Affection - Jonathan Richman, The Modern Lovers

People all over the world

People all over the world

People all over the world are starving

For affection

And to me this ain’t funny

To me this is real

So I tell everybody

The way I feel about affection

Well I’ve starved before for affection

I blamed the world and it’s partly the world’s fault

That’s true

But I was a star who said

«I don’t have time for those people»

So it was partly my own fault too

Well then I relaxed a little

And I met more people who liked me

That gave me the courage to reach out and give

And that helped me to get more affection

And affection helped me to live

So I say

People all over the world they’re good

People all over the world ain’t bad

If everybody be snobs like I’ve been

They won’t get what they wished they had

Affection

People are starving just to be touched, you mean

People are starving just to be hugged and kissed

Well you’ve got radios and magazines and cars

And there’s telephones and books everywhere

But plain old affection sits there over in the corner

And it says

«Hmm it’s like they’ve forgotten that I’m there»

You know it takes gall to reach out and try affection

On people who maybe want your touch but you can’t tell

Cause they can laugh and that’s like rejection

And you probably won’t like that very well

But I say

People all over the world they’re good

People all over the world ain’t bad

If everybody keeps on chickening out

They won’t get what they wished they had

Affection

«Jonathan you’re scaring us

We think this is the part of the song

Where everyone had to do the group hug and stuff

We don’t even like our neighbour»

«Is that what we have to do now?»

«Nope, don’t worry, nah, no that’s no good»

«Don't worry we’re not gonna do that»

«Okay, then what’s this song about anyway?»

«It's just if you do feel like it don’t chicken out, that’s all»

«Is that all you’re saying?»

«Yeah»

«Oh, okay»

People all over the world

People all over the world

People all over the world are starving

For affection