E 
God evening Mr. Waldheim 
D#m 
And Pontiff how are you? 
C#m 
You have so much in common 
B                 F# 
In the things you do 

E 
And here comes Jesse Jackson 
D#m 
He talks of common ground 
C#m 
Does that common ground include me 
B               F# 
Or is it just a sound? 

               E 
A sound that shakes 
   B               F#                   E    B  F# E 
Oh Jesse, you must watch the sounds you make 
              E       
A sound that quakes 
B                    F#           E 
There are fears that still reverberate 

E 
Jesse you say common ground 
D#m 
Does that include the P.L.O? 
C#m 
What about people right here, right now 
B                          F#                     
Who fought for you not so long ago? 

E 
The words that flow so freely 
D#m 
Falling dancing from your lips 
C#m 
I hope that you don't cheapen them 
B             F# 
With a racist slip 

E 
Oh common ground 
   B               F#             E       B  F# E          
Is common ground a word or just a sound? 
E 
Oh, oh, common ground 
B                            F#                    E       B F#  
Remember those civil rights workers buried in the ground 

E 
If I ran for president 
D#m 
And once was a member of the Klan 
C#m 
Wouldn't you call me on it 
B                  F# 
The way I call you on Farrakhan? 

E 
And Pontiff, pretty Pontiff 
D#m 
Can anyone shake your hand ? 
C#m 
Or is it just that you like uniforms 
B                  F#           
And someone kissing your hand? 

E 
Or is it true 
    B                 F#              E     B  F# E   
The common ground for me includes you too? 
              E 
Oh, oh, is it true 
     B                F#              E     B  F# E 
The common ground for me includes you too? 

E 
Good evening Mr. Waldheim 
D#m 
Pontiff how are you? 
C#m 
As you both stroll through the woods at night 
B               F# 
I'm thinking thoughts of you 

E 
And Jesse you're inside my thoughts 
D#m 
As the rhythmic words subside 
C#m 
My common ground invites you in 
B                   F# 
Or do you prefer to wait outside? 

E 
Or is it true 
    B                 F#            E     B  F# E 
The common ground for me is without you? 
         E 
Or is it true 
B                     F#            E     B  F# E 
The common ground for me is without you? 

         E 
Oh is it true 
           B             F#                E    B  F#  E 
There's no ground common enough for me and you?