Where the Money Shines Verse 1 We draw our perfect lines on paper, Then walk the crooked roads with pride, We praise the thief who fills our pockets, And blame the honest man outside. They tell you, “Keep your hands clean, brother,” While gold is passing underneath, In a world where truth goes hungry, And lies have diamonds in their teeth. Pre-Chorus I wanted just to understand What hides behind the human eye, So I borrowed someone’s weakness And watched the world go walking by. Chorus Oh, everybody turns Where the money shines, Like flowers chasing sunlight Through these dark and crooked times. They’ll preach to you of mercy, They’ll sing of love divine, But watch their faces turning Where the money shines. Where the money shines. Verse 2 I sat there in a borrowed wheelchair, My silent theatre in the street, Waiting for a little kindness From every stranger I would meet. But hours became a lifetime, Every stare became a stone, Some looked through me like a window, Some thanked God they weren’t alone. And those who spoke in colors When I watched them from afar, Turned grey as winter pavement When I rolled to where they are. Like chameleons changing quickly, They wore whatever shade would pay— Human warmth was cheap in speeches, But expensive face to face. Chorus Oh, everybody turns Where the money shines, Like flowers chasing sunlight Through these dark and crooked times. They’ll preach to you of mercy, They’ll sing of love divine, But watch their faces turning Where the money shines. Verse 3 I’ve heard philosophers in cafés Build kingdoms out of noble words, Justice flying from their mouths Like flocks of bright migrating birds. But move one hand toward their treasure, See how quickly wisdom ends— Suddenly the gentle thinker Has the teeth of guard dogs defending friends. We love the ruler, hate the straight line, Unless the straight line leads to gold. We forgive a thousand crooked things If something profitable is sold. And honesty becomes a luxury A hungry family cannot buy— What use is being called a good man If your children starve beside you while you die? Bridge Maybe one morning I’ll wake up And hear it breaking on the news: “Something strange occurred today— The world has changed the things it chooses. A rich man stopped to help the fallen, A poor man’s hand was held with pride, No one asked what someone owned Before they let him stand beside them. And for one unbelievable day, Gold lost its gravity…” Oh, I would sit beneath that headline And finally learn to smile. Final Chorus Let everybody turn Where the human heart still shines, Let mercy be our sunlight, Not the dollar and the dime. Let crooked roads grow empty, Let truth no longer hide, Let us measure what a soul is worth By what it gives—not what it buys. And if that day should find us, Before we leave this life behind, Maybe we’ll become the people We pretended to be all this time. Outro We drew our perfect lines on paper… Perhaps one day we’ll walk them too. And when the money stops commanding, We may finally see What’s human In me and you.
