The Knight You’ve Been Waiting For
Uncle Sam stops pointing toward some distant savior and turns his finger back toward us.
This is the one, two, three, four, five, sixth song I’ve created from the point of view of Uncle Sam. It is a call to action to those people who sit on the sidelines complaining that no one is doing anything about the state of affairs, yet they sit idly by, taking no action themselves.
Lyrics
I’m older than the flag you’ve been standing under, son
I’ve seen us lose our nerve, watched our country come undone
But I’ve been counting up the wreckage that they left behind this year
The losses in the courtrooms where the lawyers disappear
I’ve seen this fascist tide before, I’ve seen it pull back out
I’ve stood on docks of certainty and watched the certain drown
The polls are surely turning, like a tanker in the bay
The culture’s catching on to what they’ve been trying to wipe away
I’m not asking for a hero, nor some dramatic scene
I WANT YOU to stop the waiting, you’re the one I came to find
I WANT YOU to wear the armor that you’ve had on the whole time
You’re the one I’m pointing at, you’re the one I mean
I don’t need you in a uniform, I don’t need a single gun
I need you in the meeting hall when the meeting is no fun
I need you on the Tuesday that you’d rather sleep right through
I need the door you knock on twice because the first time, no one knew
It’s the ride you give a stranger to the polling place at dawn
It’s the kid you helped get registered before the deadline’s gone
We didn’t build this country with one battle, one campaign
We built it with a million small right things, not one in vain
I’m not asking for a hero, not some dramatic scene
I WANT YOU to stop the scrolling, start the showing up
I WANT YOU to do the small thing till the small thing is enough
You’re the one I’m pointing at, you’re the one I mean
I’ve watched whole empires gut themselves and call it victory
I’ve watched the ash turn into orchards more than once in history
The thing they’re burning down right now, you think it’s only loss
But I’ve seen what grows back greener when you finally pay the cost
You’ve been waiting on a knight in shining armor, scanning the horizon line
But no horse is coming, no stranger’s gonna save you in the nick of time
You’ve had the armor on since birth, you just forgot to look
You’re not waiting for the story, son, you’re the one who writes the book
I’m tired of being a picture, I’m raising my damn voice
I’m done waiting for a hero, this was always your choice
So if you’ve ever loved this country…
Prove it now
I’m not asking for a hero, not some thrilling scene
I WANT YOU to make a phone call, knock on one more door
I WANT YOU to do it today, not some day you’re waiting for
I hope you know by now…you’re the one I mean