American Child

(Phil Vassar/Craig Wiseman) I was ten, I was thin, I was playing first base With a secondhand glove and dirt on my face In nowhere, Virginia Who'd ever figure that kid in the yard would go very far It was 419 Lakewood, had no silverspoons Just an old beat up upright that played out of tune Now I'm singin' and living the life that I love And when I count my blessings I thank God I was An American child An American child 'Cause dreams can grow wild Born inside an American child Seven pounds, three ounces, she's got my nose And she's into my heart as deep as it goes With a promise that's more than just someone's last name Anyone's equal, in late August came An American child An American child 'Cause dreams can grow wild Born inside an American child My grandfather would have been eighty today But in '45 he fell down beside an American child An American child Oh, an American child 'Cause dreams can grow wild born inside an American child An American child