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Thirty Thousand Men
Steve Forbert Lyrics


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Thirty thousand men on the Bowery
Thirty thousand men on the street
Can't help but roam when you ain't got no home
Beggin' handouts for something to eat
Beggin' handouts for something to eat

Thirty thousand men on the sidewalk
Thirty thousand men in the town
Nowhere to go when the wind starts to blow
Lookin' 'round for some place to lay down
Lookin' 'round for some place to lay down

Thirty thousand men tired and dirty
Thirty thousand men to be fed
Bussed out to Queens for a chance to get clean
And a shot at some sleep in a bed
And a shot at some sleep in a bed

Thirty thousand men in the armories
Thirty thousand men down the block
Neighbors all shout "We don't want 'em about."
"Bus 'em back in the morning and stop."
"Bus 'em back in the morning and stop."

Thirty thousand men of depression
Thirty thousand men 'neath a cloud
Jobs getting scarce, and they're cutting welfares
And we might find ourselves in the crowd
And we might find ourselves in the crowd

Thirty thousand men in the city
Thirty thousand men killin' time
Helpless and cold, some are young, some are old
Shabby clothes and some bottles of wine
Shabby clothes and some bottles of wine

Overall Meaning

The song "Thirty Thousand Men" by Steve Forbert paints a vivid picture of the struggles of poverty and homelessness in New York City during the 1980s. The repeated line "thirty thousand men" emphasizes the magnitude of the problem, with countless individuals struggling to survive on the streets without adequate shelter or sustenance. The lyrics describe how these men are forced to beg for handouts, search for a place to lay down, and endure being shuttled back and forth between armories and neighborhoods due to the resistance of local residents to their presence.


Beyond the specific depiction of poverty in New York City, the song also speaks to larger issues of economic inequality and government neglect of those in need. The line "jobs getting scarce, and they're cutting welfares" reflects how vulnerable individuals are often left behind by the broader macroeconomic trends that shape policy decisions.


Overall, "Thirty Thousand Men" is a poignant reflection on both the individual struggles of those experiencing homelessness and the larger social and economic factors that contribute to such a widespread problem in modern society.


Line by Line Meaning

Thirty thousand men on the Bowery
There are thirty thousand homeless people in the Bowery area.


Thirty thousand men on the street
Thirty thousand of these homeless people are roaming the streets.


Can't help but roam when you ain't got no home
When you have no home, you have no choice but to wander.


Beggin' handouts for something to eat
These people are so desperate that they need to beg for food.


Thirty thousand men on the sidewalk
Now, these people are crowded to the sidewalks.


Thirty thousand men in the town
There are thirty thousand homeless people in the town.


Nowhere to go when the wind starts to blow
They have no shelter from the wind.


Lookin' 'round for some place to lay down
They are in search of any place to rest.


Thirty thousand men tired and dirty
These people are also tired and dirty.


Thirty thousand men to be fed
All these thirty thousand people need is enough to eat.


Bussed out to Queens for a chance to get clean
Some of them are being relocated to Queens to have access to better facilities.


And a shot at some sleep in a bed
Once they get there, they'll finally have a shot at a good night's sleep.


Thirty thousand men in the armories
Some are also located in armories.


Thirty thousand men down the block
The homeless population is widespread.


Neighbors all shout "We don't want 'em about."
Many people do not want to deal with this issue.


"Bus 'em back in the morning and stop."
They want to send them away and simply ignore the problem.


Thirty thousand men of depression
These people are also affected by the depression happening in the nation.


Thirty thousand men 'neath a cloud
They are also living beneath the poverty line.


Jobs getting scarce, and they're cutting welfares
There aren't many jobs available, and government funds are being reduced.


And we might find ourselves in the crowd
It's possible that any one of us can end up homeless.


Thirty thousand men in the city
This number only represents a portion of the homeless population in the city.


Thirty thousand men killin' time
All they can do is wait and hope for a change.


Helpless and cold, some are young, some are old
These people are vulnerable and can be anyone from any age group.


Shabby clothes and some bottles of wine
They only have shabby clothing and perhaps alcoholic drinks keeping them warm.




Lyrics © DEMI MUSIC CORP. D/B/A LICHELLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: STEVE FORBERT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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