Look around our countries gone to shit Some days I want to quit or just be a normie for a bit And it breaks my heart how you were once so strong But now it feels like your spirit is entirely gone And I find myself watching old clips from the golden years On you tube trying to hold back tears A Man fueled by a burning love for his Folk Could see the peoples signs beaming with adoration and hope Chorus* You know the place where we used to live Used to hike with grandma and the kids Used to see the whole village At the football field on every Sunday Or dance at the main tree from old to young age Today we're atomized alienated And all sense of community and trust has faded Met with hate and ridicule when I try galvanizing them And it hurts cause I care so much I would die for them Chorus* Brought to erase every trace we existed Which they made us believe we deserved so don't resist it But long as I live I will feed this spark That might rekindle the fire in my peoples heart And maybe one day from the ruins you'll reappear And join the rest of us here

*Chorus *And I want you to know that I will never give up *Although I am stuck here waiting *Outnumbered by strangers *Hoping that among the ruins you'll reappear *Me and the rest that are still loyal here *Where'd you go I miss you so *Seems like it's been forever but you've been gone *Please come back home

Really, really lame, and shows my age pretty accurately (and is more of a "spoken word set to music" than a "song"), but unironically, I tear up thinking about life and what's changed (and who I've lost) every time I hear this:

*"Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; or never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that Never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4 PM on some idle Tuesday

Do one thing every day that scares you Sing Don't be reckless with other people's hearts; don't put up with people who are reckless with yours Floss Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself

Remember the compliments you receive; forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements Stretch Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't Get plenty of calcium Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't Maybe you'll divorce at 40 Maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance; so are everybody else's

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room Read the directions, even if you don't follow them Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly

Get to know your parents; you never know when they'll be gone for good Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the People most likely to stick with you in the future Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you Should hold on Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft Travel Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old-- and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders Respect your elders Don't expect anyone else to support you

Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85 Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth

But trust me on the sunscreen"*

I cry for our souls whenever I hear that flaming faggot Rachel Levine singing "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I've Got Love In My Tummy."