WE WERE BORN ON THE EDGE OF A ONE HORSE TOWN WHERE THE GRAVEL TURNED TO DIRT
BAPTISED BY FIRE AND IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, BLUE COLLARS ON OUR SHIRTS
WELL WE GREW UP FAST AND WE GREW UP MEAN AND WE GREW UP OUT OF CONTROL
WE GREW UP LIVING TO ROCK, THEN THE GIRLS TAUGHT US HOW TO ROLL
YEAH BLINDED BY OUR OWN BRIGHT LIGHTS TO THE WAYS OF THE WICKED WORLD
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MIDDLE WEST WHILE THE FLAGS OF WAR UNFURLED
BUT WE NEVER THOUGHT TWICE BOUT THIS AMERICAN LIFE, WE GET TO LIVE

ALTERNATE VERSE:
REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY WHEN OUR WHOLE LIVES
REVOLVED AROUND A BALL AND GLOVE
AND WE LAID IT ALL ON THE LINE EVERYTIME JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT WE WERE MADE OF
AND THE INNINGS OF OUR LIVES PLAYED OUT JUST LIKE AN OLD JOHNNY COUGAR SONG
PARADISE CITY BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG
YEAH AND SOME OF US GOT TO COLLEGE, SOME SIGNED UP FOR WAR
SOME WENT STRAIGHT FROM SCHOOL TO WORK AT THE FACTORY NEXT DOOR
BUT WE NEVER THOUGHT TWICE, BOUT THIS AMERICAN LIFE…HI YI YI

1…2…3...GO!)

WELL I GOT MY FIRST KISS ON A SUMMER’S NIGHT IN THE ALLEY BEHIND THE CHURCH
SHE WAS KICKIN OFF SPARKS LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY BENEATH JESUS ON HIS PERCH
NOW SOMETIMES THESE DAYS I CATCH MYSELF STILL STARRING OFF INTO THE NIGHT
WISHIN ON SOME STAR ABOVE THAT WE WERE STILL RUNNING BLIND
BUT LIKE RAIN ON THE MOUNTAIN, OR LONELY WAVES UP ON A SHORE
INNOCENCE HAS BEEN WASHED AWAY LIKE ANCIENT DAYS OF YORE

NOW THE DAYS OF LIFE KEEP FLYIN BY WHILE WE’RE MARCHING THROUGH OUR 9 TO 5’S
KAMIKAZES ARE FILLING UP OUR SKIES IN THE DAY FOR ALL SLOW MEN TO DIE
BUT THERE’S A FIRE STILL BURNING DOWN BELOW
I GOT ELVIS AND DON QUIXOTE ON THE PHONE
WHILE THE GOOD AND THE BAD AND THE UGLY PRAY FOR ONE LAST GREAT WHITE BUFFALO
BUT WE NEVER THOUGHT TWICE BOUT THIS AMERICAN LIFE
OH NO WE NEVER THOUGHT TWICE BOUT THIS AMERICAN LIFE