Descendents – ‘Merican

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We flipped the finger to the King of England
Then stole our country from the Indians
With God on our side and guns in our hands
We took it for our own

Built a nation dedicated to liberty,
Justice, and equality
Does it look that way to you? It doesn’t look that way to me
It’s the sickest joke I know

Listen up, man, I'll tell you who I am
I'm just another stupid American
But you don’t want to listen, you don’t want to understand
Just finish up your drink and go home.

I come from the land of Ben Franklin,
Twain and Poe and Walt Whitman.
Otis Redding, Ellington,
The country that I love…

But it’s the land of the slaves, and the Klu Klux Klan,
The Haymarket Riot, and the Great Depression
Joe McCarthy, Viet Nam
It’s the sickest joke I know

Listen up, man, I'll tell you who I am
I'm just another stupid American
But you don’t want to listen, you don’t want to understand
Just finish up your drink and go home

I'm proud and ashamed, every 4th of July
You’ve got to know the truth before you say that you’ve got pride
Now the cops got tanks ‘cause the kids got guns
Shrinks pushing pills on everyone
Cancer from the ocean, cancer from the sun
Straight to Hell we go

Listen up, man, I'll tell you who I am
I'm just another stupid American
But you don’t want to listen, you don’t want to understand
Just finish up your drink and go home

Listen up, man, I'll tell you who I am
I'm just another stupid American
But you don’t want to listen, you don’t want to understand
Just finish up your drink
And go home


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Lyrics submitted by UN5ANE


‘Merican song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:one of my favourite punk songs of all time, milo writes great shit. it's the perfect summary of a person who loves his country but hates what it has become, america started as a place of hope and freedom and equality and it was run of the tracks by ignorance and greed as most other countries are. the song may be hard to swallow but it's truth can't be questioned. p.s if anything bad religion sounds like the descendents as the descendents were around first
    Flag resist360on June 06, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:They sound a lot like Bad Religion in this song.
    Flag loveUregardlesson December 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The song is a condensed and dumbed down version of the book A Peoples History of the United States.
    Flag Neonsolidon November 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I come from the land of Ben Franklin,
    Twain and Poe and Walt Whitman.
    Otis Redding, Ellington,
    The country that I love…

    But it’s the land of the slaves, and the Klu Klux Klan,
    The Haymarket Riot, and the Great Depression
    Joe McCarthy, Viet Nam
    It’s the sickest joke I know

    ------------------------------------

    those two stanzas sum up the entire song for me, its about being proud of your accompishes, the artists and those that did so much for establishing your history, but at the same time dont forget the fuck ups, every country has things that it should be proud of, but it shouldnt forget them amongst the good, otherwise it will repeat them
    Flag diddimzon September 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Walt Whitman - poet, wrote "Walden"" -- freehat17

    Henry David Thoreau wrote walden, not Walt Whitman.

    Whitman's mentioned because a big part of his writing concerned America, democracy, brotherhood, freedom, etc.
    HE also wrote lots of stuff about liberty and America's leaders. That "O Captain! My Captain!" poem from Dead Poet's SOciety is one of his most famous works, it's a homage to Lincoln and it's about his assassination.

    Just clearing that up.
    Flag shadowwiththeeyeson March 04, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh, i noticed above you guys were talking about communism. There werent really any opinions voiced about it, but take a look at the fundamental communist ideals. America was fighting equality, workers rights, and a classless society. (The USSR was never a communist country, they were a leftist totalitarian dictatorship, not a reflection of communist ideals)
    Flag Lukasa101on November 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Its ku klux klan, you fucktards.

    But this song kicks cock. I saw the animation for it on albinoblacksheep, pretty good.
    Flag Lukasa101on November 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is amazing, 2 and a half minutes of pure genious. And I love the quick solo in the middle. Though obviously not all that technical, it sounds brilliant, an adds the final touch to a great song
    Flag crazycasualtyon March 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Thank god for the Descendents.
    Flag ass0bandon February 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great song, love it. It tells about what this country was/is about zand how well they manage to hide things they dont want us to hear. People tend to forget about these issues and as Josi said "its a warning to us all." We need to know whats happening here and take care of it.

    PUNKS NOT DEAD
    Flag browntown13on January 26, 2005   Link

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