Great, great song. It's just a bunch of verses that use the same progression over and over.
G c
In America you’re born with a silver spoon
G D
Or in the back of the bus by the light of the moon
Em C
And when you die they say “It’ll all be changing soon
G D G
And you’ll be free, you’ll be free, you’ll be free”
G C
It was two hundred years of war that lit that freedom torch
G D
Went from Southhampton fields up to the White House porch
Em C
And they’re still shooting all the kids for trying to break that yoke
G
How can you breathe?
D
How can you breathe?
G
How can you breathe?
G C
They gave a fortune away to some Wall Street bank
G D
Like a treasure was sunk on a ship already sank
Em
And they’re still standing on the deck
C
Trying to get us to walk the plank
G D G
While they’re lost at sea, lost at sea, lost at sea
G C
But I ain't never had more than ten dollars to my name
G D
And I’ve been told my whole life, “Boy you got to hide your shame”
Em C
For being born like a match set afire by the flame
G D G
But I will burn free, I will burn free, I will burn free
G C
When I look all around me, I wonder where they’ve gone
G D
All the people that I loved reduced to memories in a song
Em
I can hear them trying to remind me
C
Just remember right from wrong
G D G
Because we fought for thee, we fought for thee, we fought for thee
G C
But I see hatred in the eyes of all these people running scared
G D
Like the world’s been taken by someone who finally dared
Em
To just stand up and say we’re staying
C
We’re not going anywhere
G D G
And we will be free, we will be free, we will be free
G C
In America you’re born with a silver spoon
G D
Or in the back of the bus by the light of the moon
Em C
And when you die they say, “It’ll all be changing soon
G D G
And you’ll be free, you’ll be free, you’ll be free”
G
So I wonder which was the lie
C
The past in it’s glory
G
or the promise of a future
D
you and I may never see
Em C
‘Cause the reasons I've been given sound like bullshit to me
G D G
We’ll wait and see, wait and see, wait and see
G C
Now America, I know I’m not your favorite son
G D
But I did my time and I’m not hurting anyone
Em C
I’m just tired of living at the point of a gun
G
When will you see?
D
When will you see?
G
When will you see?
Em
When you say we’re free
C
N.C.
You don’t mean me
N.C.
You don’t mean me