The Salt of the Earth
Joan Baez Lyrics

Let's drink to the hard working people
Let's celebrate and honor those who work hard

Let's drink to the lowly of birth
Let's honor and respect those who are born into difficult circumstances

Raise your glass to the good and the evil
Let's acknowledge and accept both the good and the bad in people

Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Let's celebrate the ordinary and hardworking people who are the foundation of society

Say a prayer for the common foot soldier
Let's remember and pray for those who sacrifice their lives for their country

Spare a thought for his back breaking work
Let's empathize with the difficult and tiring work done by soldiers and laborers

Say a prayer for his wife and his children
Let's remember and pray for the families of those who serve or work hard

Who burn the fires and who still till the earth
Let's appreciate the hard work done by those who work in factories or agriculture

When I search a faceless crowd
When I look at a large group of people I don't know

Swirling mass of grey, black and white
Who are all blending together without standing out

They don't look real to me
They do not seem like real or genuine people to me

In fact they look so strange
They seem unfamiliar and unusual to me

Let's drink to the uncounted head
Let's recognize and honor those who are overlooked and not counted

Let's think of the wavering millions
Let's consider the millions of people who are uncertain and don't know what to do

Who want leaders but get gamblers instead
Who want strong and trustworthy leaders but instead get politicians who gamble with their lives and futures

Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter
Let's think about those who may not be physically fighting but are making their voices heard through voting

His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
They watch beauty shows or entertainment to distract from the realities of the world

And a parade of gray suited grafters
They are faced with a procession of corrupt and dishonest people in positions of power and influence

A choice of cancer or polio
They are faced with choosing between two equally terrible options

Let's think of the lowly of birth
Let's remember and value those who may have been born into poverty or difficult circumstances

Spare a thought for the ragtaggy people
Let's think about those who are poor, struggling, or marginalized

Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Let's honor and celebrate the ordinary and hardworking people who make up the foundation of society

Let's think of the three thousand million
Let's consider the billions of people who make up the world's population

Let's think of the humble of birth
Let's remember and value those who come from humble beginnings or difficult circumstances