Don't Look Now (It Ain't You or Me)

Album: Willy and the Poor Boys (1970)
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  • 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: 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.
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