What America Means To Me

While I experienced my most recent existential crisis, a song found its way onto XM's alternative station that just whipped me into a frenzy. Of course, I never heard it again and spent the next week patiently waiting for it to re-play. It never did. I finally broke down today and bought the CD. I'll explain more about it later. I just want to point out the things that came to my attention while this song buzzed around my subconcious.

1. BIKES BABES AND BEER. I saw this tshirt in a store, right when I walked onto the sales floor. Now, if you knew the song I was thinking of, you would instantly recognize the irony.


2. Battle In Seattle. I saw the last half of this movie, which made me think about for what and whom the Constitution was really written. I have enough upper class college credits in American History to have a minor, and if you knew what I learned, you would understand.

3. Old men who drive around with the flag pasted to their car. Wait. What? I don't get it. What are they trying to say? What does the flag flapping in the breeze really represent to them? I can only hear this song when I see them.

4. Lung cancer. I have it because some shitbag corporations thought it in their best interests to burn hydrocarbons. Fuck you. All the gold in the world . . .

5. God and Science don't work together for evangelicals. I was touched by a song by Lee Ann Womack called "There is a God." Then I heard Lee Ann say that scientists are wrong about evolution. Great. So much for a song to uplift me spiritually.

6. Someone I love drank again. This song says exactly what it is like to be caught in the toilet drain of alcoholic drinking.

7. The most recent economic boom/bust cycles. This song sounds like what the world seemed like to me while everyone else was whipping around making money off the stock market/their homes.

The song I was looking for is called GOLD GUNS GIRLS and is by a Canadian band called Metric. It rocks. Only a Canadian band could point this out. Unless of course it was an American band called Green Day--or are they Canadian too?

All the gold and the guns in the world
Couldn't get you off
All the gold and the guns and the girls
Couldn't get you off
All the boys, all the choices in the world

I remember when we were gambling to win
Everybody else said better luck next time
I don't wanna bend let the bad girls bend
I just wanna be your friend
Is it ever gonna be enough?

Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?

All the lace and the skin in the shop
Couldn't get you off
All the toys and the tools in the box
Couldn't get you off
All the noise, all the voices never stop

I remember when we were gambling to win
Everybody else said better luck next time
I don't wanna bend let the bad girls bend
I just wanna be your friend
While you're giving me a hard time
I remember when we were gambling to win
Everybody else said ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?

More and more, more and more...

Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?
Is it ever gonna be enough?