"American Dream" song?

[Shine]

So it's the last month of my senior year of high school. As our last "project" for English, we have to give a short presentation about a song that's about the "American Dream" and explain it. I would love to do a DT song for this, but I can't think of any that really apply to the American dream. Am I going to have to look elsewhere, or do you have a song in mind that would fit the bill?

If not, what songs by other artists do you think apply to the American dream? I'm really having trouble come up with anything here, not many artists write music about living comfortably and having a loving family...

[Adami]

Pain of Salvation - America.

Oh yes.



Seriously though, you need song ABOUT the American Dream? Or promoting it? Can it be critical of it and so forth?

[theseoafs]

That's an interesting assignment. We talked a lot about the American Dream in one of my English units in high school too.

Not too many of DT's songs are even tangentially related to the American Dream. If you wanted to do a song that was critical of America, there are a couple of DT songs that might work, namely the political ones -- Prophets of War or On the Backs of Angels.

Honestly, music that fully endorses the American Dream is not common, and especially not in rock and roll. You could go in completely the opposite direction and do something like Somewhere That's Green from the musical about the hungry plant, but even that song is ironic.

Maybe Song for America by Kansas?

[SystematicThought]

On The Backs of Angels is basically about the fading image of the American Dream. Even a lyric about it


Bleeding us to death
The new American Dream

[Shine]

It's meant to be something along the lines of "What is your American dream."

From the rubric "How does the artist feel about the American Dream? What is YOUR American Dream? How does it compare to the typical American Dream?"

I'm not really looking for something profoundly personal here, which is why I'm asking for assistance. I'm really just looking for something that can be shoehorned in to being about the American dream. I've already given just about all my fucks for this school year with our last research project, and can't be bothered searching through my entire music collection just for this small presentation.

[Shine]

Honestly, music that fully endorses the American Dream is not common, and especially not in rock and roll.

This is exactly my problem. I can't think of any music that I listen to that is about living within your means and having a loving family.

[theseoafs]

Yup, OTBOA would work well. Just explain how they don't care for the American Dream, per this song.

[YtseJamittaja]

Yup, OTBOA would work well. Just explain how they don't care for the American Dream, per this song.

This.

[Furby]

Yeah OTBOA would work well. I believe, given the video, and live imagery, that it is specifically focused on how the 'american dream' has changed with regards to the nature of money. With the current existence of centralised banks, ever-expanding FIAT currency, being traded digitally in essentially global hyper-casinos, constantly widening the gap between the rich and poor, and mathmatically leading towards a complete collapse. And this has changed from, and directly ignored many of the sentiments of the founding fathers (angels), whose original american dream, is what allowed these people to prosper and eventually make these changes.

Pain of Salvation - America.

Oh yes.

That would be awesome, but probably not the best choice for a serious assignment 

[Tis BOOLsheet]

Pick a country song

[robwebster]

Honestly, music that fully endorses the American Dream is not common, and especially not in rock and roll.

This is exactly my problem. I can't think of any music that I listen to that is about living within your means and having a loving family.

Octavarium fits the bill.

I never wanted to become someone like him, so secure
Content to live each day just like the last
I was sure I knew that
This was not for me
And I wanted so much more
Far beyond what I could see
So I swore that I'd
Never be someone like him

So many years have passed
Since I proclaimed
My independence
My mission
My aim
And my vision
So secure
Content to live each day like it's my last
It's wonderful to know
That I could be
Something more than what I dreamed
Far beyond what I could see
Still I swear that I'm
Missing out this time

As far as I could tell
There's nothing more I need
But still I ask myself
Could this be everything
Then all I swore
That I would never be was now
So suddenly
The only thing
I wanted
To become
To be someone just like him

Blah blah blah, family values, job's a good'un.

[ZKX-2099]

You can thank me later for your A+.

[IdoSC]

Living by your own means: Octavarium, The Answer Lies Within

Being limited by society and so: Never Enough, As I Am

Political (partially): Sacrificed Sons, Prophets of War

Regarding ideology and beliefs about the society: On the Backs of Angels, A Rite of Passage

[Moonchild]

Queensryche - I'm American
.

[AngelBack]

Rock might not be the genre, try *holds nose* Country.

[ZirconBlue]

Queensryche - I'm American
.

Or something from Promised Land, like the title track or "One More Time"

[ZirconBlue]

Yeah OTBOA would work well. I believe, given the video, and live imagery, that it is specifically focused on how the 'american dream' has changed with regards to the nature of money. With the current existence of centralised banks, ever-expanding FIAT currency, being traded digitally in essentially global hyper-casinos, constantly widening the gap between the rich and poor, and mathmatically leading towards a complete collapse. And this has changed from, and directly ignored many of the sentiments of the founding fathers (angels), whose original american dream, is what allowed these people to prosper and eventually make these changes.

It appears we have a gold bug in our midst. 

[comment]

Yeah OTBOA would work well. I believe, given the video, and live imagery, that it is specifically focused on how the 'american dream' has changed with regards to the nature of money. With the current existence of centralised banks, ever-expanding FIAT currency, being traded digitally in essentially global hyper-casinos, constantly widening the gap between the rich and poor, and mathmatically leading towards a complete collapse. And this has changed from, and directly ignored many of the sentiments of the founding fathers (angels), whose original american dream, is what allowed these people to prosper and eventually make these changes.

It appears we have a gold bug in our midst. 

GB or not, Furby that's a great summary and tie in with OTBoA.     You know Rand Paul has quoted and used Rush tunes in his campaign.  Someone needs to introduce his daddy to OTBoA.  Maybe Ron Paul would become a DT fan if he's not one already. 

@post:  The Great Debate comes to mind.  More for the title and the content illustrating that debate is really the American dream that makes all individual American dreams possible.  It's a bit deep, but maybe your teacher would like it and you'll create a few DT fans in the process. 

[Tis BOOLsheet]

You should just do a project on Bridges in the Sky and say at the end that it doesn't have anything to do with the assignment, it's just one hell of a song.

[wolfandwolfandwolf]

You should do that Toby Keith song where he wants to put a boot in your ass.

That's American.

[ZirconBlue]

You should do that Toby Keith song where he wants to put a boot in your ass.

Sounds kinky.