I sing to America,
rise! for your bones are not yet ash.
They tremble, but they do not break.

The pain you carry is heavy as a planet
but you no longer carry it alone. Let our voices
lift you in song! Let our cries and
harmonies of rage rise you into the sky!

I sing to America,
     (the quiet people living in peace)
rise! for your streets are flooded
with the blood of your brothers and sisters.

There is no room for silence when we all
have our weight to carry, when that same weight
was carried
     by thousands before me, so that my
     ancestors too could live in peace.

The ghosts of the souls we have lost beckon us
to the streets. We have no choice but to
rise! and cast the metals of suffering
into spearheads of justice!