Born Again American was conceived and midwifed by Norman Lear, who collaborated with Keith Carradine and Mark Johnson of Playing for Change. It's a project of Declare Yourself!, a non-profit dedicated to increasing young voter participation and civic involvement.
I'd call it an exercise in citizenship, myself. Despite the evangelical overtones, I don't believe there's any intent here to marginalize other religions or lack thereof, merely an effort to use an existing frame that provides instant context and understanding. As President Obama said in his inaugural address, there is a price, as well as a promise, of citizenship.
I am
a born Again American
I am my Country's Keeper
My President and my
Congress report to me
And so --
I will stay informed and involved
I will make my voice heard
And not just at election time
I can make a difference
I matter
I am an American, Born Again
Born Again American original lyrics, by Keith Carradine:
Just a workin’ man without a job
It got shipped off to China via Washington, D.C.
And I know I’m nothin’ special, there are plenty more like me
Just the same
I thought I knew the rules of the game
I stood up for this country that I love
I came back from the desert to a wife and kids to feed
I’m not sayin’ Uncle Sam should give me what I need
My offer stands
I’ll pull my weight you give me half a chance
I went up to a congressman and said to him “you know
Our government is letting people down”
He said he’d need a lot of help to buck the status-quo
I said there was a bunch of us around
I’m a Born Again American, conceived in Liberty
My Bible and the Bill of Rights, my creed’s equality
I’m a Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
My brother’s welding chassis at the plant
He’s earning what our granddad did in 1948
While CEOs count bonuses behind the castle gates
How can they see
When all they care about’s the do re mi
It’s getting where there’s nowhere left to turn
Not since the crash of twenty-nine have things been so unfair
So many of our citizens are living in despair
The time has come
To reaffirm that hope’s not just for some
The promise of America’s surrendering to greed
The rule is just look out for number one
But brace yourself ‘cause some of us have sown a different seed
A harvest of the spirit has begun
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and The Bill Of Rights
My creed’s equality
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
It’s clear my country’s soul is on the line
She’s hungering for something that she lost along the way
The principle the framers called upon us to obey
That in this land
The people’s will must have the upper hand
I felt the calling once before and took a sacred vow
And faithful to that vow I have remained
I hear the calling once again, my country needs me now
And to her cause I have been re-ordained
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and the Bill Of Rights, all people living free
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
A M E R I C A
Aside from being a clear progressive anthem (with strong evocation of evangelical christian fundamentalism*), Born Again American is also a new experiment in crowdsourcing.
* I note that the original lyric is "My Bible is the Bill of Rights", according to Keith Carradine, but the one used in the song generally is "My Bible and the Bill of Rights".
If you go to the site, you'll be presented with an opportunity to "sign the pledge", but more interesting is the remix options. You are encouraged to add your own video (of you singing, presumably), and to remix a copy of the video with the existing videos on site, plus a lot of stock footage of "America Then" and "America Now". There's even a place to add your own lyrical variations. You can also see at least some full length videos of the various versions of the song (here's Keith Carradine's, for instance).
It's for sale in iTunes (iTunes link), and on YouTube (as seen above).
I'll be interested to see what emerges from the crowdsourcing piece of this. I find the song itself inspiring.
(h/t to Seeing the Forest)
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