Lyrics

OBAMA:
We gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers
Or the power of our military, or the size of our economy
Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over 200 years ago

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
That is the true genius of America

A faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles, that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm
That we can say what we think, like what we think
Without hearing a sudden knock on the door

That we can have an idea and start our own business
Without paying a bribe
That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution
And that our votes will be counted, at least most of the time
That where you begin in life doesn't dictate where you will end

CARSON:
That that's the America I grew up in, and in no other country could a poor inner-city kid
Raised by a single mom, make it to an Ivy League school, then to medical school
Become a successful neurosurgeon and run for president, and eventually become a member of the president's cabinet

HOLIDAY:
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you turn it off, baby, it has turned off and gone
Do you have any happy songs?

KING:
I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when 22 million Negroes of the United States
Are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice
I accept this award on behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger
To establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice

I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children crying out for brotherhood
Were answered with fire hoses, snarling dogs, and even death
After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time