A wise man was telling stories to me

About the places he had been to and the things that had seen



A quiet voice is singing something to me

An age old song 'bout the brave in this land here of the free,

One time one night in America



A lady dressed in white with the man she loves

Standing along the side of their pick up truck

A shot rang out in the night

Just when everything seemed right

Another headline written down in America



The guy that lived next door in three o five

took the kids to the park and disappeared 'bout half past nine

Who will ever know how much she loved them so

That dark night alone in America

Four small boys playing ball in the parking lot



A preacher, a teacher, and the other became a cop

A car skidded into the rain

Making the last little one a saint

One more light goes out in America



A young girl tosses a coin in the wishing well

She hopes for a heaven while for her there's just this hell

Another wish unanswered in America

People having so much faith

We write a song that no one sings   

On a cold black stone where a lasting peace will finally bring



The sunlight plays upon my window pane

I wake up to a world that's still the same

My father said to be strong

That a good man could never do wrong

In a dream I had last night in America

One time one night in America

One time one night in America