Welcome to the United Snakes

Music can spread many messages, but lately in our generation, people spreading the truth aren't recognized. While you're listening to Lady Gaga or Lil Wayne, there are artists like Brother Ali who are throwing down beats that make you think. It's refreshing to me that music hasn't fallen into the same loop that holds no meaning to it. Many of our American Ideologies are questioned in this song such as our national pride, trust in our government, freedom, and even religion. He's outright saying, "Open your eyes and take a look around". There's havoc in our country and we don't even realize it even though it's right in front of us. I believe this song really is a wake up call compared to the new music being created.

There's many ways to interpret this song, but what I got from it was basically, can we really trust our government? After listening to this song, I began questioning what freedom really meant. I also wondered how much trust we actual put into our elected officials. He uses powerful lyrics speaking about where tax money is actually going in lyrics such as "S**t the governments an addict, with a billion dollar a week kill brown people habit." Also, our national pride is being put under the spot light in this song. History is addressed showing that we have made progress, but at what cost? The people who came here basically stepped on the Native Americans and enslaved people as they went along. In certain lines, Brother Ali speaks about it such as when he says, "pioneered so many ways to degrade a human being that it can't be changed to this day." Is our history justified just because we can say "look at where we're at now"?

You don't have to agree with my opinion, but this song makes so much sense. Although I realize our government is not perfect, we contribute to the spreading madness. Can you believe it? We contribute to funding wars even when we're against the idea of it. When I hear this song, I begin thinking about what our country really stands for. Take a look at the chorus for example.
"Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grant imperial guard where the dollar is sacred
And power is God"
This part made me wonder if our country is worth being praised. The settlers did pretty much steal this land and not only that, but as years progressed, they brought slaves as well. Those slaves were mistreated and didn't have any kind of freedom until someone finally stood up for them. There seems to always be some kind of segregation in this country. Notice how the chorus emphasizes how money has become valuable and above all, religion has power. I couldn't believe I was further questioning my home just from hearing one song. When he said "Now stand your a** up for that national anthem", I found myself smiling at how true this was. How can we be proud of a history that still continues in a different form? Maybe the government really is the addict spending money on war instead of schools. It's a terrible thing when you take a step back and look at the total damage done. There's so much I can say about this song, but all I can really say is listen to this song carefully and let everything sink in.


"Uncle Sam Goddamn" by Brother Ali. Track 12 on "The Undisputed Truth" (2007)

Uncle Sam Goddamn by Brother Ali

Ah,
The name of this song is Uncle Sam Goddamn
It's a show tune but the show ain't been written for it yet.
We're gonna see if tony Jerome and the band
can maybe work this shit out for me
And straighten me out right quick
I like it so far man

Yeah

Come on, let's go

Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grand imperial guard where
the dollar is sacred and proud

Let's do this shit for real, come on now

Smoke and mirrors, stripes and stars
Stollen for the cross in the name of God
Bloodshed, genocide, rape and fraud
Written to the pages of the law, good lord

The cold continent latch key child
Ran away one day and started acting foul
King of where the wild things are, daddy's proud
Cause the roman empire done passed it down

Imported and tortured the work force
They never healed the wounds or shook the curse off
Now the grown up Goliath nation
Holdin open auditions for the part of David, can you feel?

Nothing can save you, you question the rain
You get rushed in and chained up
fists raised but I must be insane
Cause I can't figure a single goddamn way to change it

Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grant imperial guard where the dollar is sacred and power is God

Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grant imperial guard where the dollar is sacred and power is God

All must bow to the fat and lazy
The fuck you obey me and
why do they hate me, who me?
Only two generations away from
the Worlds most despicable slavery trade

Pioneered so many ways to degrade a human being
That it can't be changed to this day
Legacy so ingrained in the way that we think
We don't only need chains to be slaves

Lord it's a shameful display
The overseers even got raped along the way
Cause the children can't escape from the pain
And they're born with the pores
and this hatred in their veins

Try and separate a man from his soul
You'll only strengthen him and lose your own
We'll shoot that fucker if he walk near the throne
Remind him that this is my home (Now I'm gone)

Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grant imperial guard where the dollar is sacred and power is god

Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grant imperial guard where the dollar is sacred

Hold up, gimme one right here, hold up

You don't give money to the bums
On the corner with a sign, bleeding from their gums
Talking much, you don't support a crackhead
What you think happens to the money from yo' taxes

Shit the governments an addict
With a billion dollar a week kill brown people habit
And even if you ain't on the front line
When the master yell crunch time you right back at it

You ain't look at how you hustling backwards
And the end of the year add up what they subtracted
3 outta twelve months your salary
Paid for that madness, man that's sadness

What's left get a big ass plasma
To see where they made Dan Rather point the damn camera
Only approved questions get answered
Now stand your ass up for that national anthem

Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grant imperial guard where the dollar is sacred and power is God

Welcome to the united snakes
Land of the thief, home of the slave
Grant imperial guard where the dollar is sacred and power is God

[instrumental break]

Custom made, the consumer news

Keep saying we're free
But we're all just blue (x3)

Custom made, the consumer news
Keep saying we're free
But we're all just blue

Uncle Sam Goddam Lyrics