“I pray that God will bless you in everything that you do. I pray that you will grow intellectually so that you can understand the problems of the world and where you fit in that world picture… And I pray that all of the fear that has ever been in your heart will be taken out. And when you look at that man, if you know he's nothing but a coward, you won't fear him. If he wasn't a coward, he wouldn't gang up on you." - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
"This is how they function, they function in mobs. That's a coward. They put on a sheet so you won't know who they are. That's a coward. The time will come when that sheet will be ripped off. If the federal government doesn’t take it off, we’ll take it off" - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
In 1865, after the Civil War had ended,
slavery was finally abolished by the 13th Amendment
though it took time, millions of slaves had to be freed to be in compliance
outraged, the former Confederate states, acted in defiance
passing the “Black Codes” and these were the laws that reinstated
the oppression of the newly freed slaves of our nation
“people of color” was the phrase used by the laws to designate
anyone with even a drop of African blood running through their veins
“coloreds” had no rights, couldn’t vote, testify in court, or assemble
in public with one another without white supervision
it was a crime to even teach us simple things like how to read
and helping us organize to improve our conditions was a felony
2nd offense was execution, and if we were unemployed and homeless
we were arrested, fined, and forced to work to pay off the fine by going
back to the former slave owners, working as “servants” paid in pennies
though we were freed, our fight for equality was just beginning
Chorus
"And I pray that all of the fear that has ever been in your heart will be taken out. And when you look at that man, if you know he's nothing but a coward, you won't fear him. If he wasn't a coward, he wouldn't gang up on you." - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
"This is how they function, they function in mobs. That's a coward. They put on a sheet so you won't know who they are. That's a coward. The time will come when that sheet will be ripped off. If the federal government doesn’t take it off, we’ll take it off" - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
In 1868, the 14th Amendment gave equal rights to us all
but unwilling to give up their power, conservatives passed the Jim Crow laws
so instead of coming together, our nation went with Segregation
and for nearly 100 years we were separated by our races
calling it “separate but equal”, but it was legal discrimination
so us “coloreds” would know our places and keep us below the ones who’d enslaved us
and since white people owned most things, they banned us from their communities
we couldn’t work or shop at their stores, or go to their schools, or walk on their streets
and even if we would be allowed in their stores, we’d be forced to the back to eat
we couldn’t sit or meet or talk to them, and this was done legally
their politicians would isolate us in the poorest parts of town
keeping us trapped in poverty, police were present to keep us down
interracial dating was illegal, forbidden to let the races mix
the white woman would get beaten and the black man would get lynched
the white man would be accepted as long as he denied it and didn’t get married
while the black woman was a sex slave, and the mixed kids were rejected
can you imagine being a 2nd class citizen in your own country?!
being abused, raped, or lynched with no one to help cuz that’s how they wanted it
and things were about to get worse cuz in Pulaski, Tennessee
some former Confederate soldiers had started wearing their white sheets
Chorus
"And I pray that all of the fear that has ever been in your heart will be taken out. And when you look at that man, if you know he's nothing but a coward, you won't fear him. If he wasn't a coward, he wouldn't gang up on you." - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
"This is how they function, they function in mobs. That's a coward. They put on a sheet so you won't know who they are. That's a coward. The time will come when that sheet will be ripped off. If the federal government doesn’t take it off, we’ll take it off" - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
Out of all the white supremacist groups like the White League and the Red Shirts
the KKK, or Ku Klux Klan, wasn’t the first but they were the worst
wearing white robes and hoods, they’d harass and lynch dissenters
reaching their peak in 1924, with 6 million members
including 1/5 of Southern white males, with chapters all over the nation
they would claim that they controlled 24 state legislatures
they were lawyers, doctors, judges, and even business owners
but at night, they’d don their sheets and roam the streets awaiting their orders
targeting blacks and other minorities and whites that fought for equality
they worked with the Redeemers, making sure Segregation was policy
the “Mississippi Plan” was one of the ways they made it legal
in their churches, their members would preach that we were cursed to be unequals
so the majority believed them and condoned our vile mistreatment
killing Malcolm X’s father and countless local political leaders
for a century, burning crosses in our yards as intimidation
to this day there are “sundown towns” where minorities can’t even show our faces
now can you imagine fighting in World Wars, helping save Europe from Hitler
only to come home and be oppressed just because your skin is different?
over time, the public rejected them and their leaders knew they were through
so the former Klansmen traded their white sheets for business suits
Chorus
"And I pray that all of the fear that has ever been in your heart will be taken out. And when you look at that man, if you know he's nothing but a coward, you won't fear him. If he wasn't a coward, he wouldn't gang up on you." - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
"This is how they function, they function in mobs. That's a coward. They put on sheets so you won't know who they are. That's a coward. The time will come when that sheet will be ripped off. If the federal government doesn’t take it off, we’ll take it off" - Malcolm X
(I know you’re to blame
I see you hiding behind your white sheets
I know you're hiding behind your white sheets)
They like to claim it was the Natives on the warpath, threatening our nation
but in truth it was the invaders who were at war with the Natives
trying to wipe out their cultures while forcing assimilation
as 2nd class citizens for the indigenous populations
those resisting were forced to give up their land or they killed them
craving their natural resources, they did anything to get them
enslavement for the men and sex slavery for the women
their colonies in the Americas and Australia had this system, cuz...
1st Bridge
Rich Europeans and their descendants
did this for centuries during Colonialism
when the indigenous people would fight against them
the colonists would start pretending that they're the victims, but...
1st Chorus
How do you steal entire continents?
How do you steal entire continents?
How do you kill off their inhabitants
then claim that you're the victims?
I bet they never told you Europeans were scalping since the Romans
and both the colonists and the Natives scalped each other for tokens
in fact, both the Mexican and American governments
offered bounties for scalping Natives until the late 1800's
Cromwell sent thousands of Irish to Barbados through slavery
and Natives were also enslaved until the 1780's
the South American colonies only stopped cuz the Vatican
said the only righteous form of slavery was that of Africans
2nd Bridge
Adopting the Talmud's Curse of Canaan
virtually all Abrahamic denominations
claimed black people were destined for this enslavement
enabling many racists for generations, but...
2nd Chorus
How do you build slave colonies?
How do you keep slave colonies
like Jamaica, Barbados, and Haiti?
then claim that you're believers, huh?
I would think they'd know
(Tell me why so many had to die?)
But the less they know
(the more that they can lie)
3rd Verse
When the Somersett Case in 1772 ended slavery in England,
abolitionists tried to extend this throughout the British Kingdom
only then did our wealthy, slave owning, men of business
and their Freemason friends decide to fight for independence
later called “the Founding Fathers”, they cried for rights and liberty
even though they oppressed the Natives, blacks were slaves, and women were property
and most white males were workers or indentured servants
that couldn’t vote but the Founders needed their numbers for their purpose
using war propaganda, they launched a successful rebellion
by convincing workers to join them even though those who helped them
still had no voice under the Articles of Confederation
but the Founders got their nation, now they could set their sights on the Natives, so…
3rd Bridge
Then they continued with their invasion
Breaking the will of the Natives through subjugation
Taking their sacred lands, no compensation
Defaced them with plantations and mining operations
3rd Chorus
How did you think they built this country?
How did you think they made their money?
On the backs of slaves and those in poverty
Then act like nothing happened, but…
I would think they'd know
(Tell me why so many had to die?)
But the less they know
(the more that they can lie)
I would think they'd know
(Tell me why so many had to die?)
But the less they know
I am the American nightmare and that’s fine by me, a young black Muslim male with a degree
part Creek Indian and I know my history, a socialist with progressive ideologies
an activist like those before me, the offspring of a well-educated family
born in Florida but raised in Tennessee; first time seeing skinheads and neo-Nazis
as a teen, I rebelled and chose to be in the streets, my dream was to make it in the music industry
so I sold studio time, beats and cds with my boys from Edgehill, Folk, and AP
doing shows and promoting all across the Southeast, but no matter where I went, I always saw the same thing
same drugs, same street life, and same poverty, same corrupt cops and police brutality
took a few years off, got certified in IT as I worked as a temp for many big companies
found myself with a passport, working overseas, on an outsourcing gig while at MPC
saw the truth of free trade and income inequality, exploitation of the poor by those same companies
seeing Mexican engineers hoping to be a Wal-Mart cashier across the border cuz it paid a better salary
God opened my eyes to reality, now I see past the lies my country told me
not seduced by your greed or material things, fight for my beliefs, the truth I must speak
my dream is to build a community that’s based on compassion and unity
while that may be a dream to empower the weak, I guarantee that the wealthy will preach it’s America’s Nightmare
Chorus
All I see widespread poverty
Homelessness and greed
(abuse of our women and kids, that’s America’s nightmare)
Drugs and disease, crimes and bigotry
Wars that fuel the Beast
(struggling just to survive)
I’ve lived the poor man’s nightmare, one step from living in the streets; no car, no job, barely anything to eat
stressed out, trying to find a way to get back on my feet, $30 to my name, on a floor I would sleep
but at least I could ask friends and family for help, while the poorest in our nation have to fend for themselves
what kind of civilized nation doesn’t care about the health of its people, demonizing welfare?!
This is crazy, how did we become so mean? If the Prophets returned, I wonder what they’d think
Would they weep for our suffering, poor, and diseased? Or say it’s our punishment for following the Beast?
They told us to make peace and honor our Creator, to help out the poor and to love thy neighbor
Instead, our country has embraced its hatred, so we sacrifice the innocent to earn the Devil’s favor
And that’s why we always have money for war but never for peace, or to help those in need
It’s cuz we live in a “war-based economy”, which means for us to keep our way of life, somebody’s gotta bleed
So our military leaders and these crooked politicians, concoct more missions to invade more civilians
ordering our soldiers to torture and kill them, justifying murder while we plunder their riches
then do the same thing here, encouraging these bigots to hate everyone who thinks or looks different
Overlooking the crimes these snakes are committing, like raping and molesting our women and children
They then blame the victim, but claim their religious; yet still hate Hispanics though Hispanics are Christians
Hate all Muslims, wanna kill us by the millions, even though we worship the God of all existence
They call themselves Christians but the Prophets Jesus, and Moses, and Noah would label them “heathens”
Because these people are spiteful and deceitful, making the world a nightmare for the believers
They hate the poor, love war and avarice; you really think it’s God that’s encouraging this?
If Christ ever returned, I’m truly convinced that Americans would have him lynched, cuz he’d oppose this nightmare
Chorus
All I see widespread poverty
Homelessness and greed
(abuse of our women and kids, that’s America’s nightmare)
Drugs and disease, crimes and bigotry
Wars that fuel the Beast
(while the poor suffer…)
I’ll show you the rich man’s nightmare, give me 5 years and I can transform this nation into something great
The first day, add 100,000 lawyers and detectives to investigate then flush out the snakes
Arrest a third of the ruling class, confiscate the riches that they stole then hid offshore when the economy collapsed
Revamp the whole tax code til they’re paying half; rebuilding the country on the backs of the upper class
Nationalize the Federal Reserve and most banks, outlaw hedge funds and regulate free trade
Launch a second New Deal as we then take control of our resources, they’re ours in the first place
Permanently ban companies that have defrauded the government from future contracts and that’s regardless
of whether or not it causes markets to drop, reward the businesses that played fair and employ the starving
disband the CIA and most intelligence agencies, (then) try their top brass for crimes against humanity
then launch a real investigation into 9/11, prosecuting all involved in the conspiracy
for that and the Iraq War too, the neo-conservatives and John Yoo, who
authorized us to torture and all who knew, and yeah Colin Powell, that includes you too
end our wars overseas like Afghanistan, cease operations and leave most bases on foreign land
“secure our own land” is a better plan, better than killing more civilians, that just props up the Taliban
solve things using diplomatic ends, cut the military budget by like 80%
use the money we would’ve spent on health care for all, using money to save lives instead of killing them
then strengthen the laws against rape and abuse, protecting our women, orphans and youths
expand civil rights and have equality for all, give all citizens free shelter and food
then release or retry all the poor in our prisons whose cases were rigged or defense was insufficient
then arrest many police and politicians, forcing them to deal with the system they invented
end the War on Drugs and begin giving treatments while freeing the first time users, it’s needless
to lock up the users while the people who are bringing drugs into the country walk free, so I’m speaking
to you. I hope I’m making myself clear, I’d wage a war on trafficking and sex slaves here
no mercy for the predators that prey on their fears; and all of this within the first year of the rich man’s nightmare
Chorus
All I see widespread poverty
Homelessness and greed
(abuse of our women and kids, that’s America’s nightmare)
Drugs and disease, crimes and bigotry
Wars that fuel the Beast
Chorus
So far away, so far away
(Chickasaw, Seminole, Mojave, Navajo)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Illinois, Iroquois, Nez Perce, Missiquoi)
So far away, so far away
(Aleut, Yupik, Eyak, Inuit)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Miwok, Quapaw, Natchitoches, Choctaw)
As America expanded from it's 13 original colonies
it stole more territory, forcing Native tribes to flee
history only tells America's side, it's deals and their purpose
but what about the people who already lived in the Louisiana Purchase?
that would be like me and a friend deciding who gets your house and land
even though your family still lives there, cuz once they agreed to a plan
they sent their men to "settle" that land, empowering them with incentives and weapons
intervening if tribes resisted, promising peace for land concessions
saying the tribes could keep their land as long as that tribe still existed
then they'd turn around and kill them, seize that land, and the cycle continued
so of course the Natives fought back, otherwise they'd be devoured
there was no United Nations to turn to and the other global powers
all were doing the same things during this time of colonization
like today's illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine's occupation
in 1829 Andrew Jackson, the slave owning, Native butcher
had won the presidency, ending the fragile peace that stood, the
Supreme Court sided with the Cherokees, ensuring their independence
but Jackson simply refused to enforce it, letting the states continue
cuz gold had been discovered throughout the Southeast and the West
and once again, the Natives had to flee or else they'd meet their deaths
Chorus
So far away, so far away
(Alibamu, Peoria, Kiowa, Otoe-Missouria)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Iowa, Chippewa, Cheyenne, Omaha)
So far away, so far away
(Arikara, Shinnecock, Ottawa, Sauk & Fox)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Mohegan, Massachusett, Spokane, Narragansett)
With every year, there were more broken promises from America’s governments
more than 500 broken treaties, invading more of the southern lands
the Georgia Gold Rush was the final straw, and peace collapsed
in 1830 when Congress passed the Indian Removal Act
then sent troops to force the Natives to relocate to reservations
located throughout the West but many tribes refused to take it
the Seminoles refused to leave, led by Chief Osceola
til they lost the 2nd Seminole War and most were forced to go, the
Potawatomi Tribe was forced to march 660 miles
across 4 states at gunpoint, down to the last child
the Choctaw were promised everything west of the Mississippi Valley
in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, yet still were sent packing
and the Cherokees were forced to leave their capital Red Clay, Tennessee
on foot for more than 1,000 miles, at least 20,000 refugees
and 4,000 died before they reached their destination
those who made it were pressured to give up their cultures, forced assimilation
forced religious conversions for some, the same was done to Canada’s Natives
but that wasn’t enough for the colonists, who even claimed that land as States, and
now we’ve paved over their holy sites, erased their ancient languages
so their heritage is lost forever on that Trail of Tears
Chorus
So far away, so far away
(Ponca, Klamath, Suquamish, Niantic)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Pueblo, Miscogee, Erie, Chickamauga Cherokee)
So far away, so far away
(Catawba, Tonkawa, Coushatta, Chittamacha)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Oneida, Lakota, Seneca, Dakota)
As time passes, our people and our cultures are forgotten
leaving us trapped on reservations like garbage you've discarded
now your history books ignore me, and your leaders do nothing for me
while you desecrate our lands, using our tribal names as trophies
driving Cherokees and Pontiacs, pretending you care Thanksgiving Day
while cheering for the Redskins, the Cleveland Indians, and the Braves
and then you go to war, flying Apaches and Comanches
launching Tomahawk missiles, disrespecting all of our families
several hundred places, lakes, and counties with our words or names
stole our land, robbed us of our cultures, then looted our graves
to this day, American museums and private estates
gladly place the stolen art and artifacts on display
it's disgusting, and yet I truly fear we'll never get justice
since it took 300 years for our South American brothers
to revolt and break free from the European colonies
and finally gain their independence, escaping the tyranny
ironically, Hispanics, the descendants of the Natives
now are hated by some Americans for returning through immigration
and repopulating their homeland, like the colonists are scared
that the Natives have returned to reclaim the land that's rightfully theirs
Chorus
So far away, so far away
(Comanche, Apache, Mississippi, Apalachee)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
(Pascagoula, Cayuga, Delaware, Calusa)
So far away, so far away
(Cree, Cherokee, Biloxi, Miami)
So far away, into a grave (The Trail of Tears)
Chorus
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, how dare you enslave us!
The first homo sapiens and this is how you repay us?!
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, then I want reparations
We built up this nation and this is how you repay us?!
Before the African Slave Trade, we had our civilizations and cultures
with our own diverse histories, clans, languages, and lovers
that's until the 15th century when the Europeans came
invading the western African coast, in search of land, gold, and slaves
pitting tribes against each other, capturing one while sparing another
offering bounties for any captured, that's classic "divide and conquer"
saying black people were cursed and destined to serve those fake Christians
especially since 15-30% of the slaves were Muslims
now can you imagine today if China invades and colonized the States
then starts to pillage and raze your cities while taking 40 million as slaves?
claiming this is what God intended, breaking families apart while sending
you to the other nations throughout Asia, owning you and your descendants?
well that's what the Europeans did for almost 400 years
10 million black people were killed and the lowest estimate
says 40 million were captured, most were kept in the African colonies
worked to death in fields and mines, while the rest were shipped overseas
on slave ships like the Amistad, you've got to see the specifics
look it up to see for yourself, the conditions were horrific
2 million died at sea, 11.5 million survived
the month-long journeys just to be slaves for the rest of their lives
Chorus
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, how dare you enslave us!
The first homo sapiens and this is how you repay us, huh?
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, then I want reparations
We built up this nation and this is how you repay us?!
From the slave ship to the auction block, like property, they sold us
through Europe and South America to Cuba, Maine, and Georgia
once we were purchased by our new masters, we were renamed, broken, and shackled
and our males were worked to death, sharing the same fate as cattle
some were bred to be like "super slaves", and the most athletic of all
then were loaned to other plantations, like a stud horse or dog
though we lived through this and whippings, it was nothing compared to our women
cuz they were raped and used for breeding, living a truly cursed existence
field labor, housekeeping, and white men's unwilling mistress
then were raped and forced to bear and raise their illegitimate children
though some could have families, their union wasn't in bliss
cuz the kids were taken away and sold as slaves by the age of 6
Bank of America and Wachovia both profited from our enslavement
colleges and organizations used slaves as day labor
slave traders used exchanges to sell us like petty commodities
and banks accepted us as collateral, owning us during bankruptcies
the wealthy kept us as helpers, like the horse that pulled their carriage
and we were gifts among the nobles, part of the dowries in their marriage
in some states you had to have land and slaves to even run for office
and that's why they wouldn't stop it, cuz it made them too much profit
Chorus
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, how dare you enslave us!
The first homo sapiens and this is how you repay us, huh?
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, then I want reparations
We built up this nation and this is how you repay us?!
Revisionists won't tell you this but our nation was built by slave labor
from the White House to the Capitol Building but they still degrade us
though we built this infrastructure, we were still sold in bundles
while abolitionists fought against it, implementing social justice
some slaves like Nat Turner tried rebellions against the suffering
while former slaves like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass
cried "hypocrisy" for celebrating an Independence Day
when 12 of the first 18 Presidents owned slaves
like George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Thomas Jefferson
these had at least 150 and kept them while they were President
there were 31 million Americans in the 1860 Census
and 12.5% were slaves, that's roughly 4 million
9 states had 30% or more of their populations as slaves
while 6 of these had 43% or more, and the records say
Mississippi had 55%, South Carolina had 57%
and churches justified it, saying our people couldn't make it to Heaven
now we're brainwashed as children, taught this history never existed
told our homeland is little more than a poverty-stricken village
making us never want to return, so we'll accept our poor conditions
and to this day we're still enslaved in a poor man's existence
Chorus
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, how dare you enslave us!
The first homo sapiens and this is how you repay us, huh?
Here they come to get us (get these shackles off of me)
Better run or get ‘em (get these shackles off of me)
I’ma get my freedom, then I want reparations
Chorus
They fight for the wealthy and well-connected
But there aren’t enough millionaires to get them elected
So, by keeping the workers fighting each other
Through using “Divide and Conquer”, they can force their will upon us (Class Warfare)
Fanning the flames of our divisions
Until we’re too distracted to realize they’re winning
Then they’re keeping the people fighting each other
By using “Divide and Conquer”, they’re forcing their will upon us (Class Warfare)
Let's begin with the ruling elites of the upper classes
and the ways they keep their positions as masters of the masses
they have their own set of laws, don't even live among the public
their connections give them power and their money buys them justice
setting the rules of society, controlling the resources that we need
the architects of every war, greed fuels their policies
they're investors, our military leaders, and the bankers
the hidden political donors, CEOs, and money changers
controlling every industry from science to entertainment
they craft your "American Dream" then profit from your attempts to gain it
making a fortune off of their policies and the lifestyle they sell
hoarding the wealth of entire regions, keeping it for themselves
through tax havens, subsidies, and government contracts
and by looting poor nations they know can't fight back
then cut services to the workers and the poor to pay for it
while convincing the workers to blame each other for their bad fortune
using politics to keep us fighting each other instead of acknowledging
they're Social Darwinists, believing the rich should live in dominance
like neo-colonists, controlling the world's their true purpose
the ruling class is waging a war to keep us as their servants
Chorus
They fight for the wealthy and well-connected
But there aren’t enough millionaires to get them elected
So, by keeping the workers fighting each other
Through using “Divide and Conquer”, they can force their will upon us (Class Warfare)
Fanning the flames of our divisions
Until we’re too distracted to realize they’re winning
Then they’re keeping the people fighting each other
By using “Divide and Conquer”, they’re forcing their will upon us (Class Warfare)
Next you have the middle class, who've worked themselves out of poverty
they typically stay employed and are homeowners with families
they're educated taxpayers who refuse to finish last
they've played the game and paid their dues; the American Dream's within their grasp
and their goal's to be financially secure
but they feel a hidden hand holding them back, keeping them just above the poor
so they sacrifice their dreams in order to help their children rise
literally working themselves to death in order to keep that dream alive
and that's exactly how it was planned to be, to keep you working in factories
or industries controlled or owned by the ruling elite; the cycle's complete
when they trap you in a mortgage, credit cards, or student loans
now you're forced to work your entire lives to keep the things you think you own
and that's why you're considered the "cash cows" of the ruling classes
getting robbed by inflation, energy costs, and property taxes,
rising tuitions for your children, while the bankers raid your pensions
during the latest "financial crisis" that was designed to keep you imprisoned
now your retirement funds are gone, you've worked your life away for nothing
then their politicians come, manipulating your pain and suffering
then direct it at other workers instead of the wealthy who deserve it
and this is exactly how the wealthy make you their servants
Chorus
They fight for the wealthy and well-connected
But there aren’t enough millionaires to get them elected
So, by keeping the workers fighting each other
Through using “Divide and Conquer”, they can force their will upon us (Class Warfare)
Fanning the flames of our divisions
Until we’re too distracted to realize they’re winning
Then they’re keeping the people fighting each other
By using “Divide and Conquer”, they’re forcing their will upon us (Class Warfare)
Finally this brings us to the lower classes, no disrespect
but we're the poor and the ones living check-to-check, cuz the biggest threat
to our rulers is an educated and united public
cuz when the masses know the truth, revolutions end their corruption
so their plan's to keep us quiet, uninformed and unexcited
instigating petty rivalries so the workers are now divided
over religion, race and gender; feeding us lies by the hour
wasting our anger on each other while those cowards stay in power
flooding communities with drugs cuz they keep us sedated
then distract us with porn and other forms of entertainment
and their propaganda channels feed us the lies they want us to believe
teaching us to hate their enemies so we'll fight in their wars of greed
but the media never mentions that our targets are defenseless
or the billions that the wealthy stand to gain from these decisions
instead they show us the high life until we're more concerned
with movies, sports, and music to care for what's going on in the world
following celebrities like idols, the salesmen of the wealthy
hand-picked to endorse their products and the lifestyle they're selling
making you think it's cool to break laws, get high, and pimp women
then they target those who do it to fill their for-profit prisons
those that want to fight against them are afraid for their children
working full time and still barely able to make a living
so they're grateful to our masters for the crumbs that they're given
and that's why the wealthy don't have to listen cuz they're winning
Chorus
They fight for the wealthy and well-connected
But there aren’t enough millionaires to get them elected
So, by keeping the workers fighting each other
Through using “Divide and Conquer”, they can force their will upon us (Class Warfare)
Fanning the flames of our divisions
Until we’re too distracted to realize they’re winning
Then they’re keeping the people fighting each other
Chorus
I wish the propaganda was true, but I know it’s only a dream
(we were never the land of the free)
Slavery to Abu Ghraib, Banana Wars and Guantanamo dreams
(we were never the land of the free)
Rex 84, MK-Ultra, Pellagra Incident (Operation Paperclip)
Viola Liuzzo; the sins of our government (Operation Paperclip)
After the failure in their battle to prevent Integration
once again, conservatives tried reclaiming their dominance over the nation
led by Strom Thurmond and President Nixon’s main political team
they developed the “Southern Strategy”, a system meant to reach
and appeal to Southern, white people with chips on their shoulders
disgruntled and resentful of the changes in our culture
saying they “wanted their country back” to how it was before the liberals
in the ‘60s changed the system, yeah the majority’s now the victim
feeling that black’s should quit complaining and women should be in the kitchen
Hispanics keep taking their jobs while gays corrupt their children
but they can’t be open with it cuz bigotry’s now a “no”
so like their leader Lee Atwater said, they have to speak in code
called “dog whistle politics”, they preach against initiatives
that disproportionately help minorities, with an emphasis
on foreigners and socialists, inner cities and progressives
plus welfare and education, using voter suppression
like the Red Shirts before them, they’d threaten and harass their victims
demonizing and disenfranchising everybody that’s different
the Confederate flag’s their symbol, but they don’t realize the wealthy
are using their fears against them so they’ll buy the lies they’re selling
Chorus
I wish the propaganda was true, but I know it’s only a dream
(we were never the land of the free)
Slavery to Abu Ghraib, Banana Wars and Guantanamo dreams
(we were never the land of the free)
Rex 84, MK-Ultra, Pellagra Incident (Operation Paperclip)
Viola Liuzzo; the sins of our government (Operation Paperclip)
I bet you think law enforcement’s purpose is to protect civilians
naw, it’s only meant to protect the current political system
so they silence all resistance with the blessings of politicians
that’s why protests and social movements are crushed for simply existing
take for instance when the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover
started the COINTELPRO program to crush the Civil Rights Movement
targeting Malcolm X, the NAACP, and minority leaders
anti-war groups, women’s rights leaders, and even PETA
from bribery to break-ins, sabotaging the operations
of the groups they’d infiltrated, even committing assassinations
like Fred Hampton and trying to convince Dr. King to commit suicide
worked along with the KKK, but these are the truths they’re trying to hide
like how the U.S. was using eugenics before the Nazis even existed
and gave black communities syphilis like in the Tuskegee experiments
then allowed the CIA to bring cocaine into inner cities
while they were waging the “War on Drugs” to keep minorities imprisoned
Gary Webb exposed their crimes before he died, but our government always
killed or imprisoned its whistleblowers like Bradley Manning, it’s appalling
so when is the UN gonna send a peacekeeping
mission to America to save our citizens from this mistreatment, huh?
Chorus
I wish the propaganda was true, but I know it’s only a dream
(we were never the land of the free)
Slavery to Abu Ghraib, Banana Wars and Guantanamo dreams
(we were never the land of the free)
Rex 84, MK-Ultra, Pellagra Incident (Operation Paperclip)
Viola Liuzzo; the sins of our government (Operation Paperclip)
Can you imagine being an immigrant? Like refugees of war fleeing their villages?
A child worker in diamond mines or a student or a businessman?
You traveled 1,000 miles in order to reach the “Land of the Free”,
hoping to make a life in the United States and live the American Dream
You believed the propaganda so you believe you can achieve
everything you saw on TV, so you brought your family
to this fabled land of liberty and opportunities,
only to see rampant poverty, homelessness, and greed.
People speak religiously but all you see is demonic imagery,
sexualized shows, drugs, guns, and blatant bigotry.
Some hate you cuz of your accent and your low knowledge of English,
even though it’s your 3rd language and Americans barely can speak it.
Blaming you for 9/11, unemployment and more
Silently, you watch in horror as the public begs for war
while the leaders justify torture and drone strikes on civilians,
indefinite detention, and a war on other religions.
Sounding just like the dictators you thought that you’d escaped
Watching American protesters get beaten and locked away
You can’t believe “the Dream” is a lie, and in this land, you’re not wanted
Realizing you would’ve been better off in your home country
Chorus
I wish the propaganda was true, but I know it’s only a dream
(we were never the land of the free)
Slavery to Abu Ghraib, Banana Wars and Guantanamo dreams
(we were never the land of the free)
Rex 84, MK-Ultra, Pellagra Incident (Operation Paperclip)
January 1861 and they had a divided Congress
the nation was separated by hatred and open conflict
Southern leaders and businesses wanted to leave the country
the wanted the South to be independent while also wanting
a weak federal government that served the states not the public
the Northern leaders weren't budging, even if it resulted
in war, because they wanted a more powerful federal
government to centralize power on every level
the biggest fight was over slavery but not because of morality
the South had kept it legal while the North focused on factories
but slaves counted as 3/5 of a person, to give
the slave states more delegates in the House of Representatives
each side was eyeing control of the new states in the west
and once they decided "freedom" or "slavery", that side would control the rest
but the Nation had elected President Lincoln, so the South
and secessionists finally decided they wanted out
Chorus
The Rebels were traitors
Justified a war against Americans they had instigated
Don’t label them “patriots”
Cuz they waved the flag of a hostile nation full of racists
The Rebels were traitors
Waging a war against Americans they had instigated
You call yourselves “patriots”
But you wave the flag of a hostile nation
Before Lincoln was even sworn in, 7 states had already left the Union
led by South Carolina, united, they formed a new one
the Confederate States of America, led by Jefferson
Davis, a slaveowner and their first President
in all 11 states would leave, 25 would stay in
war erupted as the Southern forces captured Union bases
seizing properties and anyone loyal to America
(then) the South just had to defend itself until a truce was won
for now, we’ll skip the battles and focus on the institutions
those claiming the South was good should read the Confederate Constitution
it contained 10 references that regulated slavery
and many of its states depicted slaves on their currency
at first, Lincoln didn’t want slavery abolished
he just wanted to end the war, so to the South he offered
they could keep their slaves if they came back to the country
and any slaves that escaped would be returned promptly
only as the war went on did he support emancipation
but he wanted the freed slaves to go to Liberia for safety
meanwhile, both sides were at war with the Natives
like the Dakota War, these were waged in the western states and
so many families torn apart, as the South was being routed
race riots, in the North as casualties mounted
5 days after General Lee’s army surrendered
Lincoln was assassinated as the Civil War ended
Chorus
The Rebels were traitors
Justified a war against Americans they had instigated
Don’t label them “patriots”
Cuz they waved the flag of a hostile nation full of racists
The Rebels were traitors
Waging a war against Americans they had instigated
You call yourselves “patriots”
But you wave the flag of a hostile nation
After their surrender, the Southeast was broken and ruined
600,000 Americans died in the fight to preserve the Union
that’s two hundred 9/11s but instead of charging for treason
the government pardoned most Confederate soldiers and their leaders
slavery was abolished but for the Natives, it was the end
cuz now that the States were united, they never would rise again
and the new President, Andrew Johnson, was a former slaveowner
who sympathized with the South so he allowed their leaders to take over
State legislatures and continue discrimination
through the Black Codes and other racist legislation
Federal leadership was furious, so they passed the 14th Amendment
then they sent the Army to occupy the South for 10 years and
stripped those leaders of their rights then began with Reconstruction
building public schools and colleges, bridges and even the infrastructure
the freed slaves were given rights and conservatives couldn’t take it
so they vowed retaliation that’s continued to this day and
modern conservatives long for the days of Southern glory
like they saw in “Gone With The Wind”, clinging to romantic stories
of a “simpler time” built on lies they were taught as children
in their minds, the Civil War never ended so their agenda
of small government and States’ rights are nearly the same
threats to secede when they don’t get their way, and to this day
South Carolina’s State Capitol still flies the Confederate flag
in defiance as a statement that they want that country back
Chorus
The Rebels were traitors
Justified a war against Americans they had instigated
Don’t label them “patriots”
Cuz they waved the flag of a hostile nation full of racists
The Rebels were traitors
Waging a war against Americans they had instigated
You call yourselves “patriots”
Can you imagine being a native of the Americas when the Europeans came?
for thousands of years, your people prospered, only to be put to the flame
cuz the day the Spanish and Portuguese came with metal armor and blades
guns and man-eating dogs, while searching for gold, the world was never the same
like the Horsemen of the Bible, their arrival brought destruction
bringing war, death, and pestilence while millions died and suffered
bringing smallpox and other diseases, while enslaving the people
up to 90% of each civilization they met was killed, you see that
they were monsters; "conquistadors", meaning "those who conquer"
murdered Aztec priests and women to steal the jewelry on them
these fake Christians used religion to justify their atrocities
while preaching the Natives were heathens, so they could either be slaves, convert, or bleed
they implemented a slave system called "encomienda"
then they plundered their holy lands, and back to Europe they sent the riches
stripped the Natives of their cultures, history, names, and even their language
(and) to this day, Hispanics are Christians and speak the languages of their invaders
Cabral invaded Brazil, De Soto destroyed the Mississippi
while Cortes slaughtered the Aztecs in modern day Mexico City
the “bandeirantes” were the worst, they were literal slave raiders
posing as Jesuit mercenaries in order to earn the trust of the Natives
then they'd kidnap and enslave them once they lured them out of their houses
and a single expedition would capture up to 60,000
it's blasphemous, now tell me this, who were the true savages?
the innocents being slaughtered or the invaders doing the massacres?
Chorus
Like an aspect of Death, slaughter followed their every step
Truly possessed, as if the Devil was given flesh
Millions dead yet today they’re glorified
How do you justify rape, slavery, and genocide?
Like the Horsemen of the Bible, destruction followed their every move
All they encountered, these horsemen devoured and consumed
Millions dead yet today they’re idolized
How do you celebrate rape, slavery, and genocide?
Our history is full of lies, massive crimes they try to hide
by this country’s founders, like the Native American Genocide
let’s recall the Spanish conqueror we call “Christopher Columbus”,
single-handedly brought the destruction of the native Caribbean culture
first, that wasn’t even his name and he had Kabbalistic origins
and his past is shrouded in mysteries, like his Italian banking donors
his first day in the New World, he captured 6 slaves and
then forced the slave system “repartimiento” onto the Natives
with death or mutilation if they didn’t meet their quotas
while sending back slaves and riches to the Spanish royals
forced the women to be sex slaves, which he gave to the men who served him
that’s including 9 and 10 year olds according to his own journals
there were at least a quarter million Natives when Columbus came
but 56 years later, less than 500 remained
everyone died in the Bahamas, so he imported African slaves
and to this day, so many Caribbean people are black cuz of those who came
Bartolome De Las Casas, a priest among his fleet,
exposed “Columbus” in his book, since he played a part in the savagery
the same leaders that started the Spanish Inquisition even thought he was too extreme
so brutal was his regime, that he was arrested and stripped of everything
and though the King and Queen set him free, he never again could lead
and ‘til his dying breath, he claimed he did it for God and not his greed
it’s blasphemous, now tell me this, who were the true savages;
the innocents being slaughtered or the invaders doing the massacres?
Chorus
Like an aspect of Death, slaughter followed their every step
Truly possessed, as if the Devil was given flesh
Millions dead yet today they’re glorified
How do you justify rape, slavery, and genocide?
Like the Horsemen of the Bible, destruction followed their every move
All they encountered, these horsemen devoured and consumed
Millions dead yet today they’re idolized
How do you celebrate rape, slavery, and genocide?
I'm sure you've heard about America's beginnings, about the Puritans and the Pilgrims
and how they "fled England, seeking freedom of religion"
"made peace with the Natives, celebrating Thanksgiving"
such a beautiful set of lies; see, there's something they fail to mention
the Puritans were fanatic, religious extremists and their leaders
started the English Civil War against the Royal Army and beat them!
conquered Ireland under Cromwell, killing all they deemed were heathens
(and) after decades in power, they were ejected and fled to New England
like the Taliban, their colonies were religious police states
strictly regulating the personal lives of the people to keep them in place
they were religiously intolerant, even of other Christians
and all non-Puritans were banished or they killed them
held the Salem Witch Trials and enslaved the Natives
selling them in return for goods and African slaves from Barbados
preaching that women were meant to be silent, subservient, and compliant
women's leaders like Anne Hutchinson were banished for trying to fight it
like the Pilgrims and the Quakers, they used slaves on plantations
and for day labor, setting the stage for what would come later
speaking on their slave trading, Richard Baxter, a dissenter
said they were more fit to be called the Devil incarnate than Christians
Chorus
Like an aspect of Death, slaughter followed their every step
Truly possessed, as if the Devil was given flesh
Millions dead yet today they’re glorified
How do you justify rape, slavery, and genocide?
Like the Horsemen of the Bible, destruction followed their every move
All they encountered, these horsemen devoured and consumed
Millions dead yet today they’re idolized
