American Child

(Phil Vassar/Craig Wiseman)
 I was ten,
 I was thin,
 I was playing first base
 with a secondhand glove and dirt on my face
 In nowhere, Virginia
 Who'd ever figure that kid in the yard would go very far
 It was 419 Lakewood, had no silverspoons
 Just an old beat up upright that played out of tune
 Now I'm singin' and living the life that I love
 And when I count my blessings I thank God I was
 An American child
 An American child
 'Cause dreams can grow wild
 Born inside an American child
 Seven pounds, three ounces, she's got my nose
 And she's into my heart as deep as it goes
 With a promise that's more than just someone's last name
 Anyone's equal, in late August came
 An American child
 An American child
 'Cause dreams can grow wild
 Born inside an American child
 My grandfather would have been eighty today
 But in '45 he fell down beside an American child
 An American child
 Oh, an American child
 'Cause dreams can grow wild born inside an American child
 An American child