Ain't That a Shame
John Kay Lyrics


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Can't spell their name though their life's depending on it
Can't count past ten without taking off their shoes
Don't know a thing ‘bout the world they will inherit
Now all those chickens have come home to roost
There was a time when we reached for the moon
Now we have millions learning how to push a broom
Ain't that a shame, Ain't that a shame?
Can't find a home when you got no work or money
Can't get a job when you're living in the street
Just wait in line for your ration of compassion
And don't remind us of our selfishness and greed
There was a time when we reached to the poor
Now we are told they just don't matter anymore
Ain't that a shame, Ain't that a shame?
We're all players in this game, we're all to blame
Ain't that a shame, Ain't that a shame?

Can't clean our house throwing dirt at one another
Can't hear reason while we shout and we accuse
We cast the blame and point fingers at each other
And wonder why no one will call a truce
Ask any child past the age of four
It takes everyone to keep the peace, just one to start a war
Ain't that a shame, Ain't that a shame?
No matter how much we complain, things stay the same




Ain't that a shame, Ain't that a shame?
Now are things bad enough, are we mad enough to make a change?

Overall Meaning

John Kay's song "Ain't That a Shame" is a political commentary on the current state of society. The first verse speaks to the poor state of education in modern times. The lyrics talk about people who can't spell their own name and can't count past ten without taking off their shoes. The line "Now all those chickens have come home to roost" suggests that this lack of education is coming back to bite us. The chorus proclaims "Ain't that a shame," expressing frustration and disappointment.


The second verse speaks to poverty and the struggles of the homeless. The lyrics describe a cycle of poverty where people can't find a home without work or money, but they can't get a job when they're living on the streets. The line "And don't remind us of our selfishness and greed" suggests that we as a society are ignoring the plight of the homeless. The chorus once again proclaims "Ain't that a shame," highlighting the injustice of the situation.


The final verse speaks to the vitriolic nature of modern society. The lyrics describe a society where people can't hear reason and instead cast blame and point fingers at each other. The line "It takes everyone to keep the peace, just one to start a war" suggests that we are closer to war than peace. The final chorus questions whether things are bad enough and whether we are mad enough to make a change.


Overall, "Ain't That a Shame" is a commentary on the current state of society and the problems we face. It paints a bleak picture, but the final chorus suggests that there is hope for change.


Line by Line Meaning

Can't spell their name though their life's depending on it
Some people are so uneducated that they are not even able to spell their own name correctly.


Can't count past ten without taking off their shoes
Some people are so uneducated that they can't do basic math without taking off their shoes to count.


Don't know a thing ‘bout the world they will inherit
Some people are so uneducated that they don't understand the world they will be living in.


Now all those chickens have come home to roost
The negative consequences of our actions have finally caught up to us.


There was a time when we reached for the moon
There was a time when we had ambitious goals and aimed for greatness.


Now we have millions learning how to push a broom
Nowadays, many people are struggling to find work and have to settle for menial jobs.


Ain't that a shame, Ain't that a shame?
Isn't it unfortunate and disappointing?


Can't find a home when you got no work or money
People who are unemployed or have no money struggle to find a place to live.


Can't get a job when you're living in the street
Being homeless makes it even harder to find a job.


Just wait in line for your ration of compassion
People who are struggling are often at the mercy of others' kindness, waiting for assistance and support.


And don't remind us of our selfishness and greed
We tend to ignore our own role in the problems of the world and don't like to be reminded of our own selfishness and greed.


There was a time when we reached to the poor
There was a time when we tried to help and support those in need.


Now we are told they just don't matter anymore
Society has shifted its focus away from helping the poor, as though they don't matter anymore.


We're all players in this game, we're all to blame
We are all involved in the issues facing the world and share responsibility for them.


Can't clean our house throwing dirt at one another
We can't solve our problems when we are constantly attacking and blaming each other.


Can't hear reason while we shout and we accuse
We can't listen to logical arguments when we are too busy shouting and blaming each other.


We cast the blame and point fingers at each other
We tend to blame others for our problems and don't take responsibility for our role in them.


And wonder why no one will call a truce
We are perplexed as to why we can't find peace and resolution to our problems.


Ask any child past the age of four
Even young children understand the importance of working together to find peace and solutions.


It takes everyone to keep the peace, just one to start a war
It requires collective effort from everyone to maintain peace, yet only one person's actions can start a war.


No matter how much we complain, things stay the same
Merely complaining about problems won't make them go away, we must take action to change them.


Now are things bad enough, are we mad enough to make a change?
Are we finally ready to take action and make a difference?




Contributed by Elliot N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@LD_CONTENT

Great tune! Really good CD. Thanks for posting!

@jakestephens7531

I think it's 1 of his best including the Steppenwolf albums

@thelastrebelshow1627

There was a time when we reached for the moon, now we got millions learning how to push a broom. 😆 🤘

@baby10215

HIS MUSIC HAS BEEN SENSORD FOR YEARS IN THE USA;;;;EXCEPT FOR A FEW DRUG RELATED SONGS THEY DIDNT UNDERSTAND LOL LOL

@baby10215

HE IS A TRUE PROFIT OF OUR TIME;;;;;;;AND THEY STILL WANT TO IGNORE THE TRUTH LOL LOL LOL;;;;;;;;;

@baby10215

CAN NOT FIND THIS SONG IN THE USA EXCEPT ON THE WEBB LAND OF THE FREE HOME OF THE BRAVE LOL LOL LOL FREEDOM OF SPEECH HUH LOL LOL LOL

@SouthCarolinaPicker

baby10215 .. Check Steppenwolf's web-site, or Amazon for this cd .. It's worth seeking out ..

@vinmanr2d2

why not BUY it ? b

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