What Good Am I?

The season of Christmas is often associated with charity and is a time of giving. All too often, after the holidays we go back to our usual ways, neglectful of the spirit of this selfless season. In thinking about those less fortunate than us, I am reminded of this poignant song by Bob Dylan from his critically acclaimed 1989 album "Oh Mercy."

What Good Am I?

What good am I if I'm like all the rest,
If I just turned away, when I see how you're dressed,
If I shut myself off so I can't hear you cry,
What good am I?

What good am I if I know and don't do,
If I see and don't say, if I look right through you,
If I turn a deaf ear to the thunder in the sky,
What good am I?

What good am I while you softly weep
And I hear in my head what you say in your sleep,
And I freeze in the moment like the rest who don't try,
What good am I?

What good am I then to others and me
If I've had every chance and yet still fail to see?
If my hands tied must I not wonder within
Who tied them and why and where must I have been?

What good am I if I say foolish things
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
And I just turn my back while you silently die,
What good am I?

Copyright © 1989 Special Rider Music