It s coming through a hole in the air
From those nights in Tiananmen Square.
It s coming from the feel
That this ain t exactly real
Or it s realbut it ain t exactly there.
From the wars against disorder
From the sirens night and day
From the fires of the homeless
From the ashes of the gay:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It s coming through a crack in the wall;
On a visionary flood of alcohol;
From the staggering account
Of the Sermon on the Mount
Which I don t pretend to understand at all.
It s coming from the silence
On the dock of the bay
From the bravethe boldthe battered
Heart of Chevrolet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It s coming from the sorrow in the street
The holy places where the races meet;
From the homicidal bitchin
That goes down in every kitchen
To determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
Where the women kneel to pray
For the grace of God in the desert here
And the desert far away:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

Sail onsail on
O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail onsail onsail onsail on.

It s coming to America first
The cradle of the best and of the worst.
It s here they got the range
And the machinery for change
And it s here they got the spiritual thirst.
It s here the family s broken
And it s here the lonely say
That the heart has got to open
In a fundamental way:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It s coming from the women and the men.
O babywe ll be making love again.
We ll be going down so deep
The river s going to weep
And the mountain s going to shout Amen!
It s coming like the tidal flood
Beneath the lunar sway
Imperialmysterious
In amorous array:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

Sail onsail on ...

I m sentimentalif you know what I mean
I love the country but I can t stand the scene.
And I m neither left or right
I m just staying home tonight
Getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I m stubborn as those garbage bags
That Time cannot decay
I m junk but I m still holding up
This little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

- Back to the Songs of the Album The Future

- Back to the Leonard Cohen's Albums