"Road To Nowhere" by the Talking Heads. Both for the cynicism of the title, combined with the hopefullness of the opening lines:

"Well we know where we're going,
But we don't know where we've been,
And we know what we're knowing,
But we can't tell what we've seen,
And we're not little children,
And we know what we want,
And the future is certain,
Give us time to work it out..."

And Rosemary, interestingly enough, the REST of the lyric you quoted is:

"But something happened on the way to that place/They threw an American flag in our face...."

Sometimes some people get sold an "American Dream" which is more someone else's idea than their own, is what I think that's about.

"you gotta pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start all over again..."

cypress hill - insane in the membrane

Riders on the Storm, the Doors

'Eve of Destruction', Barry McGuire

"Stand" by Sly and the Family Stone. It was great to have the President stand up more forcefully to the GOP during his address. To emphasize what the 8 years preceding him is "like" to have to cope with.

"We Won't be Fooled Again", by the Who.

I hope they do it at the half-time Superbowl show.

"Stand" by Sly and the Family Stone. It was great to have the President stand up more forcefully to the GOP during his address. To emphasize what the 8 years preceding him is "like" to have to cope with.

Even though it's really just a very popular song at the time, I'm going to pick "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga because it's a song about being in love with the one who abuses you. I believe that American's are obviously in love with their country but we are being taken advantage of by our government and institutions. That's really what the State of the Union was about, I believe.

Bob Dylan's entire album "Infidels" covers it all but one verse that sticks out from "Sweetheart Like You" -
Patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundral clings.
Steal a little and they'll throw you in jail.
Steal a lot and they'll make you a king.

Life In Marvelous Times by Mos Def

It's scary like hell, but there's no doubt
We can't be alive in no time but... NOW!!!

Buffalo Springfield's For What Its Worth remains relevant in our troubled times and Cold Play's Viva la Vida is a disturbing account of a wasted opportunity to do good.

My City of Ruins - Bruce Springsteen

Now the sweet veils of mercy
drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
like scattered leaves
The boarded up windows
The hustlers and thieves
While my brother's down on his knees

My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on rise up!
Come on rise up!

Once again, we can only turn to the wisdom of George Clinton:
"Get off yo ass and jam!"

"Suddenly Everything Has Changed" by The Flaming Lips.
The lyrics are about the paradox of going about our daily routine, and the constant flux which is true to human existence, and how the US and the media behave with every passing day.

Allentown Billy Joel

Factories close, young people move on, towns dissolve. As Joel puts it, "Every child had a pretty good shot / To get at least as far as their old man got / But something happened on the way to that place." Casualty of hard times: the American Dream.