John Mellencamp's new song talks frankly about America's homeless situation

John Mellencamp has just dropped the lyric video to his new single, "The Eyes Of Portland." The track, which talks frankly about America's homeless situation, is the second teaser from Mellencamp's 25th album, titled, Orpheus Descending, which is due out on June 2nd. The album also features the track, "Hey God," which addresses the national epidemic of gun violence.

The album marks Mellencamp's followup to the critically acclaimed 2022 collection, Strictly A One -Eyed Jack, which peaked at Number Five on the Billboard Folk Albums chart.

John Mellencamp is no stranger to feeling the backlash for writing songs that hold a mirror up to the face of modern-day America. 20 years ago, he released "To Washington," a track that touched upon both the 2000 presidential election and eventual war in Iraq. Mellencamp said at the time: ["If anybody knows anything about my records, I've said a lot more scathing things about America than I say in that song. All I did in that song was report the weather. Everything in that song was pretty much out of a newspaper -- y'know, I didn't make any of that up. I didn't feel like I put any of my bias in there."] SOUNDCUE (:15 OC: . . . bias in there)

As I saw through the eyes of Portland one day

There were so many homeless, they'd all gone astray

They slept on the corners during the day

As not to be harmed when the sun went away

There were old ones and young ones, white ones and black

They were all shapes and sizes, with rags on their backs

So many people mixed up in this stew

With no place to go and nothing to do

All of thesе homeless, wherе do they come from?

In this land of plenty where nothing gets done

To help those who are empty and unable to run

Your tears and prayers won't help the homeless

Some are mentally ill, some are higher than kites

Selling their bodies as day turns to night

Where are their loved ones, does anyone care?

To be lost and alone in the middle of nowhere

All of these homeless, where do they come from?

In this land of plenty where nothing gets done

To help those who are empty and unable to run

Your tears and prayers won't help the homeless

Photo: Getty Images


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