Young Man in America - Anaïs Mitchell

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