Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

It's the Makeshift, The Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself via live telecast

Coming live from my own funeral
Beautiful weather off at a nice shine
Which is suitable for a full view of a forever altered skyline
When times like these arise, I freestyle biased opinions every other sentence
Journalist ethics slip when I pass them off as objective
"Don't give me that ethical shit"
I've got exclusive, explicit images to present to impressionable American kids
And it's time to show this world how big our edifice is

That's exactly what they attacked when a typically dark-skinned Disney villain
Used civillians against civilians and charged the Trojan horses into our buildings

Using commercial aviation as instruments of destruction
Pregnant women couldn't protect their children
Wheelchairs were stairway obstructions

Now I have to backpedal
From the shower of glass and metal
Wondering how after it settles
We'll find who provided power to radical rebels

The Melting Pot seems to be calling the kettle black when it boils over
But only on our own soil so the little boy holds a toy soldier
And waits for the suit and tie to come home
We won't wait until he's older
Before we destroy hopes for a colder war to end
"Now get a close-up of his head"

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

"How does my hair look"

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

"Run that tape back"

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

"It looks just like a movie"

It's the Makeshift, The Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself while the stock markets crash

The city is covered in inches of muck
I see some other pictures of victims are up
Grieving mothers are thinking their children are stuck
Leaping lovers are making decisions to jump
While holding hands
To escape the brutal heat
Sometimes in groups of three
The fallout was far beyond the toxic clouds where people look like debris
But all they saw, after all was said
Beyond the talking heads was the bloody dust with legs Looking like the walking dead calling for meds

But all the hospitals are overwhelmed
Volunteers need to go the hell home
Moments of silence for firefighters were interrupted by cell phones

Who's going to make that call
To increase an unknown death toll?
It's the one we rally behind
He's got a megaphone, and he's promising to make heads roll
So we cheer him on, but asbestos is affecting our breath control
The less that we know, the more they fabricate
The easier it is to sell souls

"There is a new price on freedom
So buy into it while supplies last
Changes need to be made
No more curbside baggage
Seven P.M. curfew
Racial profiling will continue with less bitching
We've unified over who to kill
So until I find more relevant scripture to quote
Remember: our God is bigger, stronger, smarter
And much wealthier
So wave those flags with pride
Especially the white part"

We sell an addictive 24 hour candlelight vigils in TV's
Freedom will be defended at the cost of civil liberties
The viewers are glued to television screens
Stuck because lots of things seem too sick
I use opportunities to pluck heart strings for theme music

I'll show you which culture to pump your fist at
"Yeah"
Which foot is right to kiss
We don't really know who the culprit is yet
"Nah"
But he looks like this
We know who the heros are
They're not the xenophobes who act hard
"We taught that dog to squat
How dare he do that shit in our own backyard"

They happened to scar our financial state
And charr our landscape
Can you count how many times so far I ran back the same damn tape?
While the cameraman creates news and shoves it down our throats on the West Bank
With a ten second clip put on constant loop to provoke US angst

So get your tanks
And load your guns
And hold your sons in a family huddle
Because even if we win this tug of war
And even the score, humanity struggles
There's a desperate need of blood for what's been uncovered under the rubble
Some of them dug for answers in the mess, but the rest were looking for trouble

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

Makeshift Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself at half-mast

It's the Makeshift, The Patriot
The flag shop is out of stock
I hang myself
Don't waive your rights with your flags


Lyrics submitted by Jon_Beutler

Makeshift Patriot song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    i think hes more talking about how much the media took advantage of 9/11 by taking this tragic thing that happened and blowing it up all over tv and flaunting the "american pride" thing when what we should have been doing is mourning over the deaths, instead of trying to make money.

    allofmylove68on March 17, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Cletus, do a google search for that line and the first thing that comes up is a page of Dylan quotes. Apparently it's from the Dont Look Back documentary.

    amRadioHedon October 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    After spending over an hour typing the lyrics, I still have the energy to comment on how influential, and simply awe inspiring these words are to me and many others. Although I do not support Americas war on terrorism, I join Sage Francis in expressing sorrow for those affected by the attacks on Sept. 11

    Jon_Beutleron August 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    these lyrics are pretty moving and they challenge the reactions to 9/11 whilst expressing sympathy. Rock on Sage.

    uncleanon September 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Beautiful. It's too bad that most of the U.S. doesn't even see it happening, plenty of people have called me a traitor for saying anything like this.

    "Don't waive your rights with your flags"

    SMUSER194020on April 15, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i <3 sage francis. he says everything that mainstream america needs to hear. i wish his music was more wide-spread

    bigfluffyon April 20, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    great song. i'm happy he's with epitaph records

    akira_256on June 06, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sage is able to express his opinions in a democracy without seeming foolish. He definately gets props for this one. I just wish he was able to open more minds with his music to show just how neive we all really are especially with a tyranical despot as our leader.

    transpara-pantson June 15, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hes dope

    WerdzHertzon June 25, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    he's standing up for what he - and a large portion of north america - believe is right. He's not only voicing an opinion...he's made an amazing song out of it.

    HotWaterMusic777on October 28, 2005   Link

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