"You stuff someone into the American Dream, and it becomes a prison. " -Craig Thomas
Born In The USA
Bruce Springsteen
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Though Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" has a positive sounding title, the song isn't all good things about the American Dream. This song is about war involving America and the death and pain it brings to its citizens and fellow dream followers. The person who this song was about was in Vietnam, and he didn't want to be there. This shows that he was trapped in a society that makes people do things they don't want to do, quite like a prison as Craig Thomas would say. Seeing death and destruction all around him, the man realizes the dark and disastrous path that America went down during Vietnam. This soldier, along with many other Vietnam soldiers, did not want to be where he was, and was being forced to by America. Killing people is no sane persons dream, so he wasn't accomplishing his American Dream, but America's American Dream. When he should of been spending time going after his own dreams, the soldier couldn't because he was stuck fighting in a deadly and bloody war that was risking his life. Being Born in the USA isn't always a fair or good thing, as America killed many innocent bi standers in the Vietnam war. "Born in the USA" tells the story of a Vietnam soldier who was stuck in America's dark prison, going with Craig Thomas' quote. The American Dream is not present in times of war, because war is not anybody's dream to happen, and war tears apart families, people, and nations.
Nowhere Man
The Beatles
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"Nowhere Man", by The Beatles, shows what happens to people who chase their dreams for too long, and end up wasting their time on failure. With a self explanatory title, "Nowhere Man" is about a guy who focuses on one thing for a chunk of his life. This goal, or dream, leads to him going nowhere, and ends up sucking up his life, landing him in a "prison". With The Beatles saying to the Nowhere Man, "you don't know what your missing", this explains the endless possibilities that are available to people, but instead they pursue the American Dream. A person that becomes so intertwined with their dreams, has gone too far, and will eventually be met with failure. The Beatles also say "just sees what he wants to see" meaning the Nowhere Man only strives to reach his goal, and not anything else. He only chooses to see what appeals to him, bot to help anybody else out. Without the help from other people, more and more dreams will not be completed, because dreams aren't completed by just one person. This is a sad truth for many people that become associated with the American Dream, because they waste so much life on going after dreams that wont see accomplishment. The Beatles "Nowhere Man" exemplifies the prison that the American Dream can create to some people that become so obsessed with it.
Piano Man
Billy Joel
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"Piano Man", by Billy Joel is a song about Americans living the American Dream on a daily basis. Getting a stable job is the dream of many Americans throughout history, and in this song, many people are introduced, and how the American Dream affects their lives. This artifact goes with Thomas' quote because the people in this song find themselves trapped in a prison, in which they are doing the same thing day in and day out, just to achieve the American Dream. The lyrics, "Now Paul is a real estate novelist, who never had time for a wife. And hes talking with Davy, whose still in the Navy, and probably will be for life." explains the things people go through for their achievement of the American Dream. Paul is so involved with work, that he is not able to get a wife, on the factor of risking his American Dream. Davy has been doing the same thing for a long time, and probably will be for his whole life, just to achieve his personal American Dream. These people do whatever it takes, just to succeed, and they got wrapped in the prison of the American Dream. "Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone." symbolizes that deep down these people are tired of what they do everyday, and they are alone. They don't have time for other people because they are so caught in the game of the American Dream. This song displays the sad consequences that are brought to people who spend their whole lives on their dreams, instead of actually living life in the moment. It also shows the American Dreams ability to ruin peoples lives, and contain them in a prison of doing the same thing every day.
American Girl
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
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"American Girl", by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, is about an American female who feels that the principles of American culture are too basic, and there is more to life in other places. Opening on the lyrics "She couldn't help thinking' that there was a little more to life somewhere else.", Petty describes what life is for this young lady. The girl in this song was born into a original American family, with the simple lives that Americans were supposed to have. She didn't want to have that simple life, but wanted something different from everybody else. This artifact goes against Thomas' quote because she wasn't stuck in a societal prison, but was free to express herself how she wanted. Her American Dream was being different than everyone else, and having a different dream from them. Instead of having a good job and a family, and making good money, she just wanted to express herself, and be different. In American societies today, being different isn't always good, because people will treat the different person like a outcast, and that person will stand out from the others. If her American Dream was to be different, then she might not have reached it, due to societies rule over the people. An American Dream is not efficient if not everybody's dream can be met with accuracy. Being free to chance the American principles of her family, this American Girl went against Thomas' quote of a American Dream being like a prison.
American Idiot
Green Day
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"American Idiot", by Green Day is an anti America song, about everything that is wrong with America. All the problems pertaining to America in this song, limit ones capability to achieve the American Dream. This song goes with what Thomas says about America being a prison because according to the singer, America is not a good nation to be in. Opening on the lyrics "Don't want to be an American Idiot." it sets the stage for the rest of the song, and how the person this song is about, doesn't want to be associated with America. In a world where the media controls us, Green Day says, "One nation controlled by media.", meaning America runs on the media, and its false reports given to its citizens. Calling America an idiot is straight forward to the feelings of America. This song is about the fall and decline of the American Dream and how citizens cannot succeed in this nation, and they cannot achieve their true dreams. Green Day sings about politics and how they control us, and how they are slowly bringing our nation down a dark path. Green Day just doesn't want their nation to be ruined by selfish American politicians. The American Dream cannot be accomplished with the leaders being so judgmental and selfish towards its citizens. Like a prison, these citizens are stuck with the power going to the government, and not the people. This system cannot work in a nation, and the American Dream is dead, according to Green Day.
This Land is Your Land
Woody Guthrie
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Perhaps one of America's defining songs, Woody Guthrie sings about America and its freedom to its people. The song takes time to describe the beautiful geographical and physical features that Americans are able to be around while living in America. This song goes against Craig Thomas' quote because Thomas says the American Dream is about a prison, but Guthrie summarizes it as a beautiful place to live and be in. The song is well known by many people, of different race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc. that live in America. It unites the people and brings them together as one label; Americans. This song sends a positive message to Americans, increasing their moral and characteristics, allowing them to strive to achieve their American Dream. Originally called "The Land of Opportunity", Guthrie gave this song to Americans, in hopes that through times of struggle ad upheaval, Americans would come together and truly be the United States of America. Guthrie wrote this song thinking that true Americans needed to label everyone the same, and appreciate the beautiful country of America. In this song, the lyrics "This land was made for you and me" symbolizes that America isn't for one specific type of person, but rather all Americans together. It also means that the land was made for not just one economic setting, but all. This song is truly about America's freedom, and equality, and it is not a prison, like Thomas says.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Green Day
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This song by Green Day has a self explanatory title. "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" symbolizes all of the failures of the American Dream. Many Americans aren't lucky enough to see their personal American Dream be successful, and it ends with disappointment and failure. This artifact goes with Craig Thomas' quote because the person this song is about was caught in the American Dream, and the failures led to a prison for him. In the song, Green Day sings "Till then I walk alone". This symbolizes the truth of the American Dream, and how it can lead to somebody being alone, with only a broken dream. The song also says " I walk these empty streets". This means that he is not the only one whose dreams have failed, and the American Dream is corrupt enough to grant failures to a good amount of people. This song is about people trying to succeed on their own, but in reality, people can't truly achieve their dreams without the help from other people. The American Dream can lead to the kind of pain and failures that Green Day sing about in this song. This song is about the wanting of a successful American Dream, but knowing it won't happen. It goes with Thomas' quote by the way the American Dream traps people in a societal prison.