Not as great as it once was... ACOUSTIC FOR NOW by EMC Original Lyrics
VERSE 1
Yeah
I’mma talking ‘bout a place not as great as it once was
I’m not tryna dis or break down, it’s just because
They say, “This is the greatest place on Earth”
I’m not saying that it ain’t anymore the worth
I’m just tryna point out the real facts
Tryna point out the fake acts
Tryna make you see, take out the cataracts
They called it, “The land that was beautiful”
I ain’t saying its not, just more that it’s pitiful
The lands called America, land of the free home of the brave
Just listen on, this ain’t just a rave
Tryna show you the reality
It ain’t really that carefree
You still got some problems
And I only know of one guy who can solve ‘em
But as far as I’m concerned you already turned your back
Then when everything is breakin’ down you still wonderin’ what you lack
I mean, I love living here
But I still get the single tear
Thinking about how people gotta live on the streets
Using newspapers as their bedsheets
How people gotta sell their body
Just wanting to try and become somebody
I know America said, “The sky is the limit”
Seems like the only thing that’s holding people back
HOOK:
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s full of missed opportunities
America, that land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
VERSE 2
And it still seems like people are still being hated ‘cus they’re black
Or other ethnicities thinking that all the others lack
I thought that people came to get away from that?
People hatin’ and people gettin’ attacked
Let’s talk about some other issues
About how people still degrade the other gender
Funny how it goes both ways like a sender
Sad how people think that they can abuse others
People going to bed hearing their abused mothers
Cry themselves to sleep
Wanna just try to leave
But can’t because they can’t support themselves
But still feeling like something that gets put on the shelf
Families gettin’ broken
‘Cause none of the families matters are ever spoken
So they just run to the divorce
Thinkin’ it’s the correct source
Now let’s talk about the suicide
Funny how so many young people decide to die
They think that they have so much freedom
Thinkin’ they can end the pain, now that’s misleadin’
‘Cuz all they do is just merely pass it on
Thinkin’ that they the ugly duckling but they really the swan
With depression rates on the rise and freedom dying
Drug rates are popping
And some americans aren’t even stopping
Trying to enjoy it
Then becoming a slave and can’t even get unemployment
People growing up on the streets
Too afraid to sleep
People gettin’ killed and gettin’ raped
Soundin’ like NF, everybody looking for an escape
People like me growin’ up in foster care
Wishin’ that our real parents were there
Wishin’ that people would care for us
Only now being partly abused, I guess that’s a plus
I feel what’s even worse than this
Is that “Everybody hates Chris”
Yep, back to racial segregation
I ain’t tryna make an allegation
I’m just tryna show to you
That I hate this stuff, and that I’m still white too
Be pointin’ out something that you could've knew
But ‘nough ‘bout me and now what’s next?
How some people just get the checks
Keep it to themselves, don’t even care to make an effect
Then you vexed when they come to your door
You’ve learned to not answer, now it’s easy to ignore
It’s like the people of this country don’t even care no more
Not even encouraging people to soar anymore
HOOK:
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s full of missed opportunities
America, that land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
VERSE 3
What even ticks me off even more is that people risk their lives
Then come back and it seems like they get stabbed with a knife
‘Cuz they come back and find they don’t have a wife
Be like Lecrae, “Yeah, y’all probably couldn’t breath here, if I didn’t load a couple magazines here”
People, all they do is seem to complain
While the bothers are being sent home with bloodstains
All y’all got it blessed and made
Sittin’ in the hammocks with all the shade
While people out there defendin’ the land
Tryna defend the freedom and make a stand
Then people say they don’t want to be here
Then just listen and just leave here
People just need to listen
Just shut up and stop butt-kissin’
Realize what a great opportunity you got here
Just listen on and lend me your ear
I mean to say that America is blessed
Which it is, but it’s still in a mess
With all this havoc and wreck
I hope America can one day hit the deck
Get back to where we started
Go back up the path where we parted
I hope people listen to all of this and all the songs’ sections
And I hope America can turn around and start making some corrections
Because America is not as great as it once was…..
HOOK:
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s full of missed opportunities
America, that land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
Yeah
I’mma talking ‘bout a place not as great as it once was
I’m not tryna dis or break down, it’s just because
They say, “This is the greatest place on Earth”
I’m not saying that it ain’t anymore the worth
I’m just tryna point out the real facts
Tryna point out the fake acts
Tryna make you see, take out the cataracts
They called it, “The land that was beautiful”
I ain’t saying its not, just more that it’s pitiful
The lands called America, land of the free home of the brave
Just listen on, this ain’t just a rave
Tryna show you the reality
It ain’t really that carefree
You still got some problems
And I only know of one guy who can solve ‘em
But as far as I’m concerned you already turned your back
Then when everything is breakin’ down you still wonderin’ what you lack
I mean, I love living here
But I still get the single tear
Thinking about how people gotta live on the streets
Using newspapers as their bedsheets
How people gotta sell their body
Just wanting to try and become somebody
I know America said, “The sky is the limit”
Seems like the only thing that’s holding people back
HOOK:
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s full of missed opportunities
America, that land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
VERSE 2
And it still seems like people are still being hated ‘cus they’re black
Or other ethnicities thinking that all the others lack
I thought that people came to get away from that?
People hatin’ and people gettin’ attacked
Let’s talk about some other issues
About how people still degrade the other gender
Funny how it goes both ways like a sender
Sad how people think that they can abuse others
People going to bed hearing their abused mothers
Cry themselves to sleep
Wanna just try to leave
But can’t because they can’t support themselves
But still feeling like something that gets put on the shelf
Families gettin’ broken
‘Cause none of the families matters are ever spoken
So they just run to the divorce
Thinkin’ it’s the correct source
Now let’s talk about the suicide
Funny how so many young people decide to die
They think that they have so much freedom
Thinkin’ they can end the pain, now that’s misleadin’
‘Cuz all they do is just merely pass it on
Thinkin’ that they the ugly duckling but they really the swan
With depression rates on the rise and freedom dying
Drug rates are popping
And some americans aren’t even stopping
Trying to enjoy it
Then becoming a slave and can’t even get unemployment
People growing up on the streets
Too afraid to sleep
People gettin’ killed and gettin’ raped
Soundin’ like NF, everybody looking for an escape
People like me growin’ up in foster care
Wishin’ that our real parents were there
Wishin’ that people would care for us
Only now being partly abused, I guess that’s a plus
I feel what’s even worse than this
Is that “Everybody hates Chris”
Yep, back to racial segregation
I ain’t tryna make an allegation
I’m just tryna show to you
That I hate this stuff, and that I’m still white too
Be pointin’ out something that you could've knew
But ‘nough ‘bout me and now what’s next?
How some people just get the checks
Keep it to themselves, don’t even care to make an effect
Then you vexed when they come to your door
You’ve learned to not answer, now it’s easy to ignore
It’s like the people of this country don’t even care no more
Not even encouraging people to soar anymore
HOOK:
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s full of missed opportunities
America, that land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
VERSE 3
What even ticks me off even more is that people risk their lives
Then come back and it seems like they get stabbed with a knife
‘Cuz they come back and find they don’t have a wife
Be like Lecrae, “Yeah, y’all probably couldn’t breath here, if I didn’t load a couple magazines here”
People, all they do is seem to complain
While the bothers are being sent home with bloodstains
All y’all got it blessed and made
Sittin’ in the hammocks with all the shade
While people out there defendin’ the land
Tryna defend the freedom and make a stand
Then people say they don’t want to be here
Then just listen and just leave here
People just need to listen
Just shut up and stop butt-kissin’
Realize what a great opportunity you got here
Just listen on and lend me your ear
I mean to say that America is blessed
Which it is, but it’s still in a mess
With all this havoc and wreck
I hope America can one day hit the deck
Get back to where we started
Go back up the path where we parted
I hope people listen to all of this and all the songs’ sections
And I hope America can turn around and start making some corrections
Because America is not as great as it once was…..
HOOK:
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s full of missed opportunities
America, that land that’s not as great as it once was
America, the land that’s not as great as it once was