Roddy Renfrew - In the Fifties Lyrics

In the fifties, a war was over
And MacMillan said 'we never had it so good'
Waved goodbye to a worn out Europe
Well, who needs Rome when you've got Hollywood

Charlton Heston, Doris Day
There to show us
The American Way

Little by little we learned to love America
The stars, the cars, the gangsters and the guns
Oh and day by day just dying to see America
And little by little we tried so hard to become
Little Americans

In the fifties, we went dancing
To a rhythm that just rushed into our souls
Saved our money, to look at Elvis
In the fifties when we learned to rock and roll

Eddie Cochran, Sandra Dee
Buddy Holly
Hear us scream!

Little by little we leaned to love America
Where Superman was saving everyone
Oh and my oh my so much to buy from America
Air conditioning and Frigidaires
Garbage disposal, electric chairs for some
Little Americans

We looked closer, it's not what it seems
They were hiding the nightmares
In the American Dreams

In the land of the free it's not easy to be a success
You can get knocked down as they trample the ground in their
Pursuit of happiness - not much happiness
Segregation, Klu Klux Klan
Joe McCarthy, Vietnam!

Oh and day by day, a price to pay for America
We never forget just how the West was won
And hour by hour feel the power of America
From Korea to Castro to the Middle East
The Special Relationship didn't bring much peace

Blew up in our faces just like the bubblegum
They give to little Americans
Americans

Coca-cola, Mickey Mouse, Avon calling to every house in the fifties
'I Love Lucy' every night, family values in black and white, in the fifties
In the fifties
Hire purchase for Chrysler cars, we sell or soul for Hershey bars
In the fifties, in the fifties