hush little country dont choke on your name
the syllables glitter with manifest light
sweet land of promise of profit of fame
rock in the dark with your hand on the knife
america cradle of yes and of no
mother of pilgrims and markets and chains
you tuck us in soft with a red white glow
while history hums through the walls in its veins
innocent child with a star on your brow
singing of freedom from sea line to sea
who taught your mouth how to sanctify now
what your hands buried beneath the oak tree
hush now dont startle the dreamers awake
they built you from scripture and stock and decree
cross in one fist and the flag for its sake
washing their palms in performative plea
they say it was never the sermon or law
never the silence that fattened the throne
never the fear dressed in righteous faux awe
only a few who have sinned on their own
but under the floorboards the old stories creak
cotton and contract and blood in the sand
justice is not just the dead who still speak
the living are reaching with unbandaged hand
black bodies orbit the myth like a sun
pulled by a gravity heavy with blame
you call it progress when nothing is done
but rename the wound and retire the shame
america buyer of bright little things
consumer of sorrow you package and sell
you polish your rifles and call them your wings
you market the heaven youre building from hell
rock little nation rock slow in the chair
feel how the past keeps a weight in your chest
pride is a hymn but it thickens the air
when sung over graves you refuse to confess
guilty and glowing and certain and scared
blind in the blaze of your self made design
you swear you were chosen appointed prepared
while washing your hands in a fountain of brine
hush now the cradle is splintered with truth
it carries the child and the tyrant alike
inside you the preacher the cop and the youth
inside you the wound and the will to indict
sleep if you can with the anthem half sung
dream of a kingdom that never was clean
morning is coming relentless and young
and justice is louder than any machine