The Great American Novel
Larry Norman Lyrics

I was born and raised an orphan in a land that once was free
Larry Norman was born in a nation once known for its freedom but raised without a family

In a land that poured its love out on the moon;
A nation that spent vast resources to visit the moon

And I grew up in the shadows of your silos filled with grain,
He was raised near granaries that produced food for others

But you never helped to fill my empty spoon.
Despite the agricultural abundance, he was not helped and nourished by the society around him

And when I was ten you murdered law with courtroom politics,
At the age of ten, he witnessed a miscarriage of justice in the courts

And you learned to make a lie sound just like truth;
The authorities became skilled at convincing the public of falsehoods

But I know you better now and I don't fall for all your tricks,
He has become wise to the deception of authorities

And you've lost the one advantage of my youth.
The authorities have lost their ability to deceive him due to his growing maturity

You kill a black man at midnight just for talking to your daughter,
Racial hatred often drives gruesome murder

Then you make his wife your mistress and you leave her without water;
The same people who commit brutal crimes engage in infidelity towards victims' family members

And the sheet you wear upon your face is the sheet your children sleep on,
The hypocrisy of the ruling classes is evident as they teach hate and fear to their children

At every meal you say a prayer; you don't believe but still you keep on.
Religious conformity is maintained but belief is lacking

And your money says in God we trust,
The official currency has a religious reference

But it's against the law to pray in school;
Authorities ban religious expression in schools

You say we beat the Russians to the moon,
Authorities tout their country's achievements as evidence of superiority

And I say you starved your children to do it.
The pursuit of national achievement comes at a great cost to the vulnerable

You are far across the ocean but the war is not your own,
The nation is embroiled in a distant conflict that has no direct bearing on the people

And while you're winning theirs, you're gonna lose the one at home;
Resources are being wasted abroad while the nation is crumbling at home

Do you really think the only way to bring about the peace
Peace is not solely achieved through war

Is to sacrifice your children and kill all your enemies?
The authorities should not seek peace through the death of innocent people

The politicians all make speeches while the news men all take note,
Politicians make grand speeches that are reported by the media

And they exaggerate the issues as they shove them down our throats;
The media sensationalizes issues to gain the attention of the public

Is it really up to them whether this country sinks or floats?
The fate of the nation should not be solely in the hands of the politicians and the media

Well I wonder who would lead us if none of us would vote.
The people should have a greater say in who leads the nation

Well my phone is tapped and my lips are chapped from whispering through the fence,
Personal privacy is under threat and communication is monitored

You know every move I make, or is that just coincidence?
The extent of surveillance by the authorities can be somewhat mysterious

Well you try to make my way of life a little less like jail,
The government should minimize rules that make life less enjoyable

If I promise to make tapes and slides and send them through the mail.
The authorities seek to control the nature of communication and art

You say all men are equal, all men are brothers,
The principle of equality must be reinforced in society

Then why are the rich more equal than others?
The rampant inequality in society contradicts the aspiration for equality

Don't ask me for the answer, I've only got one:
He has only one answer to the question of inequality

That a man leaves his darkness when he follows the Son.
True enlightenment comes from choosing a life guided by faith