Land of the Free
LAND OF THE FREE G, capo 2
People in chains, in the land of the free G C G D G
People in chains, in the land of the free Em A7– D–
Chained to sugar, TV screens Em G7
Comfort zone, designer jeans C C#dim
People in chains in the land of the free G E7 A7 D7 G
Chained to my cell phone while I drive Em G7
You wonder how I stay alive C C#dim
People in chains in the land of the free G A D
And if I’m red, or if I’m blue, Em G7
I’m chained to my point of view C C#dim
People in chains in the land of the free G E7 A7 D7 G
We go to the mall and we all pay our fee C C#dim G
Just to worship on bended knee A7— D
But everybody’s got so much stuff G G7
Ain’t ever gonna be enough C C#dim
Got to have more, in the land of the free G E7 A7 D7 G
It’s easy to see, in the land of the free,
It’s all about me, in the land of the free!
Hooked on pleasure, hooked on pain,
Caffeine, and capital gain,
And everybody’s in chains in the land of the free! G A7 D G
©Doug Hendren
The United States is the largest consumer market on the planet, with a 30% share of global consumer expenditure, despite having only a little over 4% of the world’s population.
Does all our “stuff” make us happier? The data don’t seem to support it. And most of it seems to end up in long-term storage, or in a landfill.
You may have seen “The Story of Stuff” by Annie Leonard when it was released in 2007. It’s only 20 minutes long, and very entertaining, despite the seriousness of the topic. I wonder if there is a connection between our high consumption and our comparatively happiness ratings. What do you think?