[Verse 1: Robert Lamm]
What has happened to our town
There's people sleeping on the ground
Cold and lost, they fear the night
Left alone, they'll lose the fight
Hadn't we better reach for more than just a dime
Shouldn't we try to talk that boy out of his crime
Haven't you had it knowing nothings getting solved
Maybe we'd better, better get involved

[Chorus: Robert Lamm]
We could stop the hurting for awhile
We could stop the hurting for awhile
If we found a way to reconcile
We could stop the hurting

[Verse 2: Robert Lamm]
Families living in their cars and kids run numbers out of bars
Knowing pride won't pay the bills
Men work jobs beneath their skills
Hadn't we better hand out more than just a line
Shouldn't we try to find solutions with our minds
Haven't you had it knowing nothing's getting solved
Maybe we'd better, better get involved

[Chorus: Robert Lamm]
We could stop the hurting for awhile
We could stop the hurting for awhile
If we found a way to reconcile
We could stop the hurting