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Megan Keely - Define American

from For A Better Life by Various Artists

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about

I wrote this song in a moment of paralysis and heartbreak when I first heard of our president's plans to rescind DACA. My music made its first public foray into the topic of immigration reform back in 2013, when I was just beginning to learn about the plight of the Dreamers and the limitations on a clear path to citizenship for Dreamers and their families. That's when I co-wrote and contributed my song "Dream It Now" to the campaign supporting "The Dream Is Now," a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim. Fast-forward several years later and there is still no clear path to citizenship for so many individuals who I believe are vital to the fabric of our communities. Like all movements, immigration reform progresses in waves. I wrote "Define American" to lend a voice to DACA recipients, and specifically to direct energy towards the incredible story of Jose Antonio Vargas. A journalist born in the Philippines, Jose Antonio Vargas arrived in the US as a child and grew up to win the Pulitzer Prize for his courageous, brilliant writing. He also founded Define American, a nonprofit organization intended to open up dialogue about the criteria people use to determine who is an American. I hope my song encourages people to learn about his organization, read his breathtaking memoir "Dear America," and take a moment to embrace the common ground that holds us together as one unified humanity. ~ Megan Keely

lyrics

In the morning they wake up like you and I do
Brush their teeth and go to work like you and I do
Call their mom to say hello like you and I do
Rest their head when they are home like you and I do

Who are you to say they haven't earned their right to stay
They are more brave and just and true than any one of you
Charging forward on the front line, how do you Define American

When they were born they cried out like you and I did
Learned to walk and learned to talk like you and I did
But when they tried to learn to drive like you and I did
They were told to run and hide or say goodbye

Who are you to say they haven't earned their right to stay
They are more brave and just and true than any one of you
Charging forward on the front line, how do you Define American

credits

from For A Better Life, released December 3, 2019
Written by Megan Keely
www.megankeely.com
Megan Keely: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Brandon Keely: Bass
Gabe Witcher: Drums, Percussion
Steve Wyreman: Electric Guitars, Hammond Organ
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Engineer: Kevin Smith
Assistant Engineer: Grant Blackstock
Define American (Produced & Arranged by Brandon Keely, Gabe Witcher, and Megan Keely)
Recorded at Groove Masters in Santa Monica, CA
Remastered by Piper Payne at Infrasonic Sound, Oakland CA

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annie bacon & her OSHEN image

annie bacon & her OSHEN Ann Arbor, Michigan

Annie Bacon is a songwriter musician in Michigan. She aches for a more empathic humanity + her creativity orbits around this. She also composed a Folk Opera.

More at www.anniebacon.me

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