– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

John KY believes in

America and he knows that it's not

enough for just some of us to prosper

for alongside our famous individualism

there's another ingredient in the

American Saga a belief that we're all

connected as one people if there is a

child on the south side of Chicago who

can't read that matters to me even if

it's not my child if there's a senior

citizen somewhere who can't pay for

their prescription drugs and having to

choose between medicine and the rent

that makes my life poor even if it's not

my

grandparent if there's an Arab American

family being rounded up without benefit

of an attorney or due process that

threatens my civil

liberties it is that fundamental

belief it is that fundamental belief I

am my brother's keeper I am My Sister's

Keeper that makes this country

work it's what allows us to pursue our

individual dreams and yet still come

together as one American Family e pluris

UNAM out of many

one now even as we speak there are those

who are preparing to divide us the Spin

Masters the negative ad Peddlers who

embrace the politics of anything goost

well I say to them tonight there is not

a liberal America and a conservative

America there is the United States of

America there is not a Black America and

a white America and Latino America and

Asian America there's the United States

of

America the pundants the pundits like to

slice and dice our country into red

States and blue States

red States for Republicans blue States

for Democrats but I've got news for them

too we worship an awesome God in the

blue States and we don't like federal

agents poking around in our libraries in

the red

States we coach little league in the

blue States and yes we've got some gay

friends in the red

states there are patriots who oppose the

war in Iraq and their Patriots who

supported the war in Iraq We Are One

people all of us pledging allegiance to

the Stars and Stripes all of us

defending the United States of

America in the

end in the end in the end that's what

this election is

about do we participate in a politics of

cynicism or do we participate in a

politics of

Hope John KY calls on us to Hope John

Edwards calls on us to hope I'm not

talking about blind optimism here the

almost willful ignorance that thinks

unemployment will go away if we just

don't think about it or Health Care

crisis will solve itself if we just

ignore it that's not what I'm talking

about I'm talking about something more

substantial it's the hope of slaves

sitting around a fire singing freedom

songs the hope of immigrants setting out

for diff Distant

Shores the hope of a young Naval

Lieutenant bravely patrolling the makong

Delta the hope of a mill worker's son

who dares to defy the odds the hope of a

skinny kid with a funny name who

believes that America has a place for

him

too hope hope in the face of difficulty

hope in the face of

uncertainty The Audacity Of Hope in the

end that is God's greatest gift to us

the Bedrock of this nation a belief in

Things Not Seen A belief that they're

better days ahead I believe that we can

give our middle class relief and provide

Working Families with a road to

opportunity I believe we can provide

jobs to the jobless homes to the

homeless and reclaim young people in

cities across America from violence and

despair I believe that we have a

righteous wind at our backs and that as

we stand on the cross roads of History

we can make the right choices and meet

the challenges that face US America

tonight if you feel the same energy that

I do if you feel the same urgency that I

do if you feel the same passion that I

do if you feel the same hopefulness that

I do if we do what we must do then I

have no doubt that all across the

country from Florida to Oregon from

Washington to Maine the people will rise

up in November and John Cary will be

sworn in as president and John Edwards

will be sworn in as vice president and

this country will reclaim its promise

and out of this long political Darkness

a brighter day will come thank you very

much everybody God bless you thank you

watch

[Applause]

[Applause]

you

[Applause]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
believe /bɪˈliːv/ B1	verb - accept that (something) is true, especially without proof.
prosper /ˈprɒspər/ B2	verb - flourish; be successful.
individualism /ˌɪndɪvɪˈdʒuːəlɪzəm/ C1	noun - the principle of being independent and self-reliant.
connected /kəˈnektɪd/ A2	adjective - joined or linked.
prescription /prɪˈskrɪpʃən/ B1	noun - an order for medicine written by a doctor.
liberties /ˈlɪbərtiːz/ B2	noun - the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on freedom.
fundamental /ˌfʌndəˈmentl/ B2	adjective - forming a necessary base or core; of central importance.
pursue /pərˈsjuː/ B1	verb - follow or chase someone or something.
divide /dɪˈvaɪd/ A2	verb - separate into parts.
politics /ˈpɒlɪtɪks/ B1	noun - activities associated with the governance of a country or other area.
liberal /ˈlɪbərəl/ B2	adjective - relating to or supporting individual rights and freedoms.
conservative /kənˈsɜːrvətɪv/ B2	adjective - holding to traditional attitudes and values.
patriots /ˈpeɪtriəts/ B1	noun - a person who loves and defends their country.
allegiance /əˈliːdʒəns/ B2	noun - loyalty and devotion to a person or cause.
election /ɪˈlekʃən/ B1	noun - a formal and organized choice by vote.
optimism /ˈɒptɪmɪzəm/ B2	noun - hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
immigrants /ˈɪmɪɡrənts/ A2	noun - a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.
despair /dɪˈspeər/ B2	noun - the complete loss or absence of hope.

Key Grammar Structures

• John KY believes in America and he knows that it's not enough for just some of us to prosper

  ➔ Present Simple + knows that + it's not enough

  ➔ The Present Simple is used for habitual actions or general truths. 'Knows that' introduces a clause explaining knowledge. 'It's not enough' is a contraction emphasizing insufficiency.

• there's another ingredient in the American Saga a belief that we're all connected as one people

  ➔ There is + another ingredient + a belief that

  ➔ 'There is' is used to introduce the existence of something. 'Another ingredient' indicates an additional element. 'A belief that' introduces a noun clause describing the belief.

• if there is a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read that matters to me

  ➔ If + there is + who can't read + that matters

  ➔ 'If' introduces a conditional clause. 'There is' is used for existence. 'Who can't read' is a relative clause describing the child. 'That matters' is a subject-verb agreement emphasizing importance.

• I am my brother's keeper I am My Sister's Keeper

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement + possessive apostrophe

  ➔ The sentence demonstrates subject-verb agreement with 'I am'. The possessive apostrophe in 'brother's' and 'Sister's' shows ownership.

• we can make the right choices and meet the challenges that face US America

  ➔ Modal verb + and + relative clause

  ➔ 'Can' is a modal verb expressing ability. 'And' connects two actions. 'That face US America' is a relative clause modifying 'challenges'.