An American Life

Take in the minutes like hours Swear off the waters that rise Paint every picture like coloring scripture These words can make sense in time Let not a moment define you Temptations come and will go But don't write them all off, you'll end up with small talk Wishing you'd said something bold And soon you'll hear voices of fear and false choices They'll question the truths you've defined And ask you to wonder if the stars we sleep under Shine brighter when freedom's denied So, Henry, remember when someone tries to tell you You missed out on far better times If you're teaching your parents about understanding You're living An American Life Embrace the lights of the nighttime Step past the shadows at day Wait for the right one, then hold her so tight, son The end is but a heartbeat away Lock out the doubts that surround you Your heroes and their villains know the same Spend all you've learned, take heed of my words Just try not to make the same mistakes And you don't need a reason to believe what you believe in I trust that you'll give what you can That woman's surely stronger, still she needs you to love her Remember what it means to be a man And, Henry, remember, nothing lasts forever It happens one day at a time If you're making something better, shouting down your elders You're living An American Life