Lend A Hand

Blackbird sitting on an open gate Cattle out walking the plains West winds blowing the waist-high wheat Sideways in the rain Bloodhounds spent, get no trail There ain't no sign of man Want to get ourselves on the straight and the narrow Gonna need a better plan Roll your sleeves, hold back the dam Fill these bags with sand Every young boy, woman, and every man Has got to lend a hand It ain't no wives tale, it ain't no fable Payback is coming around The hourglass is sitting there on the table Filled on both sides now The work is potluck, grab a hatchet Wear any glove that fits You can't take a punch then you might as well quit It won't matter how hard you hit Roll up your sleeves, shovel in hand Rise up and learn how to stand You're a toothless woman or a one-armed man You too got to lend a hand We're losing daylight, you've got to be swift You ain't got brains than you can lift Be an optimist and see the glass half full You don't got to like what you've got in it When our father gets home he's gonna turn on the lights We're up to our throats in knives His eyes will flash and his teeth will grind He'll say "You're on your own, look alive!" Suppose I quit you, my wayward tribe Whatever would you do? Take me to Hades or take me to Memphis Just don't take me for one of you Roll your sleeves up, the fat lady sang Grab your buckets and cans Come over the border, your papers in order You too got to lend a hand Roll your sleeves up, hold back the dam Fill these bags with sand Every young boy, woman, every tired old man You too got to lend a hand