This is one of my older singer-songwriter tunes - the recording is from 2016. The lyrics have undergone some changes since then, but these are the originals (working on a new recording with the updated lyrics).
LYRICS:
We’re told about settlers who came on boats
To tame and enslave a new frontier
we’re told about natives who broke bread with ‘em
that that’s what we celebrate every year
A day of thanksgiving for you and me
sounds a lot better than the history
where we slaughtered over 700 young and old
and gave thanks that the savages bodies were cold.
But folks complain at the dinner table whenever that story’s told.
‘Cause it’s easier to feel patriotic
than to ever accept the guilt we owe
it’s easier to say it’s all about family
than admit we’re disgusted by what we know
so we’ll teach our children cute little lies
so we can validate their privilege and so no one cries
‘cause it’s easier to feel patriotic
when it’s someone else’s genocide.
We learn in elementary school who found this land
we memorize the three ship’s names
We affirm it with a federal holiday
Some places even do parades.
We tell our kids “in 1492
Columbus sailed the ocean blue”
but we omit the slaving and the massacres
forget the rapes the infections and the sheer numbers
‘cause it’s better kids be comfortable than wonder whose descendants have it worse.
‘Cause it’s easier to feel patriotic
than to talk about slavery or disease
it’s easier to say it’s all about history
than examine oppression's subtleties
So we’ll teach our children cute little lies
so we can validate their privilege and so no one cries
‘Cause it’s easier to feel patriotic
when it’s someone else’s genocide.
Some folks say this is god’s country
a god that’s imported and white.
And because they’re descendants, not tormentors
What they own is right.
Say it wasn’t their fault, if it's not by their hand
Pretend a flag’s for heritage instead of the Klan,
Justify tradition and you never have to worry about the people that tradition makes you better than.
It’s easier to feel patriotic
than to sow too much doubt or scare the kids,
It’s easier to just keep the symbols
than admit to our willful ignorance
So we’ll teach our children cute little lies
so we can validate their privilege and so no one cries
‘cause it’s easier to feel patriotic
when it's someone else’s genocide.
It’s easier to feel patriotic
than to empathize with what’s different
It’s easier to swear to god and country
than to swear on yourself and hope you're fit.
so we’ll teach the future great big lies
so we can maintain this privilege to ignore who dies
‘Cause it’s easier to feel patriotic
when it's someone else's genocide.