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America I Let You Down (Johnny Seagull)

from Help Yourself by Songs of Tom Smith

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lyrics

Johnny SeaGull has pulled off a heartfelt version of a song about a topic close to his heart. It is one of bunch of songs written as a spin off to the Camp Cowboy Preacher character. We ended up recording this song as part of The Mad Preacher album. The Mad Preacher character is prone to speaking in tongues, frothing at the mouth and falling prey to the devil in its many forms. It is a commentary on the partnership of right-wing religion and politics.

I first met Johnny in the 2016(?) Adelaide Fringe when he had just arrived in Australia and was looking to play some music. We were putting on Rock n Roll Orgy and through Jason Bootle's connections

it had been suggested a few of us might be able to help him find some collaborators. We were probably the first people he got to know in Adelaide and our musical partnership has been incredibly fruitful and feels like it has only just begun.

Lyrics:

Tender warrior Jesus/We need our story fixed
To redeem a world so random/A rock where history’s built
Christ in the middle classes/Each family with a man as head
The Earth it is God’s Kingdom/He will love it to death

CHORUS
As it strikes you down, God’s Justice will be swift
My authority allows, as it strikes you down

Ever since the Depression/FDR’s New Deal
We need Discipline and not Mercy/His Right Hand will redeem
His left hook’s thrown in Judgement/Kennedy went splat
Vietnam, Crack and AIDS/9/11 and Iraq

CHORUS

Bridge
Oh America how I let you down
Look what I created, see the mess I made
Get your ass outta there
Jesus the experiment has/failed

We need another 9/11/Do you get my point?
A full revival of the spirit/ Really rock this joint
History’s horrors are just like God/when he spanks a child
Obedience is a gift from Him/The Holy Spirit will provide

Deny my time to speak/And the right to bear all arms
Judgement will rain down hard/But I am feeling calm
The trumpet sounds alarm/Before the Lord you stand
Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho/This is the Promised Land

CHORUS

Bridge

credits

from Help Yourself, released April 23, 2021

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The Songs of Tom Smith Brisbane, Australia

The Songs of Tom Smith is a recording and performance project created by Tom in 2012. It has a large pool of musicians across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

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