Tell you when you’re older

He said he’ll
tell me when I’m older, when he says I’ll understand; I asked him,
“If your child is hungry and no food grows in the sand
If your child is hungry and no food grows in the sand,
why not simply walk away, to find a better land? “

Grown ups, tell me what I need to know, what don’t I understand?
Please tell me what I need to know, what don’t I understand?

But it’s only when you’re older that you’re let in on the plan
By the time they tell that famished child, he’ll be a famished man.
By the time they tell that hungry child, will he be a man?
Children hungry for the answers cannot wait to understand

Tell the kids what’s going on
Say what’s going on!
You run things and you know best, so
Say what’s going wrong!

He says he’ll tell me when I’m older, when he says I’ll understand
I think that if your child goes hungry and no food grows in the sand,
I think that if your child goes hungry, you take him by the hand
And the two of you start walking, to find a better land.

Grown ups, tell me what I need to know, what don’t I understand?
Just tell me please what’s going on – what don’t I understand?

Tell the kids what’s going on
Just say what’s going on!
If you run things and you know best
Say what’s gone so wrong!

Now look at me, I’m older – far older than I planned.
I never got the answer from that tall and wise old man
I never got an answer from that tall and wise old man
He’s been a long time gone and never helped me understand