Lyrics Young Man in America - Anaïs Mitchell

Young Man in America

My mother gave a mighty shout
Opened her legs and let me out
Hungry as a prairie dog
Young man in America, young man in America
Hungry, hungry, running every which way
Young man in Americay
I come out like a cannonball
Come of age with alcohol, raven in a field of rye
With a black and roving eye, black and roving eye
Ravenous, ravenous, what you got, it’s not enough
Young man in America
Oh, shelter, mother shelter, mother shelter us, ooh
My father was a lord of land
My daddy was a repo man, put me out onto the street
Didn’t give a damn for me, did not give a damn
Daddy, daddy, gonna wish you never had me
I’m a young man
I’m growing right before your eyes
I might grow to such a size
Blow in like a hurricane everyone will know my name
Everyone’ll know my name
Blowing in, blowing up, shadow on the mountaintop
Young man in America
Oh, shepherd, father shepherd, father shepherd us, ooh
In my feathers and furs, clothes of many colors
Many men will envy me when I’m in my finery, me in my finery
Envy me, envy me, spending all my bright money
Young man in Americay
Maybe one day I’ll climb the stairs with a girl of golden hair
Hold her like a sword and shield, up against this lonely world
Up against the world, it’s a lonely, lonely world
For a yellow-headed girl and a young man
Like the wind I make my moan, howling in the canyon
There’s a hollow in my bones, make me cry and carry on
Make the foam fly from my tongue, make me want what I want
Another wayward son waiting on oblivion
Waiting on the kingdom come to meet me in my sin
Waiting to be born again, mother, kiss me cheek and chin
Mmm, a little medicine, mmm, and then I shed my skin
Mmm, and lemme climb back into the bed you made me in