The tattoos across your chest
they colour your skin
you where blessed like the rest
but cursed from the beginning
they're red, white and blue
like the national flag
and they have a hold on you
from birth to body bag
like on all of us in this brave, new world
Dead man walking
but you know that you're alive
dead man walking
but you know the soul survives
dead men walking
with strar-spangled eyes
time to take that dive
time to take that drive
the house that you lived in
is up for sale
it's a must-sell situation
without avail
you we're taught to hold your head up
to hold it up high
while you live in the gutter
to hold on to the sky
like all of us in this brave, new world
people saying
dead man walking
but you know the soul survives
dead men walking
with strar-spangled eyes
time to take that dive
time to take that drive
