Took a trip to Venice in 1992 The whole city was a-sinkin' There was nothin' I could do Built on mud instead of solid ground Slowly but surely it's all goin' down You can bet your bottom dollar Those Venetians understand You don't build your foundation on wet sand Cutting through the jungles of east Peru I stumbled across an ancient pyramid or two Now four thousand years have come and gone But those old stone temples are still goin' strong The fellas that built ‘em Yeah they could understand You don't build your foundation on wet sand Rich man drivin' in his yellow sports car
Spendin' all his money No thought for what's in store Now he's livin' in that car On the side of the road Nothin' left to his name But that wreck he calls home In the dust on his windshield he writes with a shaky hand Don't build your foundation on wet sand The leader of the free world has hatched a little plan Gonna steal himself some oil from some far off land Dressed up like a soldier, thinks he's gonna win a war Funny, he's never been a soldier before Never been within 6,000 miles of Vietnam He's built his foundation on wet sand Don't build your foundation on wet sand