From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims
to the buffalos who once ruled the plains;
like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds
looking for the rain, looking for the rain
From the cities that stagger on the coast lines
in a nation that just can't stand much more
like the forest buried beneath the highways,
Never had a chance to grow, never had a chance to grow
And now it's winter, winter in America
and all of the healers have been killed or forced away,
Yeah but the people know, the people know,
it's winter, winter in America
and ain't nobody fighting 'cause nobody knows what to save
Save your soul, lord knows, from winter in America
The con-stitution, was a noble piece of paper
with Free Society they struggled but they died in vain
And now Democracy is ragtime on the corner
Hoping for some rain
And it looks like he's hoping,
Hoping for some rain
And I've seen the robins perched in barren treetops
watching last ditch racists marching across the floor
Just like the peace signs that vanished in our dreams
Never had a chance to grow, never had a chance to grow
And now it's winter,
Winter in America
And all of the healers
Have been killed, or betrayed,
Yeah but the people know,
The people know, it's winter
Lord knows it's winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your soul
From a winter in America
Stick
(flute solo by Brian Jackson)
And now it's winter
Winter in America
And all of the healers
Done been killed, sent away
The people know, the people know,
It's winter, Winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save