The American Dream

[Verse 1] Well they moved away from the farms they did not own To live happily ever after on a GI loan The future was looking bright back in '62 Neath the shadow of atomic bombs and the baby boom [Verse 2] You could take a walk downtown without being afraid Hey who's the better center fielder Mantle or Mays There was chicken in every pot even when times were lean We thought everybody had a shot at the American dream [Verse 3] 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 [Verse 4] But there was trouble on the other side of town It was a time when people began to stand their ground As the eyes of the world were opened by a man named King Everybody wanted their share of the American dream [Chorus] 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 [Verse 5] 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 them Goodnight and I whisper under my breath [Chorus] [Outro] Keep on dreaming the American dream