American Son

Set sail a ship for the Martian Cydonia
I am a traveler longing to fly.
Strong as a white tail buck,
running on Yankee luck,
and I'll claim the sky.

Carry me back to the dawning with Jefferson
muskets and garrisons, ideals aflame.
The world was new, pray tell,
shocked when the red lines fell
in the blaze of my aim.

Many times over, well they wrote my epitaph.
I had the final laugh second to none.
Just light this candle and don't bet against me, boys.
I'm an American Son.

Mention my name in the poolhalls of Albany.
They will remember me wild and young,
author of countless schemes,
father of strange machines,
a rascal to some.

My brother and I had words down in Gettysburg.
I cried when Atlanta burned, the century changed.
Doughboys and bathtub gin,
flappers and jazz-age sin
in the radio age.

chorus

Bury my heart on the beaches of Normandy;
the price paid for liberty flowed in my veins.
I died on bone white sand,
on beaches where French girls tan.
We sang Lilli Marlene.

I hit the 50's with plastic and Chevrolet,
lasers and Willie Mays, blue jeans and scars.
I pumped the oil stores of liquefied dinosaurs,
and turned to the stars

chorus

So set sail a ship for the Martian Cydonia
I am a traveler longing to fly...
I've split the atom wide
I'm ready to lock and ride
and I'll never die.