The churches are empty, the jails are all full
It's over our own eyes we're pulling wool
Making us blind to decay from within
Misguided values where greed is no sin
Schools are all open but Johnny can't read
With hands tied behind them the teachers just plead
Johnny needs parents who honestly care
But they're busy working with no time to spare

So blame it on Washington, blame it on me
Blame it on drugs or the next guy you see
Blame it on money when push comes to shove
But the blame really lies in the absence
The absence of love

Guns on the streets, drugs on the rise
That victims are children should be no surprise
They become what they are from watching adults
We all took the test, these are the results
Now it's bars on the windows and locks on the doors
They look more like prisons than houses and stores
It's a moral dilemma wherever you go
When love says good-bye, ill will says hello