Our response to the song and video "Born Again American"
Words and Music Ed Talbot
Vocals, Bass - Ed Talbot
Guitars - Bob Couchenour
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This is an issue which can get me taking off into all sorts of different tangents. Most who read my stuff know that I am not an adamant defender of American policies, either currently or regarding the recent past administration or through our history as an expanding nation. We have had our many collective compromises and failures of which few are truly proud. But – as a nation, and I personally believe it is something deeper than nationalism and even deeper than religious dogmas which may contribute to the collective myth, a fundamental drive that has propelled the concept of “America” is the desire and hope of some realization of equality and freedom and all the supplemental associated ideals – justice, individualism, opportunity to name a few.
In recent years we, as a nation seem to have been sidetracked. We have seen the “dream of America” hijacked and redefined as whatever is best for the corporate structures that control and manage the economic system we have so lackadaisically become addicted to. We have forgotten the dream of our grand parents and ancestors that foresaw something greater than world domination via corporate economics and military power. Many of our ancestors left homelands precisely for the reasons we now see attributed to what our nation has become. Very few will deny that as a nation we are in need of drastic course correction. Fewer would agree as to what the nature and direction of that correction should be.
A short time ago a music video was released titled “Born Again American”. Essentially I found this to be a gripe session by a fundamentally religious mindset crying in their cornflakes over economic hardships, and a rallying cry to re-embrace what are religious fundamentals in hopes of regaining our once held “moral” leadership and supremacy in the world. The only thing that I can agree with this song and video on are the fact that as a nation we have lost our direction. But I cannot embrace the fundamentally religious call to
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Everyone Wants to Come to America: Lyrics
I am not just some young, dumb American.
Don't you know my world is bigger than that.
'cause if I was just some young dumb American,
I'd be missing some things, Americans lack.
I opened up my eyes and it comes as no surprise,
I am many things, not just American.
War is not the way, no dumb American,
should hijack liberty and bring her to her knees.
The scoundrel dogs of war, who sold out America,
Will be vanquished by the truth, when everyone sees.
It should come as no surprise, when they open up their eyes,
Truth and justice alive, in America.
Chorus:
To be an American, be an American,
The concept we have founded for everyone.
Be an American, be an American,
Brothers and sisters all, under one sun.
Everyone wants to come to America.
The flames of freedom burns within their breast.
Give us all the same opportunities,
A place where everyone can do their best.
It is said "In God we Trust", be on guard from that we must.
Ain't it grand to be an American?
Everyone wants to come to America,
And struggle for their own equality.
The vision of America is grand enough
Embracing all, as one big Family
Balance now, we must the scales,
Truth and justice will not fail.
The Dream, will be reborn, Oh America!
[Chorus repeats]
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