All American: What a Country! - Ray Bolger & All American Ensemble

Blessed are the poor in spirit For we know we need you Blessed are the poor in spirit For we know we need you I loosen the grip Where I've held on too tight I lay down my riches And give up my rights I won't be holding on I'm letting go Blessed are the hungry children For we'll be satisfied Blessed are the hungry children For we'll be satisfied I won't spend my gold On bread that won't fill I look to the heavens Knowing only you will Jesus I'm hungry Come satisfy me Jesus I'm hungry Come satisfy me Blessed are the pure in heart For we will see God Blessed are the pure in heart For we will see God

My father was a tattoo artist in Haiphong But his designs on mother didn't last too long My mother sold her body, high on Betel nuts My job was bringing red-faced monsieurs to our huts Selling your mom is a wrench Perfume can cover a stench That's what I learned from the French Then it all changed with Dien Bien Phu The frogs went home. Who came? Guess who? Are you surprised we went insane With dollars pouring down like rain? Businessmen never rob banks You can sell shit and get thanks That's what I learned from the Yanks I'm fed up with small-time hustles I'm too good to waste my talent for greed I need room to flex my muscles In an ocean where the big sharks feed Make me Yankee, they're my fam'ly They're selling what people need What's that I smell in the air The American dream Sweet as a new millionaire The American dream Pre-packed, ready-to-wear The American dream Fat, like a chocolate eclair As you suck out the cream Luck by the tail How can you fail? And best of all, it's for sale The American dream Greasy chinks make life so sleazy In the States I'll have a club that's four-starred Men like me there have things easy They have a lawyer and a body-guard To the Johns there I'll sell blondes there That they can charge on a card What's that I smell in the air? The American dream Sweet as a suite in Bel-air The American dream Girls can buy tits by the pair The American dream Bald people think they'll grow hair The American dream Call girls are lining time square The American dream Bums there have money to spare The American dream Cars that have bars take you there The American dream On stage each night: Fred Astaire The American dream Shlitz down the drain! Pop the Champagne! It's time we all entertain My American dream! ENGINEER and CROWD: Busboys can buy the hotel The American dream Wall Street is ready to sell The American dream Come make a life from thin air The American dream Come and get more than your share The American dream There I will crown Miss Chinatown All yours for ten percent down The American dream

To be that good, it must be taxin' There's no such thing as satisfaction You're makin' things happen while I'm relaxin' Like a Sunday afternoon My dad used to tell me I was lazy I got dance moves like Patrick Swayze I'm the leftover turkey for the world's mayonnaise The star next to the moon Now I know I'm just here to amuse you And I don't mean to abuse you But if I could just use you one more time Tell me what it's like to be the queen of it all The Neiman Marcus of the Mall And tell me what it's like to be the one and only All American Girl Now, I never had a supernatural feelin' Not to mention a sexual healin' But every now and then I get to the kneelin' To thank Him for it all But you probably got some inside connection So many numbers that you gotta Rolodex them So much muscle that you never gotta flex them To catch you when you fall And I know I'm just here to amuse you And I don't mean to confuse you But if I could just use you one more time Tell me what it's like to be the house on the hill The number one diet pill And tell me what it's like to be the one and only All American Girl Now I bet you won't say you get crazy Or that you don't shave your legs when you're lazy Or that you're just like everybody else in the world You just got lucky, that's all And I know you're not here to amuse me But you sure know how to confuse me So if I could just ask you once again To tell me what it's like to be a star on the rise A breakfast cereal prize And tell me what it's like to be the one and only All American Girl The All American Girl The all amazing, crazy girl

We're all American girls And we love the life that we lead We're all American girls Hear what we say, know what we mean We're all American girls And we love the life that we lead We're all American girls Hear what we say, know what we mean The day has finally come We're reaching out for number one We've worked hard all of our lives It's a fight just to survive You'd better get this straight Wise up before it's too late We're not threatened by your lies Or your goodbyes We're all American girls And we love the life that we lead We're all American girls Hear what we say, know what we mean Sometimes the struggle gets rough You give your all, but it's not enough A vacant job at the top Don't let them tell you that right you're not We're not asking to reverse Roles so long rehearsed Give us an equal share That's just fair We're all American girls And we love the life that we lead We're all American girls Hear what we say, know what we mean We're all American girls And we love the life that we lead We're all American girls Hear what we say, know what we mean All American All American girls All American All American We're all American girls (all American) And we love the life that we lead (wise up before it's too late) We're all American girls Hear what we say, and know what we mean We're all American girls (yeah) And we love the life that we lead 'Cause we're all American girls Hear what we say, and know what we mean (yeah) We're all American girls And we love the life that we lead (wise up before it's too late) We're all American girls Hear what we say