I been around
you could spend forever looking for a friend in this town
all you get to do is lay your dollar down
till you're stumbling drunk up the stairs again
and sign says welcome to American
Jerusalem

In the temples of American Jerusalem
they buy an ounce of South African gold
they don't care who was bought or sold
or who died to mine it
in the temples of American Jerusalem
they buy an ounce of Marseilles white
somewhere on a street with no light
somebody dies tryin' it

and somewhere in a crowd
lookin' the kind of way that makes you turn around
will be somebody who knows what it's about
and she's goin' to take the ribbons from her hair again
and welcome you to American
Jerusalem

In the alleys of American Jerusalem
the homeless lie down at the dawn
the pretty people wonder what they're on
and how they afford it
in the ashes of American Jerusalem
the prophets live their deaths out on the corner
the pretty people say there should have been a warning
but nobody heard it

then shadows lick the sun
the streets are paved with footsteps on the run
somebody must've got double 'cause I got none
I forgot to collect my share again
so go west to breathe the cleansing air again
go Niagara for your honeymoon again
go on the road if you're goin' to sing your tune again
go to sea to learn to be a man again
till you come on home to American
Jerusalem

© Rod MacDonald