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Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Iris DeMent
Iris DeMent
Vocals
Randy Scruggs
Randy Scruggs
12-String Guitar
Dave Pomeroy
Dave Pomeroy
Bass
Harry Stinson
Harry Stinson
Drums
Steuart Smith
Steuart Smith
Electric Guitar
Tammy Rogers
Tammy Rogers
Mandolin
Russ Taff
Russ Taff
Harmony Vocals
Bekka Bramlett
Bekka Bramlett
Harmony Vocals
Billy Burnette
Billy Burnette
Harmony Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Iris DeMent
Iris DeMent
Composer
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Randy Scruggs
Randy Scruggs
Producer
Chuck Ainlay
Chuck Ainlay
Mixing Engineer
Chris Rau
Chris Rau
Assistant Engineer
Graham Lewis
Graham Lewis
Assistant Engineer
Elmer McCall
Elmer McCall
Assistant Engineer
Denny Purcell
Denny Purcell
Mastering Engineer
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mastering Engineer
Nathan Golub
Nathan Golub
Graphic Design
Stephen Walker
Stephen Walker
Graphic Design
Terry Robertson
Terry Robertson
Graphic Design
Rocky Schenck
Rocky Schenck
Graphic Design
Debbie Spinelli
Debbie Spinelli
Graphic Design

Lyrics

Living in the wasteland of the free
We got preachers dealing in politics and diamond mines
And their speech is growing increasingly unkind
And they say they are Christ’s disciples
But they don’t look like Jesus to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got politicians running races on corporate cash
Now don’t tell me they don’t turn around and kiss them peoples’ ass
You may call me old-fashioned
But that don’t fit my picture of a true democracy
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got CEOs making 200 times the workers’ pay
But they’ll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage
And If you don’t like it, mister
They’ll ship your job to some third world country across the sea
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Where the poor have now become the enemy
Let’s blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
We got little kids with guns fighting inner city wars
So, what do we do, we put these little kids behind prison doors
And we call ourselves the advanced civilization
That sounds like crap to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got high school kids running around in Calvin Klein and Guess
Who cannot pass a sixth grade reading test
But if you ask them, they can tell you
The name of every crotch on MTV
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We kill for oil then we throw a party when we win
Some guy refuses to fight and we call that the sin
But he’s standing up for what he believes in
And that seems pretty damned American to me
And it feels like I’m living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Where the poor have now become the enemy
Let’s blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
While we sit gloating in our greatness
Justice is sinking to the bottom of the sea
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Written by: Iris DeMent
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