Album: Willy and the Poor Boys (1970)

License This Song 

• Who will take the coal from the mine?
  Who will take the salt from the earth?
  Who'll take a leaf and grow it to a tree?
  Don't look now, it ain't you or me
  
  Who will work the field with his hands?
  Who will put his back to the plough?
  Who'll take the mountain and give it to the sea?
  Don't look now, it ain't you or me
  
  Don't look now, someone's done your starving
  Don't look now, someone's done your praying too
  
  Who will make the shoes for your feet?
  Who will make the clothes that you wear?
  Who'll take the promise that you don't have to keep?
  Don't look now, it ain't you or me
  
  Well, don't look now, someone's done your starving
  Don't look now, someone's done your praying too
  
  Who will take the coal from the mines?
  Who will take the salt from the earth?
  Who'll take the promise that you don't have to keep?
  Don't look now, it ain't you or me Writer/s: John Cameron Fogerty
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

• Ken from MarylandI interpreted it as; we are all capable of doing these things ourselves and mutually taking care of our community members who cannot. As an ideal society- instead of the current one where these laborers are exploited and everyone else mostly does useless jobs.
• Jennifur Sun from RamonaOne of my very fav Fogerty tunes. Wish I could tell him thanks for it. For some reason it reminds me of something the late Jim Croce would have written.
• Jay from Grinnell, IaI haven't been here for some time. Funny to discover that I had left a comment here. I like what I wrote, except for the last sentence. I don't know what the heck I meant by that. Anyway, I would just like to add that I believe that socialism is the devil in disguise.
• Jay from Grinnell, IaI can't forget Pres. Obama's statement, "You didn't build that." I believe that CCR was way ahead of their time with this song, or, I could just be applying an oldie and its possible meaning to our times today. Nevertheless, I believe that this song could be a commentary on the government taking over everything and attempting to put us under socialism. The mood of this song is one of pensiveness and fatalism. At this late hour, I am not so fast as to become fatalistic, or pensive.
• Mark from Austin, TxHey, if that's what floats your boat, then it's a spiritual song. But to me, it's very political. At the time, Republicans (read: Nixon) weren't the party of the working class that they pretend to be now. Fogerty was telling them to be good to these folks because they do what the rest of us won't.
  Someone should revive this song for the current immigration problems. It's funny how many songs from the 60s still work today.
• Andrew from TorontoI always thought this tune had a more spirtual meaning,but hey I could be wrong.Great song nevertheless.

More Songfacts:

Yellow LedbetterPearl Jam

Eddie Vedder often changes the words when he sings "Yellow Ledbetter." The basic story is about a guy whose brother dies in the first Gulf War. Apparently, bad news in the army is delivered in yellow envelopes.

Like A PrayerMadonna

Madonna's hit "Like A Prayer" debuted in a Pepsi commercial, but Pepsi pulled the ad the next day when the controversial video appeared. Madonna got to keep her $5 million endorsement money.

Everybody Have Fun TonightWang Chung

"Everybody Have Fun Tonight" is a rare hit with the band's name used as a verb: "Everybody Wang Chung tonight." The band says it can mean whatever you'd like it to.

TemptedSqueeze

The Squeeze song "Tempted" is one of their few with lead vocals by Paul Carrack, who sang the Ace song "How Long" and was in Mike + The Mechanics.

Cheeseburger in ParadiseJimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett's "Cheeseburger In Paradise" has muenster (cheese), not mustard, as commonly misheard in the line "medium rare with muenster'd be nice."

BoysCharli XCX

Over 60 famous guys, including Joe Jonas, Ezra Koenig and Wiz Khalifa, show up in the 2017 video for "Boys" by Charli XCX. She directed it herself, instructing the boys to "do all the sexy things that girls usually do in videos."

Editor's Picks

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Benny MardonesSongwriter Interviews

His song "Into The Night" is one of the most-played of all time. For Benny, it took him to hell and back.

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Tommy JamesSongwriter Interviews

"Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Draggin' The Line"... the hits kept coming for Tommy James, and in a plot line fit for a movie, his record company was controlled by the mafia.

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."