Boy from Michigan

You know my mama sewed clothes for Bertha Runklewich

That lady who I always thought was rich

And I considered her with awe and wonder

When she came around

And in the summertime we went to Kathryn Park

A place where you could have yourself a summer lark

Swinging and spinning on the merry-go-'round

Till the sun went down

And I was haunted by the stories about Connie's car

And how she barely got out when it caught on fire

And the trucker came along and he saved her life

And she was alright

Now it sits across the way from Hall's Apple Farm

A place that I have carried with me for so long

You can find it if you drive along Red Bud Trail

Through the maple trees

In the autumn time

Beware when you go out there

They'll eat you alive if you don't take care

They have different rules they're using

The American Dream can cause scarring and some nasty bruising

Beware when you go out there

They'll eat you alive if you don't take care

They're using different rules

The American Dream is not for weak, soft-hearted fools

And all the neighborhood boys, they got them permanent waves

And we'd walk through the cemetery looking at all the graves

To Thompson's Market for candy and pop

We did it almost every day

We used to look to see if we could find a patch of green

As the winter came to a close and spring

Was blossoming, the ground was coming alive

And it smelled so clean

Beware when you go out there

They'll eat you alive if you don't take care

They have different rules they're using

The American Dream can cause scarring and some nasty bruising

Beware when you go out there

They'll eat you alive if you don't take care

They're using different rules

The American Dream is not for weak, soft-hearted fools

And Scotty said softly

With some sadness in his voice

"You're just a simple boy from Michigan

And they'll be doing everything they can to win

So please, please don't ever let your guard down

And maybe someday we'll come back here again"