American Dream
It's a big club ... and you ain't in it!
Love him or hate him, George Carlin was the comedic voice of a generation. A critic of all things anti-American, anti-human, and inequitable. This piece was inspired by one of George's most iconic pieces entitled, "American Dream"
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"American Dream"
Verse 1:
Well, they tell you it's a golden road,
That you can walk with your head held high,
But every step you take, it seems,
You're just a cog in their machine,
No matter how hard you try.
They say "It's all for you, it's all for you,"
But who you gonna trust in this world so cold?
You're just a number, you're just a name,
The dream is twisted, it's all the same,
But they keep selling lies that you’ve been told.
Chorus:
It’s the American Dream,
Yeah, it’s the American scheme,
Sell your soul for a dollar bill,
And you’ll never find a way out of this deal.
It’s the dream they sell so clean,
But there’s nothing left in the American Dream.
Verse 2:
You get your education, they say,
But the bills keep stacking up, you can’t get away,
Work your hands to the bone just to stay alive,
But you can’t get ahead unless you compromise.
The system’s built on the rich and the strong,
While the poor just try to hold on.
A little hope is the price you pay,
For a chance that’ll slip right through your hands one day.
Chorus:
It’s the American Dream,
Yeah, it’s the American scheme,
They build you up just to watch you fall,
Then you wonder why you’re standing tall.
It’s the dream they sell so clean,
But there’s nothing left in the American Dream.
Bridge:
They told you that you could rise up high,
But they never mentioned you’d be left to die,
In the gutter, under the streetlight,
With nothing but a broken smile tonight.
Breakdown:
There’s no freedom, there’s no justice here,
Just a fancy line to keep you in fear.
They gave you hope and stole your pride,
Now you’re just another dreamer, waiting for a ride.
Chorus:
It’s the American Dream,
Yeah, it’s the American scheme,
A shot in the dark that never seems to land,
With a fist full of dust and a heart full of sand.
It’s the dream they sell so clean,
But there’s nothing left in the American Dream.
Outro:
So dream on, dream on,
Keep your eyes fixed on the sky,
But just remember the price you’ll pay,
In the land of the free, you’ll fade away.
It’s the American Dream...
And it's gone.
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