If beauty is an ecstasy
And anger keeps you poor
A hungry man is never free
A rich man never cured
Things were never what they used to be

Now every crowd has its silver lining
We all got stuff to sell
And you may live your life so bitter
But you remember it so well
Things were never what they used to be

For all the folks who can run the world
Drive cabs or cut your hair

And the sun may set without your help
But you're beautiful people to me
You may fall before you're pushed
But it's beautiful people I see
If you only see the stars when it's dark
That's enough for me
An empty soul with a full opinion
Is beautiful people to me

It's all the same in different hats
The proof of the missing link
A nation talking to itself
And none of us can think
Things were never what they used to be
For a silent fool may still be wise
There's no way you can tell

And the captain more scared than his crew
Is beautiful people to me
And the finest government you could buy
It's beautiful people I see
If you live five to one against
It's good enough for me
Can't use two steps to cross a canyon
You're beautiful people to me

If you don't see the same trees I see
You're beautiful people to me
Make deserts bloom and oceans die
Just beautiful people to me
If you're lost and dying of civilization
That's enough for me
If you believe your own blind eye
You're beautiful people to me

And you may miss what you never had
And have what you don't need

And the sun may set without your help
But you're beautiful people to me
You may fall before you're pushed
But it's beautiful people I see
If you only see the stars when it's dark
That's enough for me
An empty soul with a full opinion
Is beautiful people to me
And the captain more scared than his crew
Is beautiful people to me
And the finest government you could buy
It's beautiful people I see
If you live five to one against
It's good enough for me
Can't use two steps to cross a canyon
You're beautiful people to me

If you don't see the same trees I see
You're beautiful people to me
Make deserts bloom and oceans die
Just beautiful people to me
If you're lost and dying of civilization
That's enough for me