The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
We got some trouble in our own back yard.
Things are are kinda tough, times are kinda hard.
Got a lot of people livin' out in the street, people goin' hungry without nothin' to eat,
and in this land of plenty, this souldn't be goin' on.
We got enough for everybody we just gonna have to pass it along.
Well I'm glad about the fall of communism, I'm glad about the
Berlin wall, and I like seein' old Saddam bite the dust, in fact I'm glad about it all.
And I believe in helping everybody,
but when it comes to all them foreign loans,
I think we oughta remember that charity begins at home.
Yes it starts right now in (America, America,)
I know the sun is risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) well let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you're gonna do it I believe in you.
Now I been tryin' to figure this out, but there's somethin' that I just don't know.
How can you make things better when you
take our jobs, and send 'um down to Mexico?
And then there was this big shot, from the land of the risin' sun.
He said the workin' people in America were lazy and dumb.
Well let me tell you somethin' Jack.
The next time I go on a shopping trip, and take somethin' off of the rack,
if it don't say, "Made in the U.S.A." I'm just gonna put it back.
We can't leave it to the politicians, cause they don't do nothin' but talk,
and it's we the people that are gonna have to walk the walk.
And we can do it right now in (America, America,)
hey I know the sun is risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) yeah we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you're gonna do it I believe in you.
Well we got the best dang farmers in the whole wide world.
The fastest horses and the prettiest girls. We got the Army, the
Navy, Air Force, and Marines, the mightiest fightin' force the world's ever seen.
We the kinda people that can get thins done,
We're servin' notice that we're still number one.
We got the nerve (We got the nerve.), we got the will,
(We got the will.), we are all together cause you know that we are still.
(America, America,) well I know the sun is risin' it's a risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) hey, hey we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) cause I believe in you.
Things are are kinda tough, times are kinda hard.
Got a lot of people livin' out in the street, people goin' hungry without nothin' to eat,
and in this land of plenty, this souldn't be goin' on.
We got enough for everybody we just gonna have to pass it along.
Well I'm glad about the fall of communism, I'm glad about the
Berlin wall, and I like seein' old Saddam bite the dust, in fact I'm glad about it all.
And I believe in helping everybody,
but when it comes to all them foreign loans,
I think we oughta remember that charity begins at home.
Yes it starts right now in (America, America,)
I know the sun is risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) well let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you're gonna do it I believe in you.
Now I been tryin' to figure this out, but there's somethin' that I just don't know.
How can you make things better when you
take our jobs, and send 'um down to Mexico?
And then there was this big shot, from the land of the risin' sun.
He said the workin' people in America were lazy and dumb.
Well let me tell you somethin' Jack.
The next time I go on a shopping trip, and take somethin' off of the rack,
if it don't say, "Made in the U.S.A." I'm just gonna put it back.
We can't leave it to the politicians, cause they don't do nothin' but talk,
and it's we the people that are gonna have to walk the walk.
And we can do it right now in (America, America,)
hey I know the sun is risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) yeah we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you're gonna do it I believe in you.
Well we got the best dang farmers in the whole wide world.
The fastest horses and the prettiest girls. We got the Army, the
Navy, Air Force, and Marines, the mightiest fightin' force the world's ever seen.
We the kinda people that can get thins done,
We're servin' notice that we're still number one.
We got the nerve (We got the nerve.), we got the will,
(We got the will.), we are all together cause you know that we are still.
(America, America,) well I know the sun is risin' it's a risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) hey, hey we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) cause I believe in you.
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Let Freedom Ring Lyrics as written by Charles Fred Hayward Bruce Ray Brown
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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