You Will Not Break Me (9/12/01)
 
You will not break my spirit burning bright,
turn my day to terror'd night
you will not break my cities tall and proud,
make my family run underground

you will not break me
 
you will not rob my leaders of their will,
clergy of their faith,
you will not peel stripes from my face
poke holes through my stars

you will not get away with this!
 
you will not make my red, white and blue
turn to painful black and blue,
you will not break my children's acrid innocence,
my freedom to endure,
you will not take my mother and hold her hostage,
break my back first man, 'cause I'll seek justice

I'm an American!

My colors do not run,
I'm black, white, brown, yellow and tan
I'm an American!
You broke into my family's home
killed my brothers and sisters
and now you will be sorry,
because I'm an American!
and
you will not break me,
you will not break me,
you will not break the hope in my child's eyes
peace will prevail to your surprise,
love is strength in numbers,
your will is bound by hatred
 
America slumbers no more,
the giant has awaken and
years of complacent, fat-cat politics
is now down to balls out heretics
I got balls!
I got balls!
I got balls swinging from the hips of
Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull
ready to bounce you out of your holes!
 
I got soul,
I got soul,
I got soul like no others got soul,
got soul like Tina Turner, James Brown,
Ella Fitzgerald, the Harlem Globetrotters
and the New York City Fire Department
 
I'm an American!
 
you want bombs? I got bombs!
I got US Grant, Colin Powell, George Patton
Phil Simms and Joe Namath on my side,
 
I'm an American!
 
I got heart,
I got heart like no others got heart
I got heart like the Tin Man found
I got heart like Tony Bennett, George Foreman,
Marlon Brando, Jesse Owens,  BB King, John Belushi
Johnny Franco and the New York Mets!
I'm an American!
I'm an American!
and
you will not break me!
you will not break me!
you will not break me!
 
 
copyright 2001, Frank Messina

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