Lyrics
Oh pitiful for smoggy skies
Expressing sorrow for polluted skies
With amber lanes of waste
Describing highways filled with discarded materials
With Dreadful mountain poverty's
Highlighting severe poverty in mountainous regions
So many infants slain
Referring to the tragic deaths of many infants
America, America
Addressing America in a sorrowful tone
God shed his wrath on thee
Suggesting divine punishment on the nation
No livelihood, It's just not good
Pointing out the lack of viable employment
From sea to blackened sea
Depicting pollution from coast to coast
Time ticks away, but still they play
Despite time passing, people remain focused on conquest
With plans of conquering
Reference to ambitions of dominating industries
The industry, they think they're free
Comparing workers to powerless soldiers
Toy soldiers of the damned
Continued sorrow for the state of the nation
America, America
Repeating the sorrowful address to America
God shed his death on thee
Suggesting a divine end or doom for the nation
No livelihood, it's just not good
Reiterating the lack of adequate means to make a living
From sea to blackened sea
Re-emphasizing widespread pollution
Oh Beautiful for spacious skies
Describing the beauty of the nation's skies
With amber waves of grain
Contrasting the beauty of nature with pollution
With purple mountain majesties
Highlighting majestic mountains amidst a troubled landscape
Above the fruited plain
Depicting beauty in the midst of hardship
America, America
Repeating the address to America, invoking divine grace
God shed his grace on thee
Referencing unity and harmony among citizens
With crown thy hood and brotherhood
Symbolizing the nation's unity and shared values
From sea to shining sea
Extending the divine blessing across the entire nation
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