´s something
You could do for me
Cause i´m

Chorus:

Written by: John Mellencamp

A million young poets
Screamin' out their words
To a world full of people
Just livin' to be heard
Future generations
Ridin' on the highways that we built
I hope they have a better understanding

Check it out
Goin' to work on Monday
Check it out
Got yourself a family
Check it out
All utility bills have been paid

A million young poets
Screamin' out their words
To a world full of people
Just livin' to be heard
Future generations
Ridin' on the highways that we built
I hope they have a better understanding

Check it out
Goin' to work on Monday
Check it out
Got yourself a family
Check it out
All utility bills have been paid
You can't tell your best buddy that you love him
So check it out

Written by: John Mellencamp

She had a dream
And boy it was a good one
So she chased after her dream
With much desire
But when she got too close
To her expectations
Well the dream burned up
Like paper in fire

Chorus
Paper in fire
Stinkin' up the ashtrays
Paper in fire
Smokin' up the alleyways
Who's to say the way
A man should spend his days
Do you let them smolder