I remember getting intimidated and busted at age 13 by the police I remember my friend Tate Bryan getting shot in the Back in Tampa, Florida for his first-offense burglary I remember the police firing at the crowds and Killing children 'cause they were the wrong color I remember the narcs from my high School trying to set me up for a big fall I remember the police bringing dogs Into our school and sniffing away my rights The police is the klan is the mafia And they're all the police state and they're out for me, And soon they're going to be out to get you, So you better get going if you know It's good for ya and take your stand I remember when I first went to school They said don't be a joker, don't be a fool Pledge your allegiance to the red, white, and blue Don't expect your country to do nothin' for you They said your forefathers loved you But I only had one And I watched him die in the heat of the sun Suckin' up the bullets of a policeman's gun There was nothin' I could do but stay away In the U.S.A. you gotta take your chances If you plan on stayin' free They say this is the land of the living But they're trying to make a dead man out of me I remember when I first hit the road I was runnin' from the lenders of the money I owed Came to Austin, heard a knock at my door Crossed another border and I'm runnin' some more They say they're gonna get me but it ain't happened yet Burnin' my fingers on my last cigarette It's time to remember, it's time to forget Nothin' I could do but get away In the U.S.A. you gotta take your chances If you plan on stayin' free They call this the land of the living But they're trying to make a dead man out of me I remember all the stories I heard How a man's supposed to be about as free as a bird My brother's in prison, my father's dead Me, I'm tired of living with a price on my head I wonder if there's a place to be In the whole wide country for a fella like me Name's in the paper, face on T.V Nothin' I can do but get away In the U.S.A. you gotta take your chances If you plan on stayin' free They call this the land of the living But they're trying to make a dead man out of me In the U.S.A. you gotta take your chances If you plan on stayin' free They call this the land of the living But they're trying to make a dead man out of me