Conquering America

Tracy Chapman is still doing it. Most people remember her bursting upon the music scene back in the late 1980s, catching our ears with a stunning debut album that contained the hit single “Fast Cars.” Since then she has continued to record consistently good albums, sticking close to her folk roots, but sadly the impact of her music seems to have been drowned out by the current proliferation of hip-hop influenced fare. A few months ago she released an excellent new album; Where You Live. One of the strongest songs on the album, both lyrically and musically, is a tune called “America.” But don’t go thinking that the song is a patriotic ode to the beloved country. Oh no, this is one the old flag-wavers won’t like hearing.
Here are some sample lyrics:

You were lost and got lucky
Came upon the shore
Found you were conquering America
You spoke of peace
You waged a war
While you were conquering America
There was land to take
And people to kill
While you were conquering America
You served yourself
Did God’s will
While you were conquering America
The meek won’t survive
Or inherit the earth
‘Cause you’re still conquering America