Led by the husband-and-wife team of Glenn and Wendi Kaiser, the band has been the preeminent example of how to evangelize using Christian rock, but the quality musicianship of Resurrection Band has also been a driving force in the development of the Christian music industry at large. Glenn Kaiser also has an established solo career as a blues musican and is also a well-known speaker on various spiritual issues to youth and adults.
Official website: http://www.resurrectionband.com/
American Dream
Resurrection Band Lyrics
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Snarled visions of the dreamer condemned by his own dare,
As a child I asked the questions, but only for their sake,
Believing there were answers become my one mistake, yeah.
The holy morning paper slaps the steps of dawn,
America's doors open - let's see what's going on,
Confusion with our coffee, fear and frosted flakes,
A shuttle offstage, a change of scene,
The exposé of the American dream,
Watergate burglars, comedy relief,
Laugh at ideals, surviving our grief.
It's fool's gold for gilded fools,
Playing gaily with twisted rules,
Hail to the families in their TV rooms,
Suicide, genocide, abortion, cartoons,
Terrorism, violence, starving refugees,
Conscience crucified, reality recedes,
Nuclear tyrants, computerised plan holding hostage everyman.
"It won't happen" - 1950,
"It may happen" - 1965,
It will happen, just don't think about it.
From dust to dust, our lives fades away,
We are the wind's empty sighing,
Vanity, all is vanity - all but the cross, all but his dying,
All but the cross, all but his dying.
The lyrics to Resurrection Band's song "American Dream" provide a scathing critique of contemporary American society. The song speaks to the complexity of life and the internal struggles of people trying to understand the world around them. The first verse captures the frustration of the dreamer, who is condemned by society for daring to ask questions. The second verse references the daily routine of Americans, as they consume news and coffee while facing the confusion and fear of a troubled society. The song then goes on to touch on a variety of issues plaguing America, including corruption and scandal, violence and terrorism, and the dark side of American culture.
The song's powerful message reflects the band's known political and social commentary in their music. Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, has been a significant voice in the Christian rock scene since the 1970s. The band's sound was rooted in hard rock and heavy metal, and their lyrics often focused on social injustice and faith-related themes. The song "American Dream" was featured on their 1981 album "Hostage."
Line by Line Meaning
The complexity of life is a label I must wear,
I have to bear the burden of living in a world that is complicated and difficult to understand.
Snarled visions of the dreamer condemned by his own dare,
My aspirations and dreams have become twisted and impossible because I dared to think beyond what is reasonable and attainable.
As a child I asked the questions, but only for their sake,
I used to ask questions out of curiosity, but I didn't really understand or care about the answers.
Believing there were answers become my one mistake, yeah.
Realizing that there are no easy answers to life's questions has been my biggest regret.
The holy morning paper slaps the steps of dawn,
The daily news is like a wake-up call that startles us with its harsh reality.
America's doors open - let's see what's going on,
We are eager to find out what's happening in our country and the wider world no matter how bleak or disturbing it may be.
Confusion with our coffee, fear and frosted flakes,
We start our day in a haze of uncertainty and fear while trying to find some comfort in our morning routine.
The dollar takes another dive, another bubble breaks, yeah.
The economy is once again unstable and we are facing another financial crisis that threatens our livelihood.
A shuttle offstage, a change of scene,
We are taken on a journey to a different time and place where we can see the flaws and contradictions of the American Dream.
The exposé of the American dream,
We are shown the truth about the American Dream, which is not as perfect and achievable as it seems.
Watergate burglars, comedy relief,
Even a political scandal like Watergate can provide some comic relief from the constant bombardment of bad news and depressing events.
Laugh at ideals, surviving our grief.
We have lost faith in our highest aspirations and are struggling to find meaning and hope in a world that seems to be falling apart.
It's fool's gold for gilded fools,
The American Dream is a false promise that lures and traps those who are blinded by their own greed and ambition.
Playing gaily with twisted rules,
We are playing a game with rules that are rigged against us and that only benefit the powerful and the rich.
Hail to the families in their TV rooms,
We worship a false god of entertainment and escapism that keeps us docile and disconnected from the real world.
Suicide, genocide, abortion, cartoons,
We are bombarded with a mix of serious and trivial news that desensitizes us to the horror and violence that are part of our everyday life.
Terrorism, violence, starving refugees,
We are facing a global crisis of insecurity, inequality, and injustice that threatens the survival of humanity itself.
Conscience crucified, reality recedes,
We have lost our moral compass and our sense of reality in a world that is dominated by propaganda, lies, and manipulation.
Nuclear tyrants, computerised plan holding hostage everyman.
We are facing a looming threat of nuclear war and an Orwellian future where technology is used to control and oppress the masses.
"It won't happen" - 1950,
We used to be optimistic about the future and believed that progress and prosperity were inevitable.
"It may happen" - 1965,
We started to realize that our optimism was misplaced and that the future was far from secure or predictable.
It will happen, just don't think about it.
We have become resigned to a future that is uncertain and frightening and have lost hope in our ability to change it.
From dust to dust, our lives fades away,
We are mortal beings who are born, live, and die in a fleeting and fragile existence.
We are the wind's empty sighing,
We are like the wind, invisible and powerless, blowing aimlessly in the direction of fate and chance.
Vanity, all is vanity - all but the cross, all but his dying,
The only thing that can give us hope and meaning in life is the cross of Christ and his sacrifice on our behalf.
Contributed by Liam E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bigjon1359
The complexity of life
Is a label we must wear
Snarled visions of the dreamer
Condemned by his own dare
As a child I asked the questions
But only for their sakes
Believing there were answers
Become my one mistake, yeah
The holy morning paper
Slaps the steps of dawn
America’s doors open
Let’s see what’s goin’ on
Confusion with our coffee
Fear and frosted flakes
The dollar takes another dive
Another bubble breaks, yeah
A shuffle offstage, a change of scene
The expose of the American dream
Watergate burglars comedy relief
Laugh at ideals surviving our grief
It’s fool’s gold, for gilded fools
Playing gaily with twisted rules
Hail to the families in their TV rooms
Suicide genocide abortion cartoons
Terrorism violence starving refugees
Conscience crucified reality recedes
Nuclear tyrants computerized plan
Holding hostage everym-an
It won’t happen 1950
It may happen 1965
It will happen
Just don’t think about i-t
Form dust to dust our lives fade away
We are the winds empty sighing
Vanity, all vanity
All but the cross, all but His dying
All but the cross, all but His d-y-ing
Jerry Boone
Amazing how insightful this song really is. "The dollar takes another dive, another bubble breaks".
Ezbz
This was a defining album in my life. I can still recite this entire song.
Tommy Wales
my favorite tune by REZ. hands down.
Ed Young
36 years ago I had a friend who turned me onto this album. it was the first time I had ever heard Christian rock music.
This album still blow me away!
Don Mcc
The first Rez Band album I heard, and still my favorite.
Murray Pura
great band, great album, Glen Kaiser is still blues rocking, check out all his new CDs
LoveNPeace
Heard this in concert when I was like 9 yrs old. It was so awesome they smashed 2 electric guitars together. AWESOME!
Frank T
Great album point-blank... Each song with so much meaning Benny and, Sue.. Bigger in the alley way..
bigjon1359
The complexity of life
Is a label we must wear
Snarled visions of the dreamer
Condemned by his own dare
As a child I asked the questions
But only for their sakes
Believing there were answers
Become my one mistake, yeah
The holy morning paper
Slaps the steps of dawn
America’s doors open
Let’s see what’s goin’ on
Confusion with our coffee
Fear and frosted flakes
The dollar takes another dive
Another bubble breaks, yeah
A shuffle offstage, a change of scene
The expose of the American dream
Watergate burglars comedy relief
Laugh at ideals surviving our grief
It’s fool’s gold, for gilded fools
Playing gaily with twisted rules
Hail to the families in their TV rooms
Suicide genocide abortion cartoons
Terrorism violence starving refugees
Conscience crucified reality recedes
Nuclear tyrants computerized plan
Holding hostage everym-an
It won’t happen 1950
It may happen 1965
It will happen
Just don’t think about i-t
Form dust to dust our lives fade away
We are the winds empty sighing
Vanity, all vanity
All but the cross, all but His dying
All but the cross, all but His d-y-ing
Jim Loeffert
!st band I ever saw 'live', I am a huge Stryper fan, and they proved with 'The Covering' , Their musicianship is second to NONE! Yet 'Rez', 'Live', was an experience that I can honestly say, was simply 2nd to none. These guys to this day do it right! Praise God!