An American Tradition

Painting by Nelson Boren

An American Tradition


It's kind of an American tradition, I guess,
cuttin' bullies down to size.
And tellin' the truth about their dirty deeds,
that they've covered up with lies.

And, yeah, there's some folks disagree
about our gettin' involved.
But if we didn't, I gotta ask, how some
problems would be resolved.

In Nineteen-Fourteen, we paid no heed
when Prussia made its play
to become the ruler of all the world,
until we had our say.

We watched while Hitler rose to power,
and Mussolini did the same.
And we thought the war-lords in Japan
was maybe playin' a game.

I guess we think that other folks
will stand up to evil leaders.
But then they don't, and it comes to us
to stomp on these bottom feeders.

The pity, of course, in the whole danged thing,
is the people caught in the middle.
Why evil folks try to conquer the world
is a lifelong unsolved riddle.

Thank God there is an American tradition
for cuttin' bullies down to size.
And tellin' the truth about their dirty deeds,
that they've covered up with lies.

Now, I'll say this, when we wake up here,
the U.S. will stand and fight.
Because evil men are again on the move,
and we're gonna do what's right.

Copyright © Hal Swift