I heard this song on NPR as I was getting out of the car today and I was mesmerized.
Read the lyrics--they are captivating.
My Strange NationBy Susan WernerProduced by Crit Harmon
© 2006 Susan Werner
My strange nation
Has ocean on two sides
And the `Bama Crimson Tide in the south
Tilted slightly toward the north
The immigrants pour forth
Seeking Phoenix
And life hand to mouth
My strange nation
Tilts sharply to the right
With our
leaders straight and white
As our teethOur population's mixed
But
our election's fixedIn my Strange Nation
America
My strange nation
Built on the backs of slaves
Who were sailed here cross the waves
From far away
This cruel experiment
Was ended by
a president
Who was both
A republican ... and gayMy strange nation
Gave the Indians our germs
They surrendered on our terms
As in Died
Their survivors filed appeals
So we gave them roulette wheels
In my Strange Nation
America
But
my Strange Nation
Has lost its mind again
Sending young women and men
Off to war
For reasons that aren't clearUnless you're standing near
To the rich and the righteous
And the bored
And my strange nation
Enamored of the cross
And who will win the toss
Of the coin
The circus and the bread
Distract us from the deadIn my Strange Nation
America
But my Strange Nation
Will surely come around
For you cannot hold us down for long
We'll sputter and we'll cough
And throw the despots off
And recover the soul that makes us strong
And my frustration
Is just a product of
My strange but loyal love
For this land
For its mountains and its lakes
Tornadoes and earthquakes
For its poets and pioneers
For its fetishes and fears
For its freedom of dissent
For its greasy government
And
I will not change this stance
I will not move to France.
I will always hold out one more chanceFor my Strange Nation
America.
The song is not on any of her albums, it's supposed to be available for free downloading on her website but everytime I try to go launch the link, it goes nowhere. I did find some other info though.Here's a link where you can sample some of her other music.
http://gofish.about.com/detail.html?gfid=10-97066Here's some info at her website:
http://www.susanwerner.com/index2.html