In the corner of the barroom
Lives the ghost of Langston Hughes
Heâs takinâ notes and smokinâ cigarettes
Sippinâ slowly on his booze
Got them goinâ nowhere blues
And on the stage beneath the spotlight
Woody Guthrie sings the news
Heâs always ready for the good fight
Never thinkinâ that heâll lose
Got them goinâ nowhere blues
Through the back way in the alley
Sellin all you should refuse
Looks like Jane has finally given in
Hey, what the hell it ainât no use
Got them goinâ nowhere blues
Out the front around the corner
Martin Luther shines your shoes
Heâs preachinâ justice and equality
I guess Martinâs payinâ dues
Heâs got them goinâ nowhere blues
On the other side itâs a free ride
Youâve got money you can burn
When the ground shakes and the earth breaks
Which way you gonna turn
Are you ever gonna learn
In the poolroom on the table
Swillinâ wine and smashinâ cues
They locked him up last night for fighting
Cesar Chavez blew a fuse
Heâs got them goinâ nowhere blues
All the members of the union
All the farm and labor crews
They used to be meet here by the dozens
They disappeared in ones and twos
Got them goinâ nowhere blues
So you wonder why they come here
They come here to look for clues
Passinâ time until they live again
To fight these going nowhere views
Leave these goinâ nowhere blues
To fight these goinâ nowhere views