Well they moved away from the farms they did not own

To live happily ever after on a G.I. loan

The future was looking bright back in '62

'Neath the shadow of atomic bombs and the baby boom



You could take a walk downtown without being afraid

Hey who's the better centerfielder, Mantle or Mays

There was chicken in every pot, even when times were lean

We thougth everybody had a shot at the American dream



Every mother was supposed to look like Donna Reed

father knew what was best for you and me

Our lives were etched on eight millimeter frames

As we grew up in houses that all looked the same

But there was trouble on the other side of town

It was a time when people began to stand their ground

As teh eyes of the world were opened by a man named King

Everybody wanted their share of the American dream



Dream on, children, dream on

Don't let anybody tell you the dream is gone

As long as there's a God above

Keep praying we never wake up

Keep on dreaming the American dream



Now there's medals on the wall I got back in '91

And a quarter-acre piece of Heaven

Where my kids can run

As I turn off the cable and put my babies to bed

I kiss 'em goodnight and I whisper under my breath



Dream on, children, dream on

Don't let anybody tell you the dream is gone

As long as there's a God above

Keep praying we never wake up

Keep on dreaming the American dream