LyricMeaning

Ballad for Americans
Paul Robeson

In seventy-six the sky was red
thunder rumbling overhead
Bad King George couldn't sleep in his bed
And on that stormy morn, Ol' Uncle Sam was born.
Some birthday!

Ol' Sam put on a three cornered hat
And in a Richmond church he sat
And Patrick Henry told him that while America drew breath
It was Liberty or death.

What kind of hat is a three-cornered hat?
Did they all believe in liberty in those days?

Nobody who was anybody believed it.
Ev'rybody who was anybody they doubted it.
Nobody had faith.
Nobody but Washington, Tom Paine, Benjamin Franklin,
Chaim Solomon, Crispus Attucks, Lafayette. Nobodies.
The nobodies ran a trea party at Boston. Betsy Ross
organized a sewing circle. Paul Revere had a horse race.

And a little ragged group believed it.
And some gentlemen and ladies believed it.
And some wise men and some fools, and I believed it too.
And you know who I am.
No. Who are you mister? Yeah, how come all this?
Well, I'll tell you. It's like this... No let us tell you.
Mister Tom Jefferson, a mighty fine man.
He wrote it down in a mighty fine plan.
And the rest all signed it with a mighty fine hand
As they crossed thier T's and dotted their I's
A bran' new country did arise.

And a mighty fine idea. Adopted unanimously in Congress July 4, 1776,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal.
That they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable
rights.
That among these rights are Life, Yes sir!, Liberty, That's right!
And the pursuit of happiness.
Is that what they said? The very words.
That does sound mighty fine.

Buildiing a nation is awful tough.
The people found the going rough.
Still nobody who was anybody believed it.
Everybody who anybody they stayed at home.
But Lewis and Clarke and the pioneers,
Driven by hunger, haunted by fears,
The Klondike miners and the forty niners,
Some wanted freedom and some wanted riches,
Some liked to loaf while others dug ditches.
But they believed it. And I believed it too,
And you know who I am.
No, who are you anyway, Mister?

Well, you see it's like this. I started to tell you.
I represent the whole... Why that's it!
Let my people go. That's the idea!
Old Abe Lincoln was thin and long,
His heart was high and his faith was strong.
But he hated oppression, he hated wrong,
And he went down to his grave to free the slave.

A man in white skin can never be free while his black brother is in
slavery,
And we here highly resolve that these dead shall not haave died in
vain.
And this government of the people, by the people and for the people
Shall not perish from the Earth.
Abraham Lincoln said that on November 19, 1863 at Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania.
And he was right. I believe that too.

Say, we still don't know who you are, mister.
Well, I started to tell you...
The machine age came with a great big roar,
As America grew in peace and war.
And a million wheels went around and 'round.
The cities reached into the sky,
And dug down deep into the ground.
And some got rich and some got poor.
But the people carried through,
So our country grew.

Still nobody who was anybody believed it.
Everybody who was anybody they doubted it.
And they are doubting still,
And I guess they always will,
But who cares what they say whem I am on my way

Say, will you please tell us who you are?
What's your name, Buddy? Where you goin'? Who are you?
Well, I'm the everybody who's nobody,
I'm the nobody who's everybody.
What's your racket? What do you do for a living?

Well, I'm an
Engineer, musician, street cleaner, carpenter, teacher,
How about a farmer? Also. Office clerk? Yes sir!
That's right. Certainly!
Factory worker? You said it. Yes ma'am.
Absotively! Posolutely!
Truck driver? Definitely!
Miner, seamstress, ditchdigger, all of them.
I am the etceteras and the and so forths that do the work.
Now hold on here, what are you trying to give us?
Are you an American?
Am I an American?
I'm just an Irish, Jewish, Italian,
French and English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Polish,
Scotch, Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, Greek and Turk and Czech

And that ain't all.
I was baptized Baptist, Methodist, Congregationalist, Luthern,
Atheist, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist,
Mormon, Quaker, Christian Scientist and lots more.
You sure are something.

Our country's strong, our country's young,
And her greatest songs are still unsung.
From her plains and mountains we have sprung,
To keep the faith with those who went before.

We nobodies who are anybody believe it.
We anybodies who are everybody have no doubts.
Out of the cheating, out of the shouting.

Deep as our valleys,
High as our mountains,
Strong as the people who made it.
For I have always believed it, and I believe it now,
And now you know who I am.
Who are you?
America! America!


  Purchase "Ballad for Americans"   Purchase Entire Album   Email Video to Friends   Play Youtube "Ballad for Americans" Video   Play Spotify "Ballad for Americans" Song   View Wikipedia "Ballad for Americans" Entry   Receive Emails for Future Paul Robeson Lyrics

Email:

  Link to "Ballad for Americans"   Share on Facebook, Twitter, and more
  See Recommended Lyrics For You

Loading...

Lyrics by Paul Robeson

  A Woman is a Sometime Thing   After the ball   All Through the Night   All Through the Night [From the Proud Valley]   Amazing Grace   Ar Hyd y Nos (All Through the Night), folk song   Balm in Gilead   Balm in Gilead [#]   Balm in Gilead, folk song   Danny Boy   Dear Old Southland   Dear Old Southland, for voice & orchestra   I Still Suits Me   I Still Suits Me [From Show Boat]   I Still Suits Me [From Showboat]   Lonesome Road   Lonesome Road [From the Show Boat]   Mighty Like a Rose   Mood Indigo   Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)   Old Man River   Sleepy Time Down South   Solitude   St. Louis Blues   St. Louis Blues, song   Swing Low Sweet Chariot   The Lonesome Road   The Lonesome Road, song   Wagon Wheels   Why Do I love You?   You are love

Related Songs

  Some Americans - Squeeze  Only For Americans - Berlin Irving  Barefoot Ballad - Elvis Presley  Barefoot Ballad - Presley Elvis  Ballad For The Fallen Soldier - The Isley Brothers  Let's Make Love Tonight - The Isley Brothers  Let's Make Love Tonight [Instrumental]...  Dead Passive - Manic Street Preachers  Americans - Corky and the Juice Pigs  American Troglodyte - David Byrne & Fatboy Slim  American Troglodyte - David Byrne  All The Americans Are Dead - Sesame Street  Only In America - Riff Raff  Ballad of a Dead Soulja - Amuru Shakur  Ballad of a Dead Soulja - 2Pac  Ballad Of A Dead Soulja - Tupac  Ugly, Fat, White Americans - Work In Progress  Buy American - Amen  Savages (Part 2) - Pocahontas  Hands Off Nicaragua - Oi Polloi  Americans Abroad - Against Me!  Foreigners - Bob Rivers  no more a ballad - dave beckett  
Bullshit Ballad - Kevin Drew  I Am Not American - Arrogant Worms  Questions of Travel - The Ocean Blue  Questions Of Travel - Ocean Blue  New Americans - Geoff Moore  Americans Abroad [DVD][Live] - Against Me!  Ballad Of Nice And Easy - Gomez  Ballad of Nice & Easy - Gomez  Ballad of Nice & Easy - Gomez  Ballad Of A Dead Soulja - Tupac Shakur  Ballad Of A Dead Soulja - 2 Pac  We Americans - The Briefs  One People - Burning Spear  All The Americans Are Dead - Kansas  Country Sad Ballad Man - Blur  I'm Afraid Of Americans (Original Showgirls Versio...  Mexican Americans - Cheech & Chong  Mexican-American - Cheech & Chong  This Is the Ballad - Old 97's  All The Americans Are Dead - Mickey Mouse  I'm Afraid Of Americans - Bowie David  I'm Afraid of Americans (NIN V.1 Mix)...  I'm Afraid of Americans (V1) [Radio Edit]...  Ballad of the cloud - Cabaret Noir  Brain Salad Surgery - Emerson, Lake & Palmer  Brain Salad Surgery - Emerson, Lake & Palmer  Ballad For My One True Love - Mason Jennings  Shave The Planet - Guttermouth  Family Values - Fifteen  Russians & Americans - Al Stewart  Ballad Of A Broken Man - Miss May I  I'm Afraid Of Americans (V1) - DAVID BOWIE  Quisiera ballad remix - CNCO  All The Americans Are Dead - Toby Keith  Paper Dolls - SouthFM  Babyshambles [Interview] - Babyshambles  Babyshambles - Babyshambles  Searching For A Soldier's Grave - Hank Williams  Heartbreaker - The Walkmen  I'm Afraid Of Americans - David Bowie  Ballad for a Child...  Ballad for an Unborn - Avishai Cohen Trio   Americans - Byron MacGregor  I Love My Bbq - Ted Nugent  The ballad of yaya...  Marrow - Anohni  Ogre’s Ballad - Cyberpunkers   Ballad Of Love - Porter Wagoner  I'm Afraid of Americans - David Bowie  Battery in Your Leg - Blur  The Irish Ballad - Darby O'Gill  Backstep Ballad (mastered) - Diablo Dimes  Jesus' Last Ballad - Bill Evans  (Attempted) Murder Ballad...  Columbus Fest Is A Celebration of Genocide...  Ballad of Clara Mae ...  Ballad Of Moss Head - Walkabouts  Ballad of the Undecided - Anthony D'Amato  Ballad of Jaycox Creek - Ashley Wool  The Ballad of Yaya...  Ballad Of Hollis Brown - Barb Jungr  The Ballad Of Ben - Danny Weinkauf  Ballad Of Jacob Marlow - David Wiffen  Ballad of the East - Booka Shade  Ballad Of Bad Whiskey - Boston Spaceships  Ballad of Last Hopes - Catherine Traicos  Frogs Ballad (Alternative Take) - Christian Muela  Inside Upside Down - Crash Kings  The Ballad of Abigail McCree - Adavänt  Ballad of the Speaking Heart - Alasdair Roberts  The Ballad Of Chuck Norris - Astroninja  The Ballad Of Jay Givens - Mick Harvey  The Ballad of John Taylor - The Bullitts  Ballad Of A Blind Dog - The City Streets  Ballad Of The Working Man - Control  No More Lonely Nights [Ballad] ...  Ballad of the Reverend Billy...  Ballad Of A Broken Horse - Backwoods Payback  Ballad of the Four Chaplains - Dead Men's Hollow  Ballad Of The Inland Sailors - David Wiffen  Ballad of Dead Men's Hollow - Dead Men's Hollow  The Ballad of Solitude Street...  Ballad Of The Poor Child - Diana Jones  The Ballad of Lost Reason - Dryseas   The Ballad Of You & Me - Brian Kennedy  The Ballad Of Ichabod Crane...  The Ballad Of The Moon - Cephalic Carnage  The Ballad Of Kohima Ridge - Chris Duarte  The Visitors - Laurie Anderson  Late Night Sad Song (Ballad Ver.) - E2RE  Ballad of the Left Hand Gun - UFO  Ballad of the Left Hand Gun - U.F.O.  The Ballad of Fife and Cash - Rik Roberts  Ballad of Big Nothing (alternate vocal)...  The Ballad Of Rock And Roll - DC4  The Ballad Of Ray And Ruby - Ben Prestage  The Ballad Of Sarah And Jack - David Holmes  The Ballad of Speck and Pebble - Delicate Steve  We As Americans - Eminem  North American Scum (Radio Edit) - LCD Soundsystem  The Ballad Of The Tired Old Man - Cuff The Duke  His Own Terms (Ballad of Eldon McCain)...  Popular Americans - All-Star United  Popular Americans - All Star United  The Ballad Of Danger Dave And Double Trouble...  The Ballad of Henry & Gerta (feat. The Breakdown) ...  The Ballad Of Honkey Donkey And The Heartbreaker...  Truth Will Out (Ballad of Melissa and Remy)...  Bedroom Ballad - Gene Watson  These Alcoholic Americans - Adam Clayton-Holland  This Week Americans - Stephen Sondheim  Under - Ballad  Truthfully I - Ballad  The Kill - Ballad  PANL - Ballad  It Hurts...Walking in the Rain - Ballad  Full Moon - Ballad  Someone New - Ballad  No One - Ballad  Never Over Interlude - Ballad  Lost in the World - Ballad  Euphoria - Ballad  YOU - Ballad  Where to Now - Ballad  Fall - Ballad  Alone - Ballad  Other Loving - Ballad  Something She Said - Ballad  The ballad of Harry CHAMBERLIN and the surreptitio...  The Ballad of Miss Lily (from Austerity Measures E...  The Ballad of the Ninth Templar Guardian of the Ho...  The Americans – Sweet and Low - VA  Marlboro Man - Blink 182  The Ballad of the Toad Eaters - Fionn Regan  Explaining Cricket - You Am I  Awakening Americans - Alanis Morissette  All American - Alabama  Racoons - Ohbijou  American Sleep - Clutch  Not to Dream - Mean Creek  Early American - Frank Sinatra  Awakening Americans (unreleased)...  Babyshambles - The Libertines  U.S. Of Hate - U S Bombs  Drunk Americans - Toby Keith  Diamonds in the Coal - The Badlees  Diamonds In The Coal - Badless, The  Diamonds In The Coal - Badlees  Target/Mr. Disney/War - Zounds  North American Scum [Onastic Dub]...  North American Scum [Onanistic Dub]...  North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem  North American Scum [Onastic Dub][*]...  North American Scum [Kris Menace Dub]...  U.S. Of Hate - U.S. Bombs  Us Of Hate - U S Bombs  The Ballad Of Peter's Dog - Torment  Ballad For A Queen - I-20  Ballad Of Dast Rider - The Byrds  Wood Cabin - Saint Etienne  U. S Hate - U.s. Bombs  Viva America - Guttermouth  The Ballad Of Sally - Jon Langford  Woodcabin - Saint Etienne  Falling - Laurie Anderson  The War Of 1812 - Newsboys  World Salad - Annihilator  Word Salad - Annihilator  Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners - Foo Fighters  Do You Remember The Americans (stephen Stills)...  The Ballad of Ira Hayes - Dylan Bob  Ballad Of The Fort Hood Three - Pete Seeger  Ballad Of Mexico - Beck  be Nice To Me - Todd Rundgren  Blue Powder - Steve Vai  Who Fingered Rock 'n' Roll - Cornershop  Beautiful Dirt (English) - Dir En Grey
  Please consider supporting this site by Clicking Here and Bookmarking whenever you search and shop Amazon. It costs you nothing but it supports us and gives us credit and we appreciate it greatly.