Chords with lyrics
Verse:
C majorC FF
i was born in 1984.
A minorAm G+G C majorC
post vietnam, and then post cold war,
FF
in a world that my parents worked hard for,
A minorAm G+G
i grew up safely and secure,
C majorC FF
which all in all, was a cause to celebrate.
A minorAm G+G
we said "mess with us, and you must be crazy,
C majorC FF
got my money on the dream team, baby!
A minorAm G+G
we take gold and it comes easy."
Chorus:
A minorAm G+G
and the sentiment was raised in me.
C majorC FF
to know proudly, unmistakably
A minorAm
who i am...
G+G
and where i stand…
C majorC A minorAm G+G FF A minorAm G+G
american.
C majorC A minorAm G+G FF A minorAm G+G
american.
Verse:
C majorC FF
but given time, found myself questioning
A minorAm G+G
a country i saw biding time in a confrontation
C majorC FF
guess i never really saw this place as
A minorAm G+G
fighting wars of speculation.
C majorC FF
but i didn't see how our nation's history
A minorAm
was not fully revealed to me.
G+G C majorC FF A minorAm
no i didn't see how our "invincibility" was naive,
G+G
like our power, “guaranteed.”
Chorus:
A minorAm G+G
and the questions raised up out from me,
C majorC FF
in the company of a fading dream,
A minorAm
i asked who am i?
G+G
and for what do i stand?
C majorC A minorAm G+G FF A minorAm G+G
american
C majorC A minorAm G+G FF A minorAm G+G
american.
Bridge:
C majorC FF A minorAm FF C majorC FF A minorAm FF
C majorC
growing up i had a grasp on the concept
C majorC
of "war" as a thing from the past
FF
that held a place in our history
FF
but never really could apply to me
A minorAm
a decade passed yeah engaged in conflict
A minorAm
a generation came of age under it
FF
raised in fear and uncertainty
FF
but that was never how it felt to me cause
C majorC
the first gulf war in my dim recollection
C majorC
was a time we cheered in celebration
FF
at parades that they held for the troops then
FF
though i never even knew what happened,
A minorAm
bosnia broadcast on tv,
A minorAm
the berlin wall, in my memory,
FF
crumbled beneath our undying belief,
FF
in this, the empire of liberty yeah.
C majorC
i was a child brought up in contradiction
C majorC
i never held these events to be questioned
FF
but the years wore at my confidence
FF
and with time it started making sense:
A minorAm
rejection faced internationally,
A minorAm
it’s all part of the backlash baby
FF
look inside, tell me what you see,
FF
can you tell me now what it means to be
C majorC A minorAm G+G
american?
FF A minorAm G+G
american
C majorC A minorAm G+G FF A minorAm G+G
american
Outro:
C majorC A minorAm G+G FF A minorAm G+G C majorC
C majorC