[Part I]

[Terry Kath]
Are you optimistic 'bout the way things are going?

[Peter Cetera]
No, I never ever think of it at all

[Terry Kath]
Don't you ever worry
When you see what's going down?

[Peter Cetera]
Well, I try to mind my business, that is, no business at all

[Terry Kath]
When it's time to function as a feeling, human being
Will your bachelor of arts help you get by?

[Peter Cetera]
I hope to study further, a few more years or so
I also hope to keep a steady high
Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Terry Kath]
Will you try to change things?
Use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas?
[Peter Cetera]
What is this power you speak of and the need for things to change?
I always thought that everything was fine
Everything is fine

[Terry Kath]
Don't you feel repression just closing in around?

[Peter Cetera]
No, the campus here is very, very free

[Terry Kath]
Don't it make you angry the way war is dragging on?

[Peter Cetera]
Well, I hope the president knows what he's into, I don't know
Ooh, I just don't know, yeah

[Terry Kath]
Don't you ever see the starvation in the city where you live?
All the needless hunger, all the needless pain?

[Peter Cetera]
Ooh, I haven't been there lately, the country is so fine
My neighbors don't seem hungry 'cause they haven't got the time
Haven't got the time
[Terry Kath]
Thank you for the talk, you know, you really eased my mind
I was troubled by the shapes of things to come

[Peter Cetera]
Well, if you had my outlook, your feelings would be numb
You'd always think that everything was fine
Everything was fine

[Part II]

[All]
We can make it better
We can make it better
We can make it better
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We can change the world now
We can change the world now
We can change the world now
We can save the children
We can save the children
We can save the children
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen (We can make it happen)
[Instrumental Break]

[All]
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
Oh

[Instrumental Break]

[All]
We can save the children
We can save the children
We can save the children
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen

[Outro]
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happ—