i had a dream that i was in america 
i was actually in the land of the beautiful 
and the home of the brave 
my boss came into my office 
and said hi bob, how is it going? 
why don't you take of early 
and here is that raise 
as i pulled my suburban 
up to my suburban home 
i got the mail out of the box 
and saw that i was approved for another home equity loan 
the girl scouts where there with cookies to sale 
of course, i brought a box 
as hillary quieted down maraduke who had begun to bark 
later me, the wife and kids 
all took a bike ride to the park 
when we got back we had a snack 
apple pie with ice cream on top 
then we buckled up and headed on down to the Redbox 
to get some videos to watch 
when we returned the kids put on their pjs 
and we relaxed on the couch in the den 
for some family time watching videos 
then all these strangers turned to me and said 
what are you doing here? 
don't you know that dreams are illegal? 

gun shots ring in the heat of the night 
followed by screams 
violently disrupting my dreams 

in my neighborhood 
i don't have to read the paper or watch the news 
to know that something bad happened around here tonight 
but once the ambulance leaves, 
the police sirens stop 
and the crowd disperses 
that silence soaks into my soul 
sobering my senses in this often over intoxicating society 
and i try to relax, but the Devil just wont let go 
He keeps pointing to the signs posted all around me that read: Dreams Are Illegal 

 my neighborhood is the bottom of the barrel 
where drugs get mixed 
here there are no brothers & sisters 
just confused brother & sisters 
here people drown in the backwash 
of the latest political scandal 
in the midst of ghetto chaos 
dreams are quickly lost 
the Devil is in sweet control 
as dreams are stole 
and you know 
there is no honor amongst thieves 
so dreams are stolen with ease 
as a high school graduate barely seventeen 
gives up her college dreams 
for a pair of tight jeans 
and a chance to be the next ghetto queen
in the inner city 
checks and basketballs bounce with regularity 
life and death intermix with no disparity 
little kids live for nothing 
Little kids die for nothing
everyday blue skies are gray 
all they know is: they want to make dough$ 
the Devil has them chasing a colorless rainbow 
and at the end there is no pot of gold 
just a pot of steam 
which He exchanges for their dreams 
bonafide slaves are made in the Devil's dream trade 
without dreams you are equivalent 
to being non existent 
our children need to be told that they can achieve 
and that God blesses those who hold on to their dreams 
we have to take down the signs 
so the kids won't know 
that the Devil is trying to make dreams illegal 

 DREAMS ARE NOT ILLEGAL