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The Great American Novel

from Only Visiting This Planet by Larry Norman

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lyrics

I was born and raised an orphan
In a land that once was free
In a land that poured its love out on the moon
And I grew up in the shadows
Of your silos filled with grain
But you never helped to fill my empty spoon

And when I was ten you murdered law
With courtroom politics
And you learned to make a lie sound just like truth
But I know you better now
And I don't fall for all your tricks
And you've lost the one advantage of my youth

You kill a black man at midnight
Just for talking to your daughter
Then you make his wife your mistress
And you leave her without water
And the sheet you wear upon your face
Is the sheet your children sleep on
And at every meal you say a prayer
You don't believe but still you keep on

And your money says in God we trust
But it's against the law to pray in school
You say we beat the Russians to the moon
And I say you starved your children to do it

You are far across the ocean
In a war that's not your own
And while you're winning theirs
You're gonna lose the one at home
Do you really think the only way
To bring about the peace
Is to sacrifice your children
And kill all your enemies

The politicians all make speeches
While the news men all take notes
And they exaggerate the issues
As they shove it down our throats
Is it really up to them
Whether this country sinks or floats
Well I wonder who would lead us
If none of us would vote

​Hmm

Well my phone is tapped and my lips are chapped
From whispering through the fence
You know every move I make
Or is that just coincidence
Will you try to make my way of life
A little less like jail
If I promise to make tapes and slides
And send them through the mail

And your money says in God we trust
But it's against the law to pray in school
You say we beat the Russians to the moon
And I say you starved your children to do it

You say all men are equal, all men are brothers
Then why are the rich more equal than others
Don't ask me for the answers, I've only got one
That a man leaves his darkness when he follows the son

credits

from Only Visiting This Planet, released November 14, 1972

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Larry Norman Los Angeles, California

American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. Norman had a major influence on artists as diverse as The Pixies, Guns n' Roses, and U2. After his death in 2008 his most well-known album, 1972's Only Visiting This Planet, was selected for inclusion in The United States Library of Congress for its cultural significance and impact on American culture. ... more

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