Malvina Reynolds: Song Lyrics and Poems  

Notes: words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1958 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1996. a.k.a. "I Cannot Sleep for Thinking of the Children."

I cannot sleep for thinking of the children
Who cannot sleep, gone supperless to bed.
I cannot sleep for thinking of the young lads
Who roam the roads, no place to lay their head.
If there were one, it would be cause to wonder,
If there were one, it would be cause to weep,
But they are numbered into many thousands,
And for each one, I cannot sleep.

The stores are full, the bins are overflowing,
In sight of food, the hungry children wait,
And on the roads, the boys begin to wander,
Because at home, there's nothing on the plate.
If there were one, it would be cause to wonder,
If there were one, it would be cause to weep,
But they are numbered into many thousands,
And for each one, I cannot sleep.

We will not sleep, my sister on the mill line,
We will not sleep, my brother from the plow,
Until we've stored the wealth we have created
Within the lives of those who hunger now.
If there were one, it would be cause to wonder,
If there were one, it would be cause to weep,
But they are numbered into many thousands,
Till there are none, we will not sleep.

Malvina Reynolds songbook(s) in which the music to this song appears:
---- The Malvina Reynolds Songbook

Malvina Reynolds recording(s) on which this song is performed:
---- [none]

Recordings by other artists on which this song is performed:
---- Flip Breskin: Promises I've Kept (Flip Breskin, 1996)
---- Jon Fromer: We Do the Work (Jon Fromer, 2000)
---- Hail to the Thief & His Daddy's Judges (Running Scared Productions, 2001)
---- Charlie King and Karen Brandow: I Struck Gold (Appleseed Recordings APR CD 1050, 2001)
---- Rosalie Sorrels: Be Careful There's a Baby in the House [as "I Cannot Sleep for Thinking of the Children"] (Green Linnet Records GLCD 2100, 1991)
---- Rosalie Sorrels: No Closing Chord; The Songs of Malvina Reynolds [as "I Cannot Sleep for Thinking of the Children"] (Red House Records RHR CD 143, 2000)
---- listen to youtube.com video
---- listen to youtube.com video
---- listen to youtube.com video