American Product

[Verse 1]
Yeah, I had been working retail
Yeah, got my degree here
Didn't mean to plant my feet here
See I said I'd leave here
But shit I been here 3 years
She said why don't you try out
Cuz all you do is cry about
How you haven’t made it with your band
See you're great but got no plan
So just take a fucking chance
So I waited in line more than 36 hours
Made it to the next round
They told me I'ma be a star could be the best out
Called my momma told her I ain't gotta stress now
Well now, pacific bound, the second round
They said that my specific sound
Epitomizes how I'm different, symbolizes what I'm bout
Wish you could've listened to the crowd, got a standing o
Backstage with Carson/Seacrest, flew my family to the show
I'm like damn I got some hope, I could win this fucking thing
Always felt that I been dope, since I’s little I could sing
Bout to step into ring, judges tell me play it subtle
But it certainly wouldn't hurt to embellish how you’ve struggled

[Hook]
(And now they tell me)
You’re the next American product
Prove it the world on the show
From radio to TV
The magazine they're reading
They’ll see you everywhere that they go
Said you’re the next American product
You’re star and you already know
The women wanna do you
The men wishing they were you
Yeah we can make you glow

[Verse 2]
Oh my God, I’m excited
It’s been decided, I hug my ma she’s delighted
Invited all of my friends to the set to share when they shot it
I’m season 41’s winner of American Product
I got it, they told me sign on the dotted
I nodded and jotted my name on the line and forgot it
My odds microscopic, went from working at Target
And stocking the bargains to working red carpets
So pardon my exuberance cuz I am all so new to this
Went from who is this to having groupie chicks in Budapest
I do confess, and I don't mean to be rude its just
This opportunity’s the ish, but don't go misconstruing this
You would assume I guess getting checks I’m plenty paid
Cuz my debut single's chart getting heavy play
And anyway, my live performances sold 80k
And you see my Pepsi ad on TV now like everyday
In every way, its great, except I haven't seen a single cent
They say they spend, everything, I generate, they reinvest
In benefits, both me and you, my album is already due
Out on shelves before they start filming season 42

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
Now I’m back working in retail
Never thought I’d be here
But my album didn't sell
So they said we wish you well
Now its back to stocking shelves, yeah
Another broken star
From amphitheaters to local bars
Make you cold at heart
Yo, it’s a race to the bottom
Our merit is judged on if we can be the face of their product
They paint us as prophets
Yet take from our pockets
And strain every droplet
Until the day, we’re no longer making them profit
See, we’re not making art
We’re selling a brand
They’ll polish every rough edge 'til its vanilla and bland
The development plan, give us what we thought was unattainable
And if we don’t cooperate who cares we’re interchangeable
I wouldn't have gotten big without them
But overnight celebrities how quickly we’re forgotten
So I'm starting from the bottom, I let them steer, I've fallen
I may never get the perks again inherent with the stardom
But I'ma do it my way, its clear now I got it
Are you a product of America or an American Product?

[Hook]