In America, you're born with a silver spoon
Or in the back of the bus by the light of the moon
And when you die they say
"It'll all be changing soon and you'll be free, you'll be free, you'll be free"
It was two hundred years of war that lit that freedom torch
Went from Southampton fields up to the White House porch
And they're still shooting all the kids for trying to break that yoke
How can you breathe?
How can you breathe?
How can you breathe?
They gave a fortune away to some Wall Street bank
Like a treasure was sunk on a ship already sank
And they're still standing on the deck
Trying to get us to walk the plank while they're lost at sea, lost at sea, lost at sea
But I ain't never had more than ten dollars to my name
And I've been told my whole life, "Boy you got to hide your shame"
For being born like a match set afire by the flame
But I will burn free, I will burn free, I will burn free
♪
When I look all around me, I wonder where they've gone
All the people that I loved reduced to memories in a song
I can hear them trying to remind me
Just remember right from wrong
Because we fought for thee, we fought for thee, we fought for thee
But I see hatred in the eyes of all these people running scared
Like the world's been taken by someone who finally dared
To just stand up and say, "We're staying, we're not going anywhere
And we will be free, we will be free, we will be free"
In America, you're born with a silver spoon
Or in the back of the bus by the light of the moon
And when you die they say
"It'll all be changing soon and you'll be free, you'll be free, you'll be free"
So, I wonder which was the lie
All the past in its glory or the promise of a future
You and I may never see
'Cause the reasons I've been given sound like bullshit to me
We'll wait and see, we'll wait and see, we'll wait and see
Now America, I know I'm not your favorite son
But I did my time and I'm not hurting anyone
I'm just tired of living at the point of a gun
When will you see? When will you see? When will you see?
When you say we're free
You don't mean me
You don't mean me