Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
Born down in a dead man’s town
– I whānau mai ki te taone o te tangata mate
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
– Ko te patunga tuatahi i tangohia e au i te wa i pa ai ahau ki te whenua
End up like a dog that’s been beat too much
– Ka rite ki te kuri kua nui rawa te whiu
‘Til you spend half your life just coverin’ up, now
– ‘Ki te whakapau koe i te hawhe o to koutou ora tika coverin’ ake, inaianei
Born in the U.S.A.
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a.
I was born in the U.S.A.
– I whanau ahau i te usa.
I was born in the U.S.A.
– I whanau ahau i te usa.
Born in the U.S.A. now
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a. now
Got in a little hometown jam
– I uru ki roto i te jam iti o te taone
So they put a rifle in my hand
– Na ka hoatu e ratou he pu ki toku ringa
Sent me off to a foreign land
– I tukuna ahau ki tētahi whenua kē
To go and kill the yellow man
– Haere ki te whakamate i te tangata kakariki
Born in the U.S.A.
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a.
I was born in the U.S.A.
– I whanau ahau i te usa.
I was born in the U.S.A.
– I whanau ahau i te usa.
I was born in the U.S.A.
– I whanau ahau i te usa.
Come back home to the refinery
– Hoki mai ki te kāinga ki te refinery
Hirin’ man says, “Son, if it was up to me”
– Ka mea a Hirin’ man, “E Tama, ki te mea i runga i ahau”
Went down to see my V.A. man
– I haere ki raro ki te kite i taku V. a. man
He said, “Son, don’t you understand,” now
– Ka mea ia, “E Tama, kaua koe e mārama”, ināianei
Oh yeah
– Aue ae
No, no
– Kāore, kāore
No, no, no
– Kāore, kāore, kāore
I had a brother at Khe Sanh
– He teina taku i Khe Sanh
Fightin’ off them Viet Cong
– E whawhai ana ki A Rātou Viet Cong
They’re still there, he’s all gone
– Kei reira tonu rātau, kua ngaro katoa ia
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
– He wahine tana i aroha ai ki Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms, now
– I whiwhi ahau i tētahi pikitia o ia i roto i ona ringa, inaianei
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
– I raro i te atarangi o te whare herehere
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
– I waho i nga ahi hau o te whakato
I’m ten years burnin’ down the road
– E tekau tau ahau e mura ana i te huarahi
Nowhere to run, ain’t got nowhere to go
– Kāore he wāhi hei rere, kāore he wāhi hei haere
Born in the U.S.A.
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a.
I was born in the U.S.A. now
– I whanau ahau i te usa inaianei
Born in the U.S.A
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a
I’m a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A. now
– Kua roa ahau E noho Ana hei Papa i Te U. s. a. inaianei
Born in the U.S.A.
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a.
Born in the U.S.A.
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a.
Born in the U.S.A.
– I whānau mai ki Te U. s. a.
I’m a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A. now
– He Papa pai ahau e wiri ana i Te U. s. a. ināianei
