This Is Not America Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Chocolate Is Yummy 

Cover art for This Is Not America lyrics by David Bowie

In the film The Falcon and the Snowman that this was made for, the main character is captured and beaten by the police in Mexico(?) or maybe somewhere else, it's been awhile since I've seen it. He protests, saying "I am an American citizen!" which gets the reply, "This is not America". To me, the song's about one's rights and privileges that get taken for granted until they're gone. Really paranoid song, but that's the 1980s in a nutshell.

@Chocolate Is Yummy I think the song applies MUCH MORE to America (and Canada) today than in 1985. Governments referring to citizens that protest or don't vote from them as 'deplorables', 'fringe', 'racist' or 'misogynist'.