Like a shot without a warning
Lies a life that's left behind
And though I try
It's something I just can't unsee
It's burned into my mind

And I wake up in the morning
News keeps flashing on my eyes
These dying streets are bruised and beaten
Riot flags are waving
Poor and weak, we extend this streak
These lives we could be saving
Life is cheap, I sit and weep
'Cause there's just no mistaking
Oh, this is not utopia

The roots, the roots, the roots of America
The roots, the roots, the roots of hysteria
The roots, the roots, the rules don't matter anymore
This is not utopia

The roots, the roots, the roots of America
The roots, the roots, the roots of hysteria
You and you and you don't matter anymore

Better angels of our nature
Well, they've gone away to hide
Brutality, I can't unsee
These pictures are just burned into my mind

It's commotion in slow motion
It's humanity denied
A violent race, punch in the face
With all this hate, how can we all survive?

Oh, and if the change is coming
What makes it take so long?
And if the change is coming
Why sing the same old song?
This is not utopia

The roots, the roots, the roots of America
The roots, the roots, the roots of hysteria
The roots, the roots, the rules don't matter anymore
This is not utopia

The roots, the roots, the roots of America
The roots, the roots, the roots of hysteria
You and you and you don't matter anymore
This is not utopia

The roots, the roots, the roots of America
The roots, the roots, the roots of hysteria
And you and you and you don't matter anymore
(This not utopia)

Now how long must we wait
Until love conquers hate
And heal these hearts?
'Cause it all starts
Right here Writer/s: Bryan Holland
Publisher: Bluewater Music Corp.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind