I once knew a man, And boy, what a fool He went out to search for meaning The day that he found it All dusty and bruised He met the wrong people, they beat him Once in the hospital Unable to speak His eyes, they went red, they went evil The cost of the treatment Was way out his reach So the doctor went home, he did leave him The city dreams in poverty Of progress and estate Laughter echoes through the streets In America, the great I once knew a girl Who came from the east Her mother Chinese or Indonesian She lived with 5 sisters On 60 square feet She did not look for no meaning The city dreams in poverty Of progress and estate People sleep out in the streets In America, the great A boy I once knew Oh, he married young His wife's still getting used to the feeling Their first child, it died Had water in its lungs It drowned in their arms, they're still grieving The city dreams in poverty Of progress and estate Laughter echoes through the streets Oh America, the great While the city dreams in poverty Of progress and estate People sleep out in the streets In America, the great While the city dreams in poverty Of progress and of change The wounds won't heal, no, I'm afraid In America, the great