American Chords

Verse: C F i was born in 1984. Am G C post vietnam, and then post cold war, F in a world that my parents worked hard for, Am G i grew up safely and secure, C F which all in all, was a cause to celebrate. Am G we said "mess with us, and you must be crazy, C F got my money on the dream team, baby! Am G we take gold and it comes easy." Chorus: Am G and the sentiment was raised in me. C F to know proudly, unmistakably Am who i am... G and where i stand… C Am G F Am G american. C Am G F Am G american.

Verse: C F but given time, found myself questioning Am G a country i saw biding time in a confrontation C F guess i never really saw this place as Am G fighting wars of speculation. C F but i didn't see how our nation's history Am was not fully revealed to me. G C F Am no i didn't see how our "invincibility" was naive, G like our power, “guaranteed.” Chorus: Am G and the questions raised up out from me, C F in the company of a fading dream, Am i asked who am i? G and for what do i stand? C Am G F Am G american C Am G F Am G american. Bridge: C F Am F C F Am F C growing up i had a grasp on the concept C of "war" as a thing from the past F that held a place in our history F but never really could apply to me Am a decade passed yeah engaged in conflict Am a generation came of age under it F raised in fear and uncertainty F but that was never how it felt to me cause C the first gulf war in my dim recollection C was a time we cheered in celebration F at parades that they held for the troops then F though i never even knew what happened, Am bosnia broadcast on tv, Am the berlin wall, in my memory, F crumbled beneath our undying belief, F in this, the empire of liberty yeah. C i was a child brought up in contradiction C i never held these events to be questioned F but the years wore at my confidence F and with time it started making sense: Am rejection faced internationally, Am it’s all part of the backlash baby F look inside, tell me what you see, F can you tell me now what it means to be C Am G american? F Am G american C Am G F Am G american Outro: C Am G F Am G C C