There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin' their feet
People sleepin' in their shoes
But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forget it any way I can

Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world

I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
There's an old street light (near a garbage can)
Near a garbage can (near a garbage can)
And now she put the kid away and she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life and what she's done to it
There's one more kid that'll never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool

Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler machine gun hand
We got department stores and toilet paper
Got Styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people, says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive

Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world


Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit

Rockin' in the Free World Lyrics as written by Neil Young Frank M. Sampedro

Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group

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Rockin' in the Free World song meanings
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    General Comment

    This song is all about America and its faults. I think the first stanza is mostly about our sometimes oppressive foreign policy. The people saying that we, Americans, would "be better off dead" are people in other countries who have been affected (probably not in a good way) by our foreign policy. The line, "Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them" probably refers to the people in the Middle East who refer to us as "The Great Satan," and who are certianly among those who think we would be better off dead. The second stanza takes aim on our domestic policy, how we neglect the most poor and needy members of our society. The last stanza seems like an indictment of President Bush (the first one) who I assume was the president at the time Neil wrote this song. There are several allusions to his speeches and catchphrases. That's just what i think. The song could actually be about our "sending aid to those f*ckfaces in other countries." Only one man knows the answer for sure.

    Higgs68on March 04, 2003   Link

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