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Jackson Browne — For America
Album: Lives in the Balance
Avg rating:
4.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 81









Released: 1986
Length: 5:03
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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As if I really didn't understand
That I was just another part of their plan
I went off looking for the promise
Believing in the Motherland
And from the comfort of a dreamer's bed
And the safety of my own head
I went on speaking of the future
While other people fought and bled
The kid I was when I first left home
Was looking for his freedom and a life of his own
But the freedom that he found wasn't quite as sweet
When the truth was known
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
It's in my blood and in my bones
By the dawn's early light
By all I know is right
We're going to reap what we have sown

As if freedom was a question of might
As if loyalty was black and white
You hear people say it all the time-
"My country wrong or right"
I want to know what that's got to do
With what it takes to find out what's true
With everyone from the President on down
Trying to keep it from you

The thing I wonder about the Dads and Moms
Who send their sons to the Vietnams
Will they really think their way of life
Has been protected as the next war comes?
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
Her shining dream plays in my mind
By the rockets red glare
A generation's blank stare
We better wake her up this time

The kid I was when I first left home
Was looking for his freedom and a life of his own
But the freedom that he found wasn't quite as sweet
When the truth was known
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
I can't let go till she comes around
Until the land of the free
Is awake and can see
And until her conscience has been found
Comments (34)add comment
 Lovepig wrote:

Hmmm...firstly I am a Canadian...secondly..if you're an American you should regard Jackson Browne as a small National Treasure.......he was one of a handful who spoke out during the Reagan years against his intrusion into Central American and a foreign policy based upon deceit....

Lots of great JB songs.....suggest you do your homework....(but then again...why would you if you are American as you rank 17th

https://www.ibtimes.com/us-17th-global-education-ranking-finland-south-korea-claim-top-spots-901538

and yet you are the wealthiest country in history........

 

also...wife beater is such a mischaracterization...he was never charged and Darryl Hannah refuted .....see Billboard article

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/69938/browne-prevails-in-defamation-disputes

 

Just saying...lol

 



 

I don't disagree with anything you said.  That being said, I still don't like this song.


Posted 10 years ago by Webfoot    [ Reply ]

Hmmm...firstly I am a Canadian...secondly..if you're an American you should regard Jackson Browne as a small National Treasure.......he was one of a handful who spoke out during the Reagan years against his intrusion into Central American and a foreign policy based upon deceit....

Lots of great JB songs.....suggest you do your homework....(but then again...why would you if you are American as you rank 17th

https://www.ibtimes.com/us-17th-global-education-ranking-finland-south-korea-claim-top-spots-901538

and yet you are the wealthiest country in history........

 

also...wife beater is such a mischaracterization...he was never charged and Darryl Hannah refuted .....see Billboard article

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/69938/browne-prevails-in-defamation-disputes

 

Just saying...lol

 


Posted 10 years ago by Lovepig    [ Reply ]
 Emwolb wrote:
Freakin painful - and I like Jackson B
 
Agreed.
Posted 10 years ago by Webfoot    [ Reply ]
Freakin painful - and I like Jackson B
Posted 10 years ago by Emwolb    [ Reply ]
To those of you who accuse JB of being an abuser of women, this all stemmed from tabloid gossip when he and Daryl Hannah broke up, her accusing him of having beaten her. She has since recanted the accusations. A well known FACT is that the night of the "incident", it was Jackson Browne who called the police and when the police arrived, there was NO EVIDENCE of any physical abuse. Why would the abuser call the police? The somehow, after this incident, Daryl Hannah accused JB of having beaten her, apparently in an attempt to get the attention of JFK Jr.

People can write whatever they want about celebrities and then it's open season. Who cares whose reputations are hurt as long as we have some juicy stories to tell and pass on for decades.

Unless you KNOW from first hand experience that something is the truth, top being twits and stop passing on gossip as the truth.


Posted 15 years ago by kencanuck    [ Reply ]
For crying out loud, can you ban this woman beater from the airwaves of RP already?
Posted 17 years ago by steve_san_carlos    [ Reply ]
ok has a bit of an 80's feel even though it was released in 1990. Jackson is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and is majorly respected throughout the industry. He plays every year for free in a small town (my town) in wisconsin to benefit national preservation. STEELBRIDGE SONGFEST....CHECK IT OUT. www.steelbridgesongfest.org the ONLY festival for songwriters.
Posted 17 years ago by elliotgoettelman    [ Reply ]
Atombender wrote:
Wow. This is my first "1" rating :)
welcome to the club. some day you may even have as many as i do!
Posted 17 years ago by daveesh    [ Reply ]
Hey Jackson, why dontcha take out your frustration with this gawdawful country and go slap around a couple women?
Posted 17 years ago by shutter    [ Reply ]
Wow. This is my first "1" rating :)
Posted 17 years ago by Atombender    [ Reply ]
This sounds like it was from an 80's Chuck Norris flick.
Posted 17 years ago by swampaholic    [ Reply ]
oscar_driver wrote:
seriously ... nothing against america but this song is terrible Oscar
I concur.
Posted 17 years ago by bbHappy    [ Reply ]
like music from a bad 80's movie
Posted 17 years ago by rocco1207    [ Reply ]
SUCKS!
Posted 17 years ago by pattiecovert    [ Reply ]
I loved Jackson Browne's first 4-5 albums (through Running on Empty). Then the commercial crap (like this) came along, and he lost me.
Posted 17 years ago by Pyro    [ Reply ]
freddyfender wrote:
Rather ironic that the first three people to comment on this song are from Canada.
Posted 17 years ago by oscar_driver    [ Reply ]
these lyrics are absolutely HORRIBLE. it seems the goal was to use every known u.s.a. cliche there is.
Posted 17 years ago by daveesh    [ Reply ]
I like the sentiment, but the song just sucks.
Posted 17 years ago by MissAmy    [ Reply ]
On_The_Beach wrote:
Gawd, was there anything worse than being a kid and being dragged along on long shopping trips with your mother? I feel your pain!
not as bad as being an adult husband and dragged to the Company store to look at bedding & towels
Posted 17 years ago by jdpinball    [ Reply ]
seriously ... nothing against america but this song is terrible Oscar
Posted 17 years ago by oscar_driver    [ Reply ]
Makes me remember being beaten with a sack of potatoes. I'd rather listen to the entire Styx collection than EVER be subjected to another Jackson Browne song. Yeah, I get the fact that Bill's doing a theme thing, but Jeeze!!!!
Posted 17 years ago by gregormiz    [ Reply ]
YEAH! Big Jackson Browne fan! Seen him play so many times now can't count. All through high school and now into the 40-somethings... this was the guy who captured what I was and am feeling about growing up and living in America. Right on... thanks Bill! More Jackson Browne.
Posted 17 years ago by atticus    [ Reply ]
And this comes after Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"? I'm sensing a theme here... Nice work, Bill.
Posted 17 years ago by winter    [ Reply ]
chucklesalmon wrote:
Reminiscent of the feeling I had when I was nine years old, and my Mother took me along to a YARN STORE. For over an HOUR. So boring itt HURT Not even sleepy boring. MIND NUMBINGLY boring
Gawd, was there anything worse than being a kid and being dragged along on long shopping trips with your mother? I feel your pain!
Posted 17 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
It really is amazing how his songs are always just soooooooo boring. Even though usually played by top session players, including the ones from the 70's -- which I love---- it's still no rescue from the absolutely predictible, uninteresting mid-tempo songs. Reminiscent of the feeling I had when I was nine years old, and my Mother took me along to a YARN STORE. For over an HOUR. So boring itt HURT Not even sleepy boring. MIND NUMBINGLY boring.
Posted 17 years ago by chucklesalmon    [ Reply ]
On_The_Beach wrote:
His first 4 albums were great, then he just kinda lost it. Too bad.
It is a shame since he had so much talent. I think he was 16 when he wrote Dr My Eyes. This LP was when I thought that his pool had dried up.
Posted 17 years ago by oufason    [ Reply ]
Rather ironic that the first three people to comment on this song are from Canada.
Posted 17 years ago by freddyfender    [ Reply ]
Are we in RP right now? ////
Posted 17 years ago by oscar_driver    [ Reply ]
It kind of has that Bruce Springsteen sound that was popular then.
Posted 17 years ago by hippiechick    [ Reply ]
damn, this is awful.
Posted 17 years ago by daveesh    [ Reply ]
I dig this tune, but that's maybe because I'm old. It sounds very 80s with the metronome bass and the chug-chug (palmed?) guitar sound.
Posted 17 years ago by Duffalo    [ Reply ]
His first 4 albums were great, then he just kinda lost it. Too bad.
Posted 17 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
I heard him play live at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. It was an incredible show.
Posted 17 years ago by MichaelCrawford    [ Reply ]
Gotta listen to more JB. Wow.
Posted 17 years ago by Bosonator    [ Reply ]