V1

I am the American nightmare and that's fine by me, a young black Muslim male with a degree
part Creek Indian and I know my history, a socialist with progressive ideologies
an activist like those before me, the offspring of a well-educated family
born in Florida but raised in Tennessee; first time seeing skinheads and neo-Nazis
as a teen, I rebelled and chose to be in the streets, my dream was to make it in the music industry
so I sold studio time, beats and cds with my boys from Edgehill, Folk, and AP
doing shows and promoting all across the Southeast, but no matter where I went, I always saw the same thing
same drugs, same street life, and same poverty, same corrupt cops and police brutality
took a few years off, got certified in IT as I worked as a temp for many big companies
found myself with a passport, working overseas, on an outsourcing gig while at MPC
saw the truth of free trade and income inequality, exploitation of the poor by those same companies
seeing Mexican engineers hoping to be a Wal-Mart cashier across the border cuz it paid a better salary
God opened my eyes to reality, now I see past the lies my country told me
not seduced by your greed or material things, fight for my beliefs, the truth I must speak
my dream is to build a community that's based on compassion and unity
while that may be a dream to empower the weak, I guarantee that the wealthy will preach it's America's Nightmare

Chorus

All I see widespread poverty
Homelessness and greed
(abuse of our women and kids, that's America's nightmare)

Drugs and disease, crimes and bigotry
Wars that fuel the Beast
(struggling just to survive)

V2

I've lived the poor man's nightmare, one step from living in the streets; no car, no job, barely anything to eat
stressed out, trying to find a way to get back on my feet, $30 to my name, on a floor I would sleep
but at least I could ask friends and family for help, while the poorest in our nation have to fend for themselves
what kind of civilized nation doesn't care about the health of its people, demonizing welfare?!
This is crazy, how did we become so mean? If the Prophets returned, I wonder what they'd think
Would they weep for our suffering, poor, and diseased? Or say it's our punishment for following the Beast?
They told us to make peace and honor our Creator, to help out the poor and to love thy neighbor
Instead, our country has embraced its hatred, so we sacrifice the innocent to earn the Devil's favor
And that's why we always have money for war but never for peace, or to help those in need
It's cuz we live in a “war-based economy”, which means for us to keep our way of life, somebody's gotta bleed
So our military leaders and these crooked politicians, concoct more missions to invade more civilians
ordering our soldiers to torture and kill them, justifying murder while we plunder their riches
then do the same thing here, encouraging these bigots to hate everyone who thinks or looks different
Overlooking the crimes these snakes are committing, like raping and molesting our women and children
They then blame the victim, but claim their religious; yet still hate Hispanics though Hispanics are Christians
They call themselves Christians but the Prophets Jesus, and Moses, and Noah would label them “heathens”
Because these people are spiteful and deceitful, making the world a nightmare for the believers
They hate the poor, love war and avarice; you really think it's God that's encouraging this?
If Christ ever returned, I'm truly convinced that Americans would have him lynched, cuz he'd oppose this nightmare

Chorus

All I see widespread poverty
Homelessness and greed
(abuse of our women and kids, that's America's nightmare)

Drugs and disease, crimes and bigotry
Wars that fuel the Beast
(while the poor sufferÂ…)

V3

I'll show you the rich man's nightmare, give me 5 years and I can transform this nation into something great
The first day, add 100,000 lawyers and detectives to investigate then flush out the snakes
Arrest a third of the ruling class, confiscate the riches that they stole then hid offshore when the economy collapsed
Revamp the whole tax code til they're paying half; rebuilding the country on the backs of the upper class
Nationalize the Federal Reserve and most banks, outlaw hedge funds and regulate free trade
Launch a second New Deal as we then take control of our resources, they're ours in the first place
Permanently ban companies that have defrauded the government from future contracts and that's regardless
of whether or not it causes markets to drop, reward the businesses that played fair and employ the starving
disband the CIA and most intelligence agencies, (then) try their top brass for crimes against humanity
then launch a real investigation into 9/11, prosecuting all involved in the conspiracy
for that and the Iraq War too, the neo-conservatives and John Yoo, who
authorized us to torture and all who knew, and yeah Colin Powell, that includes you too
end our wars overseas like Afghanistan, cease operations and leave most bases on foreign land
“secure our own land” is a better plan, better than killing more civilians, that just props up the Taliban
solve things using diplomatic ends, cut the military budget by like 80%
use the money we would've spent on health care for all, using money to save lives instead of killing them
then strengthen the laws against rape and abuse, protecting our women, orphans and youths
expand civil rights and have equality for all, give all citizens free shelter and food
then release or retry all the poor in our prisons whose cases were rigged or defense was insufficient
then arrest many police and politicians, forcing them to deal with the system they invented
end the War on Drugs and begin giving treatments while freeing the first time users, it's needless
to lock up the users while the people who are bringing drugs into the country walk free, so I'm speaking
to you. I hope I'm making myself clear, I'd wage a war on trafficking and sex slaves here
no mercy for the predators that prey on their fears; and all of this within the first year of the rich man's nightmare

Chorus

All I see widespread poverty
Homelessness and greed
(abuse of our women and kids, that's America's nightmare)

Drugs and disease, crimes and bigotry
Wars that fuel the Beast
(one day, I hope we wake up from America's nightmare)