Marion Mitchell Morrison (born Marion Robert Morrison; May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. An Academy Award-winner, Wayne was among the top box office draws for three decades, and was named the all-time top money-making star. An enduring American icon, he epitomized rugged masculinity and is famous for his demeanor, including his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height.
Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa but his family relocated to the greater Los Angeles area when he was four years old. He found work at local film studios when he lost his football scholarship to USC as a result of a bodysurfing accident. Initially working for the Fox Film Corporation, he mostly appeared in small bit parts. His acting breakthrough came in 1939 with John Ford's Stagecoach, making him an instant star. Wayne would go on to star in 142 pictures, primarily typecast in Western films.
Among his best known films are The Quiet Man (1952), which follows him as an Irish-American boxer and his love affair with a fiery spinster played by Maureen O'Hara; The Searchers (1956), in which he plays a Civil War veteran who seeks out his abducted niece; Rio Bravo (1959), playing a Sheriff with Dean Martin; True Grit (1969), playing a humorous U.S. Marshal who sets out to avenge a man's death in the role that won Wayne an Academy Award; and The Shootist (1976), his final screen performance in which he plays an aging gunslinger battling cancer.
Do I feel that I'll prove a match to this world? Does
Gene Kelly sing in the rain?
Yes I have a mind with a mind of it's own, a soul like
the soul of John Wayne.
Wagons ho, move 'em out. 'Til the end of the trail, our
love will never fail. Wagons ho.
'Til the end of the trail, our love will never fail.
Wagons ho.
Don't worry 'cause I wouldn't hurt you, John Wayne.
Do I feel that I'll prove a match to this world? Does
Gene Kelly sing in the rain?
Yes I have a mind with a mind of it's own, a soul like
the soul of John Wayne.
Wagons ho, move 'em out. 'Til the end of the trail, our
love will never fail. Wagons ho.
I believe I'm John Wayne
They call me John Wayne
You know you've got it coming
I'll tell it to you straight
I'm coming for you very soon
I'll never hesitate
I've come to measure you
I will fit you up
I've come to measure you
Fit you up
I am John Wayne
I believe I'm John Wayne
They call me John Wayne
You felt the money flowing
You watched the beast arrive
You felt your money going away
And tried to skin the lamb alive
Come to measure you
Fit you up
I come to measure you
Fit you up
I am John Wayne
I am John Wayne
They tell me I am, the John Wayne
Coming very soon
I'm coming for you
Any day now
Don't you dare look behind you
For you know I will be there
You'll feel my breath on your neck
Turn, face me if you dare
I've come to measure you
I've come to fix you up
I've come to measure you
Fix you up
I am John Wayne
I believe I'm John Wayne
You know, my name is John Wayne
Get on your horse
Measure you
This man has come to measure you, measure you, measure you
Measure you
This man, this man and that man come to measure you
I say, measure you
Coming inch by inch like a marigold line
Smiling inchworm like a marigold line
Inch my way, measure you
Measure you, measure you
I come to measure you
I come to measure you
You know you make me crazy
And my mind is racing
You're wastin' all my time
Someone come and save me
Oh, yeah
'Cause when I need you
I can see through
And I feel you
Right now
On my highway
Doin' my way
And I want you to feel
When I'm going down
'Cause I am not afraid
And I won't go down in flames
'Cause nothing's gonna be the same
And everything you know
You keep inside your soul
'Cause tonight I'm gonna be John Wayne
Oh, yeah
Our golden days are chasin'
And you're not gonna face it
The reason's in the rhyme
You walked on what was sacred
Oh, yeah
And when I need you
I can reach through
And I feel you
Right now
It's a new day
But your skies are grey
And I want you to feel
When I'm going down
'Cause I am not afraid
And I won't go down in flames
'Cause nothing's gonna be the same
And everything you know
You keep inside your soul
'Cause tonight I'm gonna be John Wayne
Everything you know
You keep inside your soul
'Cause tonight I'm gonna be John Wayne
I am not afraid
And I won't go down in flames
'Cause nothing's gonna be the same
And everything you know
You keep inside your soul
'Cause tonight I'm gonna be John Wayne
I am not afraid
And I won't go down in flames
'Cause nothing's gonna be the same
And everything you know
You keep inside your soul
Just another 4 wheels on the 2 lane off to work.
Just another lunch box, punch the clock, with my name across my shirt.
Radio spills the news. Superman has got the blues.
I guess you just lose touch. When too much aint enough.
And all that stuff is going to turn to dust and sand... in the end.
But a real man, loves his God and Momma.
Yes a real man is thirsty for the truth.
A real man is faithful to his woman.
Because thats what he saw his Daddy do.
In a world where love and heroes fade away I wanna be John Wayne.
After my day is done. I lay down with my only one.
Girl there aint no holding back the sun.
As I watch her sleeping.
Loves a promise thats worth keeping.
And holding it together. By holding on forever.
Girl that never ever ever let you go. That's my code.
Cuz a real man loves his God and Momma.
Yes a real man is thirsty for the truth.
A real man is faithful to his woman.
Cuz thats what he saw his Daddy do.
In a world where love and heroes fade away.
I wanna be John Wayne.
Woooah, you make me feel strong, so strong.
And a real man, loves his God and Momma.
Yes, a real man is thirsty for the truth.
A real man is faithful to his woman.
Cuz thats what he saw his Daddy do.
In a world where love and heroes fade away.
Woooahh, I wanna ride right in and save the day.
I wanna be John Wayne. I wanna be John Wayne. I wanna be strong. I wanna be John Wayne.
did you think i'd change my mind
i know you think i watch you sleep
but my heart will never keep
could you ever act your age
i'd act jealous, but i'd hate to make your week
so no more you will with me
i find it hard to sleep, cause i know what you need
i know you need your faith, so i'm killing you with lies
fooled you, fooled myself without even trying
that's over now
fooled you, and never even got to say i'm sorry
you were sorry first
well it's worth about as much as mine, dear
it's only rivaled by the burning summertime
and the winter of blue cold feet
i find it hard to sleep, cause i know what you need
i know you need your faith, so i'm killing you with eyes
fooled you, fooled myself without even trying
that's over now
fooled you, and never even got to say i'm sorry
you were sorry first
you know what sorry's really worth
i won't hurt you, i won't even pray at all
better yet if i'm all alone
shredding prayers is like shredding paper
most, i'm not falling for you, i'm not falling for you
don't dream what others do, don't tell me you're in dreaming too
cause shit aint always how you planned it, how you planned to break on trough
that aint you
life takes a different turn, it may feel like your average crash & burn
cause shit aint always how you planned it, how you planned to break on trough
and it aint always how you'd live your life if you could live your life again
in time you'll find someone a way to better yourself, a plan to break on through
and in time you'll find someone to guide you through, a guidance that'll do
the man says it's gonna be all right
cause day by day it gets better (in time)
yes it's gonna be all right
cause day by day it gets better (in time)
day by day leave your worries behind
take the word of someone loving you
It's all in place
don't dream what others do, don't tell me you're in dreaming too
cause shit aint always how you planned it, how you planned to break on trough
that aint you
in time you'll find someone a way to better yourself, a plan to break on through
and in time you'll find someone to guide you through, a guidance that'll do
and you'll find it's exactly how you'd live your life if you could live your life again
We hear a lot about war,
Or hurricanes that hit our shore.
We hear a lot about hard times
And a good deal more about the crimes
That make the front pages of our news.
But all that does is sing the blues...
About America!
Now, what of The Good things in our lives--
About the men who love their wives,
Who take their kids when they go fishin',
And spend their workin' days just wishin'
To make things better?
A fireman who climbs a tree
And sets a litten kitten free.
A policeman who helps you cross the avenue.
A man who stops when you've broken down
And asks if you need a lift to town,
Or simply says, "Friend, what can I do?"
Have you stopped at a gracery store
And watched a kid who's bit off more
Than his five- or ten-cent piece can chew?
He needs just two cents or three
To get that soda pop, you see!
And you get that feelin': "Why not?" And you come
through.
And how about on a Sunday morning,
The sun's up high and the day is borning,
And church bells break the stillness in the sky,
And all your neighbors and your friends
Climb in the family car again
And go to church, and never question "Why?"
Then you look at the U.S.A.,
The folks at work, their kids at play,
And lookin' back, you see how hard they've tried
To keep this country free and strong.
And somehow you've known all along,
The answer's here! Right in your own backyard!
For as long as you believe in love...in
faith...hope...and God above,
The future of this land of ours is strong.
And most of us feel just that way,
And that's the truth! So let us say,
It was July in Virginia.
The scent of the dogwood and the laurel lay heavy on
the land,
While the burgeoning fruit of the peach and the apple
Marked the full sway of summer.
For seven fateful days, the trees, the flowers...
Yes, the very ground itself...
Had shuddered under the roar of cannon...
The bark of howitzers...and the crackling of a legion
of rifles.
Now, all was silent.
The sledgehammer blows of Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall"
Jackson
Had mauled the Army of the Potomac...
And yet that army was not destroyed.
Seven thousand men had fallen in that dreadful
week...and the savagery of the conflict
Was grimly evident in the river of wounded...that wound
through the gree hills.
Now, a new sound drifted in the soft evening sky.
For Colonel Dan Butterfield, a courageous and able
soldier,
Was also a man of music.
To honor his fallen comrades, he had composed a simple
and heartrending melody.
On July second, in the year 1862,
Its strains floated over the graves that scarred the
dark Virginia earth.
It has been more than a hundred years since that sound
was born...
but these notes have never died away.
Every night of the year, throughout the world, fighting
men of America,
From the North and the south, the East and the West,
Close their eyes in sleep to its call.
And in each of their hearts...there glows a fierce
surge of pride.
"Fading light...falling night...
Trumpet calls as the sun sinks in flight.
Sleep in peace, comrades dear...
On a trial drive from Texas, down by the Rio Grande,
We drove past the Medina to a dry and bitter land
Where before the longhorns streamed along, grass range
once was there.
Now we herded them in silence with a feeling of
despair!
The day was hot...the wind was dry, and the mesquite
barred the way.
The maguey and the cactus tried to drain our lives
away.
We came up to a ranch house dying in the desert sun,
Looked the old spread over and couldn't see anyone.
Then from the ranch house a man stepped out. He was old
beyond his years...
A viejo caballero whose eyes filled up with tears.
"I have nothing for you, Senores," he said. "My
hacienda's empty now.
There was a time..." He shook his head and gave a
gentle bow.
I asked him why he'd stayed on in a place where hope
was dead.
He looked up at me and his face grew soft, and this is
what he said:
"Mis Raices Estain Aqui!...
My Roots Are Buried Here!"
Now, I've punched cattle from the Rio Grande to the
cold Montana plains,
And I've pushed 'em through New Mexico and through
Arizona rains.
I've seen ranchers hanging on when it's been forty-five
below--
And the thought's always crossed my mind as to why they
just don't go
To a place where life is easier and where nature's not
so hard...
And then the past comes floating back, and I'm in that
viejo's yard.
I think of him and his quiet pride and of the things
that he has done,
And I know that if men battle back at the snow or the
broiling sun,
They'll live their responsiblities to the land that
they love best.
America will proudly stand and in her vigil will not
rest,
For no matter what may lie ahead, the answer's loud and
clear:
"Mis Raices Estain Aqui!...
Face the Flag of stars and bars,
Of red and white and blue,
A flag that guarantees the rights
For men like me and you.
Face the Flag, son! Read what's written there--
The history, the progress and the heritage we share.
Our flag relects the pst, son, but stands for so much
more,
And in this Age of Aquarius, it still flies in the
fore.
It leads the forward movement, shared by all mankind,
To learn...to love...to live with peace of mind;
To learn the mysteries of space, as well as those of
earth;
To love each man for what he is, regardless of his
birth;
To live without the fear of reprisal for belief;
To ease the tensions of a world that cries out for
relief.
Face the Flag of stars and bars,
Of red and white and blue,
A flag that guarantees the rights
For men like me and you.
Face the Flag, son! Take a good long look.
What you're seeing now can't be found in a history
book.
It's the present and the future, son. It's being
written now,
And you're the one to write it, but the flag can show
you how.
Do you know what it stands for? What its makers meant?
To hink...to speak...the privilege of dissent;
To think our leaders might be wrong...to stand and tell
them so.
These are the things that other men under other flags
will never know.
But responsibility...that's the cross that free men
must bear,
And if you don't accept that, the freedom isn't there.
Face the Flag of stars and bars,
Of red and white and blue,
A flag that guarantees the rights
For men like me and you.
Face the Flag, son, and face reality.
Our strengths and our freedoms are based in unity.
The flag is but a symbol, son, of the world's greatest
nation,
And as long as it keeps flying, there's cause for
celebration.
So do what you've got to do, but always keep in mind,
A lot of people believe in peace...but there are the
other kind.
If we want to keep these freedoms, we may have to fight
again.
God forbid, but if we do, let's always fight to win,
For the fate of a loser is futile and it's bare:
No love, no peace...just misery and despair.
Our son was born so long ago,
Yet it seems like yesterday
That I stood in awe before his crib
And heard that doctor say,
"You've quite a boy there, Mister Jones."
For in his being there
I saw the miracle of God.
Later, in his high chair,
In a manner I deplore,
I saw that "miracle of God"
Throw his oatmeal on the floor.
Well, I fixed him something different,
For I felt he must be fed,
But when I turned around again,
That bowl was on his head!
A few more years rolled along
And he didn't spill things anymore.
But his granddad sent a big bass drum,
And once more I deplored
The fact that my miracle of God
Had a lusty taste for noise.
When he'd boom! boom! boom!
On that big bass drum,
I questioned, "Boys must be boys?"
I asked his whereabouts one day.
His mom said, "He's got a paper route.
Said he'd help to earn his way
As he became an Eagle Scout."
When they pinned that medal on him,
Tears welled in my eyes,
And then I gripped his mother's hand...
Our boy had earned his prize.
I won't forget that September day
When he entered senior high.
He had an air of great excitement,
But he left home with a sigh.
He came back that afternoon
And gave us some puzzled looks.
"Wow!" he said, "This school is tough--
Look at all these books!"
"The choice is yours," his mother said;
"You can pick the easy way.
What you put into life
You'll get out of it.
Each man pays his price one day."
He looked up...and then he smiled,
And I saw he'd lost his gloom.
He said, "I'd better look at these,"
And he headed for his room.
My son came home late one day.
He seemed all worn out.
I asked a little sharply
What this was all about.
He spoke proudly and threw his shoulders back,
And in his eyes I caught a gleam.
"I wanted to surprise you, Dad:
I'm on the football team!"
They won most of their games...lost a few...
It was a thrill to watch him play.
And when they didn't win, we knew
He'd met the challenge anyway.
He didn't know it at the time,
But it was a stepping-stone...
Solid footing for the climb
To face life on his own.
How those three years flew past!
When graduation came,
We saw our boy grown up at last.
Our lives will never be the same.
I guess we've known all along
What his goal would be...
From that time three years ago
When he chose responsibility.
He stood in the doorway yesterday,
Put out a strong right hand.
I held back tears at the uniform
He wore to protect his land.
I shook his hand. His mother cried,
"Son, why couldn't you wait?"
Embracing her, he softly said,
"Mom, if we all did, it would be too late.
"I promise I'll go back to school
When I've met my obligation
To you--my friends-my girl--my school--
And most of all, this nation.
I'll do all I can out there,
For I know you'll both be trying
To make everyone you know aware
We've gotta keep Old Glory flying."
And then his mother straightened up.
With a smile to hide a tear,
She said, "We're both so proud of you!
We'll feel lost without you here.
Someday, you'll know what this moment means,
When your boy shakes your hand...
And you watch him as he walks away...
What makes the word "America" ring
With a sound that brightens the air?
It's people, her people,
Who have done their "own thing"
With blood, sweat and tears, and a prayer.
Louis Armstrong on a golden trumpet,
And Marian Anderson singing "The Lord's Prayer";
The savage power of Jack Dempsey,
And the quiet pride of Jesse Owens;
Merle Haggard singing "Okie from Muskogee,"
And Chet Atkins pickin' a guitar;
Bing Crosby at Christmastime,
And Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic alone;
A sharecroppers's son, an immigrant boy,
A hobo who rode all the rails,
The magic guitar of an ol' country boy,
A lone eagle who pioneered trails;
Sandy Koufax staring down at a batter,
While Willie Mays chants his "Say hey!"
Maria Tallchief gliding in Swan Lake,
While Fred Astaire dances on gossamer wings;
Billy Graham bringing God to millions,
And Jonas Salk bringing hope to the world;
Mahalia Jackson closing her eyes in devotion,
And Johnny Cash singing at the White House!
What makes the word "America" ring
With a sound that brightens the air?
It's people, her people,
Who have done their "own thing"
With blood, sweat and tears, and a prayer.
Willie Shoemaker booting Swaps home,
While Eddie Arcaro wins the Triple Crown on Citation;
Arnie Palmer winning the Open,
While Eddy Arnold is winning hearts;
Tom Harmon threading the field for Michigan,
While Bob Morrison plays his heart out for Troy;
Kate Smith singing "God Bless America."
And Irving Berlin, who wrote it!
Then there are those, unheralded, whose dedication to
our country is strong and true: The builders of
America--those who make her factories hum, the loggers
of her great forests, the men who labor deep in her
mines and the man who works with his hands.
The farmer who toils from dawn to dusk, and those who
carry her bountiful yield to all the state of our
Union. The railroaders, our merchant sailors, the
airline pilots, and those modern knights of the
road...the truck drivers.
These, and others like them, have earned their rights
to walk proudly...with the knowledge that their goals
were acheived through honest toil and in the spirit of
harmony found in The People...working together...in
this great land.
What makes the word "America" ring
With a sound that brightens the air?
It's people, her people,
Who have done their "own thing"
With blood, sweat and tears, and a prayer.
Why Are You Marching, Son? I'd really like to know!
Is it because of Valley Forge, or perhaps the Alamo?
Or, "One if by land--two if by sea,"
A trumpet's call...the will to be free?
And what of a man who stood straight and tall,
Who wept silent tears when he saw brave men fall?
No matter--no difference--the blue or the gray,
All were his brothers...how often he'd pray.
And what of Antietam--that now peaceful stream
Where the water, blood-red, glittered and gleamed?
Appomattox...Chickamauga..Vicksburg...Bull Run...
Cumberland...Gettysburg...and then Washington.
Why Are You Marching, Son?
In Flanders Fields, how proud were they
Whose forms beneath the poppies lay.
Men who saw Verdun...
And died at the Marne...Soissons...
And those who tried the fearful foe at Chateau-Thierry,
Who fought and bled...whose hearts grew weary,
But in whose minds one thought kept churning--
That the torch of liberty keep burning.
Why Are You Marching, Son?
The planes swarmed in, and the rising sun
Glowed fiercely on the evil done
To men whose blood runs through our veins,
Men who died, and whose remains
Life forever locked in waters deep.
Now, is it right that they should sleep
While the warm sea laps at a twisted hull
And see the torch of liberty grow dull?
Anzio...Cassino...and the Po!
St. Mere Eglise...Le Mans...St. Lo!
Gardelegen...Buchenwald...
On and on the roll is called!
And why?...Why Are You Marching, Son?
Bugles shrilled in the frozen night,
And at first dawn, the awful sight
Of seas of men...row after row,
Left to die on blood-stained snow!
Pusan...Pyongyang...Suwan...Kyongju!
And blood-red ran the swift Yalu!
In South Vietnam the big guns roared,
And once again we fought a war
To honor a pledge our nation gave
To help that little country save
Her people from the certainty
That she'd be ruled by tyranny.
No matter where the big guns roar,
Our fighting men, like those before,
Take the torch we all hold dear
And face freedom's enemies without fear.
Our fathers died from sea to sea,
And blessed the torch of liberty.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS--
ONE NATION UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTY
AND JUSTICE
FOR ALL.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag"
What do those words mean to you? To me they say, "Thank
you, America, for your strength, your courage and your
freedom...which has been a beacon to the world for two
hundred years."
"Of the United States of America"
Whose bright stars are fifty states...each bearing its
own stamp of individuality. People...two hundred
million strong...people who have come to her from all
corners of the earth.
"And to the republic for which it stands"
A land of laws...with an ingenious system of checks and
balances that allows no man to become a tyrant...and
lets no group prevail...if their power is not tempered
with a real concern for the governed...A land where the
right of dissent and of free speech is jealously
guarded...wheere the ballot box is the sword...and the
people its wielder.
"One nation under God"
A land where freedom of worship is a cornerstone of her
being...A land graced with temples and churches,
synagogues and altars that rise in profusion to embrace
all the religions of the world.
"Indivisible"
A land forged by the hot steel of raw courage...and
formed forever...by the awful crucible of civil war.
"With liberty"
Where man in pursuit of an honest life will not be
denied his chance...where her citizens move freely
within her vast borders without hindrance or fear...A
land brimming with opportunity...where freedom of
choice is the guide for all.
"And justice"
The courts of our land are open to all. Its wheels of
justice grind for all couses...all people. They look to
every avenue for justice...every concern of the
law...and they temper their reasoning with mercy...
"For all!"
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG...
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS...
ONE NATION UNDER GOD...
INDIVISIBLE...
WITH LIBERTY...AND JUSTICE...
"America, America, God shed his grace on thee..."
You ask me Why I Lover Her? Well, give me time and I'll
explain.
Have you see a Kansas sunset or an Arizona rain?
Have you drifted on a bayou down Louisiana way?
Have you watched a cold fog drifting over San Francisco
Bay?
Have you heard a bobwhite calling in the Carolina
pines,
Or heard the bellow of a diesel at the Appalachia
mines?
Does the call of Niagara thrill you when you hear her
waters roar?
Do you look with awe and wonder at her Massachusetts
shore,
Where men who braved a hard new world first stepped on
Plymounth's rock?
And do you think of them when you stroll along a new
York City dock?
Have you seen a snowflake drifting in the Rockies, way
up high?
Have you seen the sun come blazing down from a bright
Nevada sky?
Do you hail to the Columbia as she rushes to the sea,
Or bow your head at Gettysburg at our struggle to be
free?
Have you seen the mighty Tetons? Have you watched an
eagle soar?
Have you see the Mississippi roll along Missouri's
shore?
Have you felt a chill at Michigan when on a winter's
Her waters rage along the shore in thunderous display?
Does the word "Aloha" make you warm? Do you stare in
disbelief
When you see the surf come roaring in at Waimea Reef?
From Alaska's cold to the Everglades, from the Rio
Grande to Maine,
My heart cries out, my pulse runs fast at the might of
her domain.
You ask me Why I Love Her? I've a million reasons why:
My Beautiful America, beneath God's wide, wide sky.
"And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to
What makes the word "America" ring
With a sound that brightens the air?
It's people, her people,
Who have done their "own thing"
With blood, sweat and tears, and a prayer.
Louis Armstrong on a golden trumpet,
And Marian Anderson singing "The Lord's Prayer";
The savage power of Jack Dempsey,
And the quiet pride of Jesse Owens;
Merle Haggard singing "Okie from Muskogee,"
And Chet Atkins pickin' a guitar;
Bing Crosby at Christmastime,
And Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic alone;
A sharecroppers's son, an immigrant boy,
A hobo who rode all the rails,
The magic guitar of an ol' country boy,
A lone eagle who pioneered trails;
Sandy Koufax staring down at a batter,
While Willie Mays chants his "Say hey!"
Maria Tallchief gliding in Swan Lake,
While Fred Astaire dances on gossamer wings;
Billy Graham bringing God to millions,
And Jonas Salk bringing hope to the world;
Mahalia Jackson closing her eyes in devotion,
And Johnny Cash singing at the White House!
What makes the word "America" ring
With a sound that brightens the air?
It's people, her people,
Who have done their "own thing"
With blood, sweat and tears, and a prayer.
Willie Shoemaker booting Swaps home,
While Eddie Arcaro wins the Triple Crown on Citation;
Arnie Palmer winning the Open,
While Eddy Arnold is winning hearts;
Tom Harmon threading the field for Michigan,
While Bob Morrison plays his heart out for Troy;
Kate Smith singing "God Bless America."
And Irving Berlin, who wrote it!
Then there are those, unheralded, whose dedication to
our country is strong and true: The builders of
America--those who make her factories hum, the loggers
of her great forests, the men who labor deep in her
mines and the man who works with his hands.
The farmer who toils from dawn to dusk, and those who
carry her bountiful yield to all the state of our
Union. The railroaders, our merchant sailors, the
airline pilots, and those modern knights of the
road...the truck drivers.
These, and others like them, have earned their rights
to walk proudly...with the knowledge that their goals
were acheived through honest toil and in the spirit of
harmony found in The People...working together...in
this great land.
What makes the word "America" ring
With a sound that brightens the air?
It's people, her people,
Who have done their "own thing"
The Hyphen, Webster's Dictionary defines,
Is a symbol used to divide a compound word or a single
word.
So it seems to me that when a man calls himself
An "Afro-American," a "Mexican-American," "Italian-
American,"
An "Irish-American," "Jewish-American,"
What he's sayin' is, "I'm a divided American."
Well, we all came from other places,
Different creeds and different races,
To form a nation...to become as one.
Yet look at the harm a line has done--
A simple little line, and yet
As divisive as a line can get.
A crooked cross the Nazis flew,
And the Russian hammer and sickle too--
Time bombs in the lives of Man;
But none of these could ever fan
The flames of hatred faster than
The Hyphen.
The Russian hammer built a wall
That locks men's hearts from freedom's call.
A crooked cross flew overhead
Above twenty million tragic dead--
Among them men from this great nation,
Who died for freedom's preservation.
A hyphen is a line that's small;
It can be a bridge or be a wall.
A bridge can save you lots of time;
A wall you always have to climb.
The road to liberty lies true.
The Hyphen's use is up to you.
Used as a bridge, it can span
All the differences of Man.
Being free in mind and soul
Should be our most important goal.
If you use The Hyphen as a wall,
You'll make your life mean...and small.
An American is a special breed,
Whose people came to her in need.
They came to her that they might find
A world where they'd have peace of mind,
Where men are equal...and something more--
Stand taller than they stood before.
So you be wise in your decision,
And that little line won't cause division.
Let's join hands with one another...
For in this land, each man's your brother.
United we stand...divided we fall.
We're Americans...and that says it all.
Previous Page
"America, America, God shed his grace on thee..."
You ask me Why I Lover Her? Well, give me time and I'll
explain.
Have you see a Kansas sunset or an Arizona rain?
Have you drifted on a bayou down Louisiana way?
Have you watched a cold fog drifting over San Francisco
Bay?
Have you heard a bobwhite calling in the Carolina
pines,
Or heard the bellow of a diesel at the Appalachia
mines?
Does the call of Niagara thrill you when you hear her
waters roar?
Do you look with awe and wonder at her Massachusetts
shore,
Where men who braved a hard new world first stepped on
Plymounth's rock?
And do you think of them when you stroll along a new
York City dock?
Have you seen a snowflake drifting in the Rockies, way
up high?
Have you seen the sun come blazing down from a bright
Nevada sky?
Do you hail to the Columbia as she rushes to the sea,
Or bow your head at Gettysburg at our struggle to be
free?
Have you seen the mighty Tetons? Have you watched an
eagle soar?
Have you see the Mississippi roll along Missouri's
shore?
Have you felt a chill at Michigan when on a winter's
Her waters rage along the shore in thunderous display?
Does the word "Aloha" make you warm? Do you stare in
disbelief
When you see the surf come roaring in at Waimea Reef?
From Alaska's cold to the Everglades, from the Rio
Grande to Maine,
My heart cries out, my pulse runs fast at the might of
her domain.
You ask me Why I Love Her? I've a million reasons why:
My Beautiful America, beneath God's wide, wide sky.
"And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to
Take a step back, be calm be settle cause you never seem to get through when your upset
It's just a little to much, just a little to soon for me now
We'll breathe in our forgiveness and let it all out with a grin
I find it so obscure to live with false hopes of satisfaction,
(And I might have)
We've come to far to break it down
It's all so tempting from far away
(And there it is, laying on the floor...)
Break away while you still can
If he's real he'll take you by the hand
We're falling fast, we're falling fast from life
And we are so concerned with where we'll end up
There's only time to see what's up ahead
So many minds filled with loss
And no sense of where to begin
It becomes hard to breathe
Find a way to reconstruct your plan
Given obvious reasons why we're put into this place
Find a hope that we can hang onto
When we're falling from skylines and hanging ourselves from the roofs
Take a step back be calm and realize we're in this together
They've seem to found a way to make it clear
So clear it's plain as day
They've found a way to set the trend
They've found a way to live it true
They've found a way
They've found a way
They've found a way
They've found a god damn way
With the lies just flying every way tactics make it clear
We seem to be the ones my dear so listen up
So listen up
The end is here now
We've all been found out
And I don't care what
They say or make up
I'm gonna step up
And tear this apart
Show them what I am
Really made of
And destroy all those false words
You've come to know
Welcome, Sweet Sweet
Always thought you were born to lead.
Baby don't like it, when baby don't win.
You got a pair of right shoes,
But I got brand new skin.
(Chorus)
Oooh, oh,
Somethings 'gotta change,
Hitting like a bullet between the eyes at close-range.
Fired by the ghost of John Wayne on T.V.
Ran straight from that hip and straight out, into me.
I can tackle being an asshole,
So you'll just have to be a dick.
And I think it might be catching,
And I don't want to get sick.
You know it's terminal,
It's not just like some habit you can kick.
But well, oh, Ladies and Gentlemen,
For my next trick..
(Chorus)
Now you can't fool yourself along,
Like you can see the sky.
When it's other woman whiteness goes and overwhelms the eye.
You scrammed into the distance, tried to make sense.
But no matter where you look, it's always somewhere else.
And a...
Baby, I want you back in my arms
Girl, you never left my heart
I don't care what's in my way
I won't bend and I won't break
I will find you wherever you are
Like John Wayne, baby
John Wayne, baby
I won't run away
No, I won't back down
Like John Wayne, baby
I will search the plains and the fields
I will never find a love this real
I don't care what it takes
I will ride through the pouring rain
I will be the shepherd of the hills
Like John Wayne, baby
Like John Wayne, baby
I won't run away
No, I won't back down
Like John Wayne, baby
Like John Wayne, baby
I won't run away, baby
Like John Wayne, baby
I won't run away
No, I won't back down, oh
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh
Like John Wayne, baby