Words Copyright © Stan Nussbaum, 2024
Music and recording Copyright © Stuart R Brown, January 2025
Everything you need
The 'Performers Edition' on Bandcamp, featuring performance, backing tracks, bonus video & sheet music.
What is it?
Patriotic Confession is a song that is both patriotic and nonpartisan. It is based on an explicit commitment to Jesus the Messiah, not on the vague and generic view of "God" in American civil religion. The lyrics (below) say it all and need no summary. We're looking for churches with the humility and vision to take this on, also for singers able and willing to record it. If either of those describes you, we invite you to get in touch with us. All the resources you need are on the Bandcamp link above, which includes:
The lyrics, along with the back story, were published originally by Stan in his blog, see here.
Lyrics
1) From Maine to California,
From sea to shining sea,
Come, Spirit, bring us new life,
May your grace and peace flow free.
Our high ideals are all in tatters
And blood is on our hands:
Lord, from ourselves please free us
And heal our angry land.
Yes, it's time to be an American
And to follow Jesus Christ:
Let us not forget the man who died,
Who died to set all nations right.
So we sadly bow down at your feet
And with one heart we pray,
Lord, have mercy on this land:
God bless the USA.
2) How freedom tramples justice
As we demand the right
To cut lives off like fingernails:
Out of mind and out of sight.
'In God We Trust' declares our money
But how that money lies:
We trust ourselves and our dollars
And hope you'll take our side.
And it's hard to be an American
And to follow Jesus Christ:
But I won't forget the man who died,
Who died to set all nations right.
And I'll humbly bow down at his feet
And penitently pray,
Lord, have mercy on this land:
God bless the USA.
3) The Statue's fallen silent,
The Wall proclaims our fear,
Our boasts get old like whitewash,
We hear what we want to hear:
But broken treaties deck the hallways
Of history, to our shame,
The more our racism changes,
The more it stays the same.
Oh it's hard to be an American
And to follow Jesus Christ:
But I won't forget the man who died,
Who died to set all nations right.
And I'll humbly bow down at his feet
And penitently pray,
Lord, have mercy on this land:
God bless the USA.
Yes, we gladly bow down at your feet
And with one heart we pray,
Lord, have mercy on this land:
God bless the USA.
God bless the USA.
God bless the USA.
