What made America Famous - GoFuckYourself.com

sarettah · 11-21-2018, 08:30 PM

I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous.
I had the kind of a dream that maybe they're still trying to teach in school.
Of the America that made America famous... and
Of the people who just might understand
That how together, yes we can
Create a country better than
The one we have made of this land,
We have a choice to make each man
who dares to dream, reaching out his hand
A prophet or just a crazy God damn

@Harry Chapin

It was the town that made America famous.
The churches full and the kids all gone to hell.
Six traffic lights and seven cops and all the streets kept clean.
The supermarket and the drug store and the bars all doing well.

They were the folks that made America famous.
The local fire department stocked with shorthaired volunteers.
And on Saturday night while America boozes
The fire department showed dirty movies,
The lawyer and the grocer seeing their dreams
Come to life on the movie screens
While the plumber hopes that he won't be seen
As he tries to hide his fears and he wipes away his tears.
But something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care?

We were the kids that made America famous.
The kind of kids that long since drove our parents to despair.
We were lazy long hairs dropping out, lost confused, and copping out.
Convinced our futures were in doubt and trying not to care.

We lived in the house that made America famous.
It was a rundown slum, the shame of all the decent folks in town.
We hippies and some welfare cases,
Crowded families with coal black faces,
Cramped inside some cracked old boards,
The best that we all could afford
But still too nice for the rich landlord
To tear it down, and we could hear the sound
Of something burning somewhere. Is anybody there?

We all lived the life that made America famous.
The cops would make a point to shadow us around our town.
And we "love children" put a swastika on the bright red firehouse door.
America, the beautiful, it makes a body proud.

And then came the night that made America famous.
Was it carelessness or someone's sick idea of a joke?
In the tinderbox trap that we hippies lived in, someone struck a spark.
At first I thought I was dreaming,
Then I saw the first flames gleaming
And heard the sound of children screaming
Coming through the smoke. That's when the horror broke.

Something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care?

It was the fire that made America famous.
The sirens wailed and the firemen stumbled sleepy from their homes.
And the plumber yelled: "Come on let's go!"
But they saw what was burning and said: "Take it slow,
Let 'em sweat a little, they'll never know
And besides, we just cleaned the chrome."
Said the plumber: "Then I'm going alone."

He rolled on up in the fire truck
And raised the ladder to the ledge
Where me and my girl and a couple of kids
Were clinging like bats to the edge.
We staggered to salvation,
Collapsed on the street.
And I never thought that a fat man's face
Would ever look so sweet.

I shook his hand in the scene that made America famous
And a smile from the heart that made America great
We spent the rest of that night in the home of a man I'd never known before.
It's funny when you get that close, it's kind of hard to hate.

I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous.
I had the kind of a dream that maybe they're still trying to teach in school.
Of the America that made America famous... and
Of the people who just might understand
That how together, yes we can
Create a country better than
The one we have made of this land,
We have a choice to make each man
who dares to dream, reaching out his hand
A prophet or just a crazy God damn
Dreamer of a fool - yes a crazy fool

There's something burning somewhere.
Does anybody care?
Is anybody there?
Is anybody there?

mce · 11-21-2018, 11:55 PM

Great song. Chapin's not as deep as Leonard Cohen but hey, who's counting?

sarettah · 11-23-2018, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mce

Great song. Chapin's not as deep as Leonard Cohen but hey, who's counting?

Harry wrote stories.

Leonard wrote poetry.

RIP to 2 wonderful prescient artists each who tried to warn us in their own way.

.

sarettah · 11-23-2018, 08:29 AM

Harry Chapin - from maybe '76. A song that I have always interpreted as being about climate change.

The rock is gonna fall on us, he woke with a start
And he ran to his mother, the fear dark in his heart
And he told her of the vision that he was sure he'd seen
She said: "Go back to sleep son, you're having a bad dream!"

Silly child
Everybody knows the rock leans over the town
Everybody knows that it won't tumble to the ground
Remember Chicken Little said the sky was falling down
Well nothing ever came of that, the world still whirls around

"The rock is gonna fall on us, " he stood and told the class
The professor put his chalk down and peered out through his glasses
But he went on and said; "I've seen it, high up on the hill
If it doesn't fall this year then very soon it will!"

Crazy boy
Everybody knows the rock leans over the town
Everybody knows that it won't tumble to the ground
We've more important studies than your fantasies and fears
You know that rock's been perched up there for a hundred thousand years

"The rock is gonna fall on us." He told the magistrates
"I believe that we can stop it but the time is getting late
You see I've done all the research my plans are all complete."
He was showing them contingencies when they showed him to the street

Just a madman
Everybody knows the rock leans over the town
Everybody knows that it won't tumble to the ground
Everybody knows of those who say the end is near
Everybody knows that life goes on as usual round here

He went up on the mountain beside the giant stone
They knew he was insane so they left him alone
He'd given up enlisting help for there was no one else
He spent his days devising ways to stop the rock himself
One night while he was working building braces on the ledge
The ground began to rumble the rock trembled on the edge

"The rock is gonna fall on us! Run or you'll all be crushed!"
And indeed the rock was moving, crumbling all to dust
He ran under it with one last hope that he could add a prop
And as he disappeared the rock came to a stop

The people ran into the street but by then all was still
The rock seemed where it always was or where it always will be
When someone asked where he had gone they said: "Oh he was daft.
Who cares about that crazy fool." And then they'd start to laugh

But high up on the mountain
When the wind is hitting it
If you're watching very closely
The rock slips a little bit

.

11-21-2018, 08:30 PM	#1
sarettah see you later, I'm gone Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 14,059	What made America Famous I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous. I had the kind of a dream that maybe they're still trying to teach in school. Of the America that made America famous... and Of the people who just might understand That how together, yes we can Create a country better than The one we have made of this land, We have a choice to make each man who dares to dream, reaching out his hand A prophet or just a crazy God damn @Harry Chapin It was the town that made America famous. The churches full and the kids all gone to hell. Six traffic lights and seven cops and all the streets kept clean. The supermarket and the drug store and the bars all doing well. They were the folks that made America famous. The local fire department stocked with shorthaired volunteers. And on Saturday night while America boozes The fire department showed dirty movies, The lawyer and the grocer seeing their dreams Come to life on the movie screens While the plumber hopes that he won't be seen As he tries to hide his fears and he wipes away his tears. But something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care? We were the kids that made America famous. The kind of kids that long since drove our parents to despair. We were lazy long hairs dropping out, lost confused, and copping out. Convinced our futures were in doubt and trying not to care. We lived in the house that made America famous. It was a rundown slum, the shame of all the decent folks in town. We hippies and some welfare cases, Crowded families with coal black faces, Cramped inside some cracked old boards, The best that we all could afford But still too nice for the rich landlord To tear it down, and we could hear the sound Of something burning somewhere. Is anybody there? We all lived the life that made America famous. The cops would make a point to shadow us around our town. And we "love children" put a swastika on the bright red firehouse door. America, the beautiful, it makes a body proud. And then came the night that made America famous. Was it carelessness or someone's sick idea of a joke? In the tinderbox trap that we hippies lived in, someone struck a spark. At first I thought I was dreaming, Then I saw the first flames gleaming And heard the sound of children screaming Coming through the smoke. That's when the horror broke. Something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care? It was the fire that made America famous. The sirens wailed and the firemen stumbled sleepy from their homes. And the plumber yelled: "Come on let's go!" But they saw what was burning and said: "Take it slow, Let 'em sweat a little, they'll never know And besides, we just cleaned the chrome." Said the plumber: "Then I'm going alone." He rolled on up in the fire truck And raised the ladder to the ledge Where me and my girl and a couple of kids Were clinging like bats to the edge. We staggered to salvation, Collapsed on the street. And I never thought that a fat man's face Would ever look so sweet. I shook his hand in the scene that made America famous And a smile from the heart that made America great We spent the rest of that night in the home of a man I'd never known before. It's funny when you get that close, it's kind of hard to hate. I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous. I had the kind of a dream that maybe they're still trying to teach in school. Of the America that made America famous... and Of the people who just might understand That how together, yes we can Create a country better than The one we have made of this land, We have a choice to make each man who dares to dream, reaching out his hand A prophet or just a crazy God damn Dreamer of a fool - yes a crazy fool There's something burning somewhere. Does anybody care? Is anybody there? Is anybody there? __________________ All cookies cleared!

11-21-2018, 11:55 PM	#2
mce Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: All Over Posts: 3,917	Great song. Chapin's not as deep as Leonard Cohen but hey, who's counting? __________________ Pay Virtual Assistants Based on RESULTS instead of TIME STOP getting FUCKED IN THE ASS by your VA

11-23-2018, 08:29 AM	#4
sarettah see you later, I'm gone Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 14,059	Harry Chapin - from maybe '76. A song that I have always interpreted as being about climate change. The rock is gonna fall on us, he woke with a start And he ran to his mother, the fear dark in his heart And he told her of the vision that he was sure he'd seen She said: "Go back to sleep son, you're having a bad dream!" Silly child Everybody knows the rock leans over the town Everybody knows that it won't tumble to the ground Remember Chicken Little said the sky was falling down Well nothing ever came of that, the world still whirls around "The rock is gonna fall on us, " he stood and told the class The professor put his chalk down and peered out through his glasses But he went on and said; "I've seen it, high up on the hill If it doesn't fall this year then very soon it will!" Crazy boy Everybody knows the rock leans over the town Everybody knows that it won't tumble to the ground We've more important studies than your fantasies and fears You know that rock's been perched up there for a hundred thousand years "The rock is gonna fall on us." He told the magistrates "I believe that we can stop it but the time is getting late You see I've done all the research my plans are all complete." He was showing them contingencies when they showed him to the street Just a madman Everybody knows the rock leans over the town Everybody knows that it won't tumble to the ground Everybody knows of those who say the end is near Everybody knows that life goes on as usual round here He went up on the mountain beside the giant stone They knew he was insane so they left him alone He'd given up enlisting help for there was no one else He spent his days devising ways to stop the rock himself One night while he was working building braces on the ledge The ground began to rumble the rock trembled on the edge "The rock is gonna fall on us! Run or you'll all be crushed!" And indeed the rock was moving, crumbling all to dust He ran under it with one last hope that he could add a prop And as he disappeared the rock came to a stop The people ran into the street but by then all was still The rock seemed where it always was or where it always will be When someone asked where he had gone they said: "Oh he was daft. Who cares about that crazy fool." And then they'd start to laugh But high up on the mountain When the wind is hitting it If you're watching very closely The rock slips a little bit . __________________ All cookies cleared!