Verse 1 They painted the streets in red, white, and blue Hung little flags where the cameras flew The whole world came with drums in their hands But the welcome sign had a border scan They said, “Come celebrate, come sing, come play” Then turned the gates into judgment day A passport sweating under airport lights A dream team sleeping on the other side Pre-Chorus And I want to cheer I want to believe But the anthem feels crooked When somebody can’t breathe Chorus It’s hard to wave the flag tonight When the floodlights shine on a shame so bright World Cup fever, but the fever runs cold When brown-skinned dreams get bought and sold Kick the ball, sound the drum But who gets in, and who gets run? How do I sing for the land I love When the gate comes down like an iron glove? Verse 2 Iran came ready with boots and pride But politics waited at the border line Staff left stranded, plans rearranged A beautiful game made bitter and strange Iraq’s photographer got turned around No picture taken, no hometown sound Ten hours under suspicion’s glare Like a camera was something America feared Pre-Chorus And I want to cheer I want to believe But the anthem feels crooked When truth gets searched at security Chorus It’s hard to wave the flag tonight When the floodlights shine on a shame so bright World Cup fever, but the fever runs cold When brown-skinned dreams get bought and sold Kick the ball, sound the drum But who gets in, and who gets run? How do I sing for the land I love When the gate comes down like an iron glove? Bridge Omar Artan had a whistle and a dream First Somali ref on the world’s biggest screen Valid visa, world-class name Still got swallowed by the machine They said “security,” they said “concern” But every child in the stands can learn When fear writes law and law wears a mask The beautiful game gets dragged through the glass ICE in the shadows, CBP at the door Same old hunger dressed up as law They call it order, they call it control But it looks like panic with a badge and a soul gone cold Breakdown Whose country is this If welcome is a lie? Whose anthem is this If the chorus makes us cry? Whose game is this If the world cannot arrive? Whose freedom is this If only some survive? Final Chorus It’s hard to wave the flag tonight When the floodlights shine on a shame so bright World Cup fever, but the fever runs cold When brown-skinned dreams get bought and sold Kick the ball, sound the drum Let every locked-out voice still come I’ll love this land by telling the truth Not bowing down to a red-tie brute Outro So raise the cup, but raise your eyes There’s no fair play behind these lies A stadium roaring, a border scar This is not who we are Or maybe it is If we don’t fight hard Hard to wave the flag tonight With blood on the guard :::
