Our Lady of San Francisco
Cher Lyrics


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I met a woman in San Francisco
Who was lying in the street
I walked on past her in a hurry
I didn't want her at my feet

Am I just numb or overloaded
Or have I lost all sense of worth
This lady beggin' for survival
Doomed by a twist of fate from Earth

I met this woman in San Francisco
She only had one shoe
Have we all gone crazy
How can this happen
Is there nothin' we can do

I don't believe that for a fuckin' minute
No system's coming to her rescue
While she lay crying, I felt helpless
Where are these cracks that she fell through

The times we live in have less value
Than Bob Dole's useless arm
There are no fires burning brightly
What's even worse, there's no alarm

I met this lady in San Francisco
She was dying at my feet
People passed her like she was nothing
Less than garbage in the street

The times we live in must have value
We can't all turn away
'Cause that woman who had nothing




Might be me or you some day
Some day, some day

Overall Meaning

Cher's song "Our Lady of San Francisco" is a haunting ballad about a woman she meets lying in the street of San Francisco. Upon first meeting this woman, Cher walks past her quickly, not wanting her at her feet. Cher then reflects on her own numbness and sense of worthlessness. She wonders how could this woman be in a position where she is begging for survival, and be doomed by a "twist of fate from Earth." When the woman only has one shoe on, Cher wonders if everyone has gone crazy and if nothing can be done to help her.


The song grows more intense when Cher states that she does not believe for a chance that a system is coming to the woman's rescue. In her helplessness and heartbreak, Cher calls attention to the cracks that this woman has fallen through, while no fires are burning brightly, and there is no alarm. As the song moves towards its climax, Cher meets this lady in San Francisco as she is dying at her feet. People pass her by like she is nothing, treating her less than garbage in the street. Cher calls for people to be more aware of the worth of others that we pass throughout life since the woman who had nothing might be any of us someday.


The song highlights the powerlessness that comes with worrying about the people around you, particularly the less fortunate ones. Cher is pointing out how disconnected our society is, how we'd rather turn a blind eye and a deaf ear than pitch in and give hope. This song is a reminder that we all have value and that turning a blind eye takes away from our humanity.


Line by Line Meaning

I met a woman in San Francisco
I encountered a woman on the streets of San Francisco


Who was lying in the street
She was lying down on the pavement


I walked on past her in a hurry
I continued walking without stopping, in a rush


I didn't want her at my feet
I didn't want to acknowledge her presence or have her close to me


Am I just numb or overloaded
Am I desensitized or overwhelmed by the situation


Or have I lost all sense of worth
Or have I lost confidence in myself and my ability to make a difference


This lady beggin' for survival
This woman was begging to survive


Doomed by a twist of fate from Earth
She was doomed by a cruel twist of fate brought onto her by life on this planet


She only had one shoe
She was missing one of her shoes


Have we all gone crazy
Is everyone losing their minds


How can this happen
How is it possible for such injustice to occur


Is there nothin' we can do
Is there really nothing that can be done to help


I don't believe that for a fuckin' minute
I do not believe that at all


No system's coming to her rescue
There is no system or authority coming to her aid


While she lay crying, I felt helpless
As she cried on the ground, I felt powerless to help her


Where are these cracks that she fell through
What caused her to end up in this situation, where did our society fail her


The times we live in have less value
Our current era has less worth or significance


Than Bob Dole's useless arm
Even Bob Dole's useless arm is regarded as more valuable than the current state of our society


There are no fires burning brightly
There are no noteworthy or inspiring events happening


What's even worse, there's no alarm
What is even more concerning is that there is no sense of urgency or alarm to fix the issues at hand


She was dying at my feet
She was on the brink of death at my feet


People passed her like she was nothing
Others walked by her as if she was completely insignificant


Less than garbage in the street
Seen as even lower than worthless trash on the road


The times we live in must have value
It is crucial that our current era has worth


We can't all turn away
We cannot all pretend to not see or care about those in need


'Cause that woman who had nothing
Because that woman who had no possessions or resources


Might be me or you some day
Could easily end up being any one of us in the future


Some day, some day
At some point in the future




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: . CHER, MICHAEL GARVIN, RICH WAYLAND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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