American Spirit
© October 21, 2021 by Bob Anderson
From: On Letting Go
The sacred and sublime; Mystic rhythms, gongs, and chimes
That echo through halls once divine
Holy water and mandalas; God-blessed incense, the beaded malas
Lost in the cinema, searchin' for utopia, hidden incognita
Where's your spirit America?
Out on the road again, lookin' at America
I left my home in Oregon, past Texan and Omaha
Through cold December nights and brilliant July days
I walked, I ran, I rode, and sometimes I just watched and stayed
Some folks I discovered were similar to me
They worked hard to uncover a simple life, to live free
But freedom is overrated when two jobs just pay the rent
The dream was promised, but the package wasn't always sent
I heard one fellow say, "It's simply not enough
“I've got to have more bigger, better, shinier stuff!”
Another said, "My credit cards, they're all maxed.
“Now the IRS says I owe them more tax!”
And many testified they suffered misery and pain
Religion seems a farce to justify guilty shames
The sacred and the spiritual have fled this country
Oh Great Spirit, what happened to our precious sanctity?
“More, more, more, and more! We've got to have the greatest score!”
“Look at all the stuff we got! (But you know it's really not a lot)”
“How can we improve our pile? To ensure we'll keep living in style?”
They lived with the land not owning anything
They trusted the Great Spirit to provide everything
Demons 'cross the sea brought their guns and their disease
They never saw it comining, there was no place for the proud to flee
And where did it get us, this rapin' of the land
It will soon be unlivable, the greenhouse grand slam!
To have a world so beautiful and disrespect her so
The God of Greed triumphant draped in scarlet, white, and indego
The sacred and sublime; Mystic rhythms, gongs, and chimes
That echo through halls once divine
Holy water and mandalas; God-blessed incense, the beaded malas
Lost in the cinema, searchin' for utopia, hidden incognita
Where's your spirit America?
Now all the hypocrates and the democrats too
They swear they want what's truly best for me and you
And those of the GOP, the High Priests of Greed
They claim we already have everything that we need
I can't help wondering as I finish up this song
Either the U.S. Spirit's gone or something's fundamentally wrong
“One nation under God with liberty for all”
Yet I feel we need a national confessional
I invite everyone to open up their heart
And let the love spill out that's been keepin' us apart
The Spirit of America is hid within us all
And if you listen carefully you will hear our mother's call
A call for change-- let's rearrange
A new day's born-- as life reforms
Of who we are-- we're made of stars
With just one Earth-- she's made of dirt
Open up and let your spirit sing
Let the bells of freedom finally ring!