They took my friend They cuffed his wrists They beat him in the van He hadn't done a thing But when they came, he ran and they pursued And they were rude And he said nothing, He bit his lip If you speak, you'll feel their feet But if you don't You'll still get hit What's the matter with you My lovely brown eyed man? I can feel you shaking When I take you by the hand Tell me. What's the matter, My lovely brown eyed man? How come I can feel you shaking when I take you by the hand? They want me bad, now bad I'll be They keep me poor They make me sick They feed me with desires for Things that I don't need that stick Their needles in my arms Expensive things I can't afford They show me rooms furnished with gold And then they close the doors What's the matter with you My lovely brown eyed man? I can feel you shaking When I take you by the hand Please tell me, What's the matter, My lovely brown eyed man? I'm the child of the gimme-more nation When they want something, They launch an occupation They plunder and pillage and they say that they're saving They're bombing and maiming They're taking and taking But they lock me up, and they paint me a demon for trying to feed my screaming children while they're k**ing for money and they're crippling countries and they're doing it all beneath a flag saying Freedom. now, what's the matter with you? you're lying if you think that my pain isn't your pain 'Cause when I'm hit you flinch What's the matter with you, my lovely brown eyed man? how come I can feel you shaking when I take you by the hand?