America The Ugly Lyrics - Tom T. Hall

There was a man came to see the USA from a foreign land 

To photograph the progress of dear old Uncle Sam 

He got off the boat in New York went down to the Bowery 

I know what the man went to photograph and to see 

There were hopeless hungry living dead 

Winos who sell their souls for a bottle of a cheapest red 

That's the picture that he wanted 

And that's what he got they say America the ugly today 

He went to the Appalachians and he saw what we all have seen 

Where people live on bread and soup fat back and pinto beans 

He saw the hungry children and he photographed the ragged clothes 

I guess we're gonna try to tell him that it ain't so 

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There were good men standin' around with nothing to do 

Pregnant young women who didn't even have a pair of shoes 

The man got his pictures and what are we going to say America the ugly today 

Then he went to the medicare centers and he saw the old people there 

It seems that the young generation just didn't want 'em in their hair 

He saw the poor man workin' it out while the mighty rich lives high 

And my friend that brings a gleam to the enemy's eyes 

Photos 

There were some folks had plenty and some had none at all 

The enemy knows when a heart gets hard the country is bound to fall 

If we get heads and hearts together we won't have to hear them say 

America the ugly today America the ugly today