Last Lonely and Wretched
Joan Baez Lyrics

You're tired and you're poor,
You are exhausted and impoverished,

You long to be free,
You desire freedom,

But in this Godforsaken land
However, in this forsaken place,

You find no home, no family
You are without a home or family,

On the many roads that you've wandered
Throughout your endless travels,

Since the day of your birth.
From the very moment of your arrival into this world,

You've become one of the last,
You've become one of the few remaining individuals,

Lonely and wretched.
Left alone and miserable.

Your hair is matted,
Your hair is tangled,

Your face and hands are dirty,
Your face and hands are soiled,

And the years that you've toiled
And the time you've spent working tirelessly

Must number somewhere near thirty.
Must amount to approximately thirty years.

The deepening of a sadness
A profound sense of sorrow

Broke finally into madness.
Which ultimately lead to insanity.

You are truly one of the last,
You are sincerely one of the remaining few individuals,

Lonely and wretched.
Shrouded in loneliness and misery.

Your eyes are wild and frightening
Your gaze is intense and intimidating,

At the same time they are blessed
But simultaneously they hold a certain kind of holiness,

And I wonder if God died,
And it makes me question whether God is dead,

Turned his back or only just rested.
Perhaps he's turned his back on us, or maybe he's just taking a break.

And you walked out on the seventh day
And you left on the seventh day,

Through the big gates and on your way
Going through the vast gates and on your journey

To become one of the last,
In order to be one of the final few,

Lonely and wretched.
Alone and in misery.

For once you were a child.
At one point in your life, you were a child.

Your cheeks were red,
Your cheeks were rosy,

You were well fed.
You were well nourished.

You laughed and played
You laughed and played with joy,

Till you got teary,
Until you cried,

Ran to your mother
And ran to your mother for comfort

When you were weary.
When you were tired.

But somewhere you were forsaken
However, at some point you were abandoned,

Alone I'll not bear the blame
It's not my fault you're alone,

And somehow all was taken,
But unfortunately, everything was taken away from you,

Your mind, your body, your name.
Your sanity, your physical being, and your identity.

Forgive us our unkindness,
Please forgive our cruel actions,

Our desertion and our blindness,
Our abandonment and lack of insight,

With you, all the last,
It applies to all that remain,

Lonely and wretched.
Struggling and desolate, abandoned by those around us.

Forgive us, all the last,
Forgive everyone that remains,

Lonely and wretched.
For feeling alone, isolated, and struggling through life.