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Americans

Janelle Monáe
Language: English


Janelle Monáe


Hold on, don't fight your war alone
Hate all around you, don't have to face it on your own
We will win this fight, let all souls be brave
We'll find a way to heaven, we'll find a way

War is old, so is sex, let's play God, you go next
Hands go up, men go down [1], try my luck, stand my ground
Die in church, live in jail say her name, twice in hell
Uncle Sam kissed a man, Jim Crow Jesus rose again

I like my woman in the kitchen
I teach my children superstitions
I keep my two guns on my blue nightstand
A pretty young thang, she can wash my clothes
But she'll never ever wear my pants

I pledge allegiance to the flag
Learned the words from my mom and dad
Cross my heart and I hope to die
With a big old piece of American pie

Love me baby, love me for who I am
Fallen angels singing, "Clap your hands"
Don't try to take my country, I will defend my land
I'm not crazy, baby, naw, I'm American
I'm American, I'm American, I'm American

Seventy-nine cent to your dollar [2]
All that bullshit from white-collars
You see my color before my vision
Sometimes I wonder if you were blind
Would it help you make a better decision?

I pledge allegiance to the flag
Learned the words from my mom and dad
Cross my heart and I hope to die
With a big old piece of American pie

Just love me baby, love me for who I am
Fallen angels singing, "Clap your hands"
Don't try to take my country, I will defend my land
I'm not crazy, baby, naw, I'm American
I'm American, I'm American, I'm American

Let me help you in here
Until women can get equal pay for equal work
This is not my America
Until same-gender loving people can be who they are
This is not my America
Until black people can come home from a police stop without being shot in the head
This is not my America, huh!
Until poor whites can get a shot at being successful
This is not my America
I can't hear nobody talkin' to me
[3]

Just love me baby, love me for who I am
Fallen angels singing, "Clap your hands"
Don't try to take my country, I will defend my land
I'm not crazy, baby, naw
I'm American (love me baby)
I'm American (love me for who I am)
(Fallen angels)

Until Latinos and Latinas don't have to run from walls
This is not my America
But I tell you today that the devil is a liar
Because it's gon' be my America before it's all over

Please sign your name on the dotted line [4]

[1] “Hands up, don’t shoot” is a slogan related to the shooting of Michael Brown, who was killed by the police despite being unarmed and having his hands up during the encounter.

[2] Janelle mentions the infamous gap in pay between men and women, which was a huge topic in the Time’s Up movement.

[3] This sample, as well as the outro, are taken from a sermon by Rev. Dr. Sean McMillan

[4] An ambiguous line that can either mean joining a petition to change the world, or the legally binding contract that makes you a corporate shill that goes against the people and for the system: Which will you choose?



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