For a young man, Luke Stricklin has seen quite a lot. A small town kid from Arkansas who gave 12 months to the streets of Baghdad, Stricklin has lived a lifetime in just under 23 years. And that dichotomy is one of several that not only defines an emerging country artist, but infuses his debut album with unexpected meaning.
The story of "American By God's Amazing Grace" has been told on news outlets ranging from CNN and Fox News to Newsweek and The Today Show.
Four years of hard work!This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
(Verse 1) DCadd9 Bottom of my boots sure are gettin worn GD An there's a lot a holes in this faded uniform DCadd9 My hands are black with dirt and so is my face GD I aint ever been to hell but it couldn't be any worse than this place DCadd9 Tell my wife don't worry cause I know what to do GD It makes her feel better sometimes but I don't know if it's true DCadd9 I know if I die it's just my time to go GD But I pray to God everyday that I make it back home
(Chorus) ACadd9 Well when you've seen what I've seen things don't seem so bad GD You quit worryin bout what you aint got an thank God for what you have ACadd9 Cause I could be raisin' my family in this place GGDCadd9G But I was born an american by God's amazing grace
G - F - D
(Verse 2)* For the last twelve months I've had a new address The neighborhood smells like sewage and the streets are lined with trash You never know what's gonna be the next thing to explode but unlike these people I have another home It breaks my heart to see these kids out on the streets walking barefoot through the trash diggin for something to eat I give them what I got just to let them know I care and I thank God it's not my son that's standing there
(Repeat Chorus)
(Verse 3) DCadd9 If you wanna talk about it you better keep it short GD Cause I got a lot a lost time I gotta make up for DCadd9 I really don't care why Bush went in-to Iraq GD I know what I done there an' I'm damn sure proud a that DCadd9 If you got somethin' bad to say about the U S A G You better save it for different ears unless you wanna crawl to pay DCadd9 An' I'll laugh in your face when you say you've got it bad GD Until you spent some time on the streets of Bahgdad
(Chorus) ACadd9 Well when you've seen what I've seen things don't seem so bad GD You quit worryin bout what you aint got an thank God for what you've had ACadd9 Cause you could be raisin' your family in this place GGDCadd9G But you were born an american by God's amazing grace