American Spirits

I was raised on a Jesus who was white and prestigious
Said he never would leave our little country behind
Said the pledge of allegiance
Said I'd never smoke weed
And that my Bible I'd read it when I couldn't decide
But the sermons were telling me
Hell was a felony
And heaven's the guilty plea that keeps me alive
So my friend went and shot himself
The Jesus he asked for help
Was probably somewhere else
Said, "son, get in line"

Oh lord, can you hear it?
The American spirit
I don't wanna go near it
You can smoke one outside
You can try to veneer it
The American spirit
Oh, but something will smear it
Just you give it the time

I was born in a city built on homes of the Cherokee
And named after Muskogee words to describe
We hijack the narrative, say that it's heritage
Tell them how good it is that history's white
Leave out the stolen land, replace it with Dixieland
And everyone claps their hands and sings its delight
You can face it or just forget, I ask for a cigarette
You hand me a silhouette smoking a pipe

Oh lord, can you hear it?
The American spirit
I don't wanna go near it
You can smoke one outside
You can try to veneer it
The American spirit
Oh, but something will smear it
Just you give it the time

I believed in a master plan, the natural good in man
Eventually shows its hand and takes home the pot
But I'm holding my hopes within, get fooled once get fooled again
You're bleeding American for something it's not

Oh lord, can you hear it?
The American spirit
I don't wanna go near it
You can smoke one outside
You can try to veneer it
The American spirit
Oh, but something will smear it
Just you give it the time
You can try to steer it
The American spirit
Oh, but something commandeers it
Like the wind in the pines
You can face it or just forget
I ask for a cigarette
You hand me a silhouette
Smoking a pipe