Artist in America by Hamell on Trial Lyrics
[Spoken word intro]
I recently spent an extended period of time
At the Heartbreak Hotel
Strategically located on Lonesome Avenue
Adjacent to Desolation Row
South of the Lost Highway
I fought the law, the law won
My mailbox read "Mr. Pitiful"
Fulfilling the prophecy of the bad moon on the rise
I had lost my race with the devil
I was moaning at midnight
I was Mr. Dieingly Sad
Constantly in a cold sweat
Goin' through that hideous state of withdrawal known as "cold turkey"
Drinkin' cold gin
And tryin' to melt the cold cold heart of the universe
But were you to take a journey to the center of my mind
You would find admittedly a ball of confusion
But I still maintain love is a beautiful thing
See if God is a concept by which we measure our pain
Then Awabalalabawoobie is my god
Someone say my life and I and it was rock and roll
In the immortal words of Joan Jett
"I love rock and roll"
Rock and roll will never forget
Rock and roll will never die
I got the rockin' pneumonia
The boogie woogie flu
I'm a-hungry like the wolf
I got my mojo workin'
And I'm back, back in black
I got a chain gang
Back to let you know
I can really shake 'em down
[Verse 1]
[Singing]
I'm still drivin' while you sleep
I got to get it done
Ain't no days off for me
Truck stops motels on the cheap
A 2000 mile run
Regrets in absentee
The country end to end
In every town a friend
[Chorus]
And I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I steal, I'm real, I kneel to no living soul
I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I fuck, I suck
I chuck for this rock and roll
My rock and roll
[Verse 2]
They will have you mop the floor
They know dignity
It's all pearls before swine
To spend your whole life chuckin' chores
For a lost society
That'll all blow up in time
Yeah, that dream crashed and burned
And if it's what I learned
[Chorus]
Then I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I'm obscene, I scream
I dream big as the sky
I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I ride outside with Rod to find out why
To find out why
[Verse 3]
[Rapping]
Yeah, I cried more than ninety-six tear
I cried a river
I was shakin' all over
My mind was wound to them changes
I had a love hangover
But I'm all cried out
It's a kind of a hunch
I ain't gonna eat out my heart anymore
I will survive
I am:
Iron Man!
[Guitar solo]
[Singing]
They told me to pack it right
Set up straight, settle down
And work that job
For years and years
And years
Well I go back there to the site
There's no job to be found
And I'm glad I mugged my aid
So this, the less traveled road
That still makes my heart explode
[Chorus]
And I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I'm real, I steal, I kneel to no living soul
And I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I'm lucked, I'm chucked, I'm stuck
On this rock and roll
My rock and roll
I recently spent an extended period of time
At the Heartbreak Hotel
Strategically located on Lonesome Avenue
Adjacent to Desolation Row
South of the Lost Highway
I fought the law, the law won
My mailbox read "Mr. Pitiful"
Fulfilling the prophecy of the bad moon on the rise
I had lost my race with the devil
I was moaning at midnight
I was Mr. Dieingly Sad
Constantly in a cold sweat
Goin' through that hideous state of withdrawal known as "cold turkey"
Drinkin' cold gin
And tryin' to melt the cold cold heart of the universe
But were you to take a journey to the center of my mind
You would find admittedly a ball of confusion
But I still maintain love is a beautiful thing
See if God is a concept by which we measure our pain
Then Awabalalabawoobie is my god
Someone say my life and I and it was rock and roll
In the immortal words of Joan Jett
"I love rock and roll"
Rock and roll will never forget
Rock and roll will never die
I got the rockin' pneumonia
The boogie woogie flu
I'm a-hungry like the wolf
I got my mojo workin'
And I'm back, back in black
I got a chain gang
Back to let you know
I can really shake 'em down
[Verse 1]
[Singing]
I'm still drivin' while you sleep
I got to get it done
Ain't no days off for me
Truck stops motels on the cheap
A 2000 mile run
Regrets in absentee
The country end to end
In every town a friend
[Chorus]
And I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I steal, I'm real, I kneel to no living soul
I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I fuck, I suck
I chuck for this rock and roll
My rock and roll
[Verse 2]
They will have you mop the floor
They know dignity
It's all pearls before swine
To spend your whole life chuckin' chores
For a lost society
That'll all blow up in time
Yeah, that dream crashed and burned
And if it's what I learned
[Chorus]
Then I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I'm obscene, I scream
I dream big as the sky
I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I ride outside with Rod to find out why
To find out why
[Verse 3]
[Rapping]
Yeah, I cried more than ninety-six tear
I cried a river
I was shakin' all over
My mind was wound to them changes
I had a love hangover
But I'm all cried out
It's a kind of a hunch
I ain't gonna eat out my heart anymore
I will survive
I am:
Iron Man!
[Guitar solo]
[Singing]
They told me to pack it right
Set up straight, settle down
And work that job
For years and years
And years
Well I go back there to the site
There's no job to be found
And I'm glad I mugged my aid
So this, the less traveled road
That still makes my heart explode
[Chorus]
And I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I'm real, I steal, I kneel to no living soul
And I'm an artist in America
I'm an artist in America
I'm lucked, I'm chucked, I'm stuck
On this rock and roll
My rock and roll