The lyrics to "America"*:

Ya-a-a-a-ao

We take medication to be someone else
And we take off our clothes to pay for the bills
Where downloading content will buy you a sentence
And murder is free in the Hollywood hills

And I'm living one big nightmare, the ugly truth has a model face
Making saints out of useless pop stars
Where's the intelligence?

A-M-E-R-I-C-A
Home of the free, the sick and depraved
A-M-E-R-I-C-A
So why the fuck are you looking at me?

Oil prices are so high we can't feed ourselves
So we buy into fast food and occupy the will
We upload our status and beg for attention
While they're all eating cake up on Capitol Hill

Still living in one big nightmare
God save the human race
Handing convicts fame in HD
Glorified ignorance

A-M-E-R-I-C-A
Home of the free, the sick and depraved
A-M-E-R-I-C-A
So why the fuck are you looking at me?

[Whispered]
A-M-E-R-I-C-A
Home of the free, the sick and depraved
A-M-E-R-I-C-A
So why the fuck are you looking at me?

A-M-E-R-I-C-A
Home of the free, the sick and depraved
A-M-E-R-I-C-A
So why the fuck are you looking at me?

The Meaning of "America":

"America" is basically the bands way of showing every little flaw and molded piece of society that America has, which happens to be a lot. In the song they speak of how Americans worship ignorant and crazy pop musicians with little or no talent; they mention the oil prices being too high to be manageable for the majority; and they talk of how people are more interested in their social networks than actually caring about what's going on. This slam at our country is definitely exercising the 1st Amendment. The music video for this song is equally hard-hitting, portraying a pedophilic priest and a glutton who owns fast food chains, a pop star so drugged and broken she cannot function and bystanders there to watch it all and smile or stare. The whole set-up for the video is staged as a circus, which in and of itself is an insult.

This is just an awesome song with excellent lyrics.

Look forward to a new Song of the Week every Wednesday!
Lyrics courtesy of AZLyrics

This song touches a close spot to my heart for many reasons. When I was in 7th grade we had to do a Health Outreach Project so I created a slide show based on this song and the It Gets Better Project, and here are the slides:

The very first time I heard "Make It Stop," it sent chills down my spine and filled my eyes with tears; it still does.

The lyrics to "Make It Stop"*:


Woah, woah.

Bang, bang go the coffin nails, like a breath exhaled,
Then gone forever.
It seems like just yesterday, how did I miss the red flags raised?
Think back to the days we laughed.
We braved these bitter storms together.
Brought to his knees he cried,
But on his feet he died.

What God would damn a heart?
And what God drove us apart?
What God could?

Make it stop.
Let this end.
Eighteen years pushed to the ledge.
It's come to this,
A weightless step.
On the way down singing,
Woah, woah.

Bang, bang from the closet walls,
The schoolhouse halls,
The shotgun's loaded.
Push me and I'll push back.
I'm done asking, I demand.

From a nation under God,
I feel its love like a cattle prod.
Born free, but still they hate.
Born me, no I can't change.

It's always darkest just before the dawn.
So stay awake with me, let's prove them wrong.

Make it stop.
Let this end,
Eighteen years pushed to the ledge.
It's come to this,
A weightless step.
On the way down singing,
Woah, woah.

The cold river washed him away,
But how could we forget?
The gatherings hold candles, but not their tongues.

And too much blood has flown from the wrists,
Of the children shamed for those they chose to kiss.
Who will rise to stop the blood?

We're calling for,
Insisting on, a different beat, yeah.
A brand new song.

Whoa, whoa [x3]
(Tyler Clementi, age 18.
Billy Lucas, age 15.
Harrison Chase Brown, age 15
Cody J. Barker, age 17
Seth Walsh, age 13.)

Make it stop,
Let this end.
This life chose me, I'm not lost in sin.
But proud I stand of who I am,
I plan to go on living.

Make it stop,
Let this end,
All these years pushed to the ledge,
But proud I stand, of who I am,
I plan to go on living

The Meaning of "Make It Stop":

This song is about the 5 boys who all committed suicide in September of 2010. It protests the bullying that LGBTQ kids undergo day by day, and aims to inspire bullied teens to keep trying because life gets better. There is so much to say about how this song can make one feel, but just watching the video or hearing the song or reading the lyrics says it all, and I don't want to bring shame to this song.

A huge part of this song is part of the It Gets Better Project, a project started by Dan Savage and Terry Miller, who are trying to show teens who are struggling just how much better life will become if you just stick through it.
This is their original It Gets Better video:

Make sure to go and check out the It Gets Better Project Website.

This song seriously changed my life and woke me up to the horrors that so many kids go through. I suggest you go listen to this song. It's amazing.