"'The American citizen's first importance to his country," declared a Muncie newspaper [in 1928], "is no longer that of a citizen but that of a consumer.'"

-- James Foner in The Story of American Freedom, © 1998, pg. 151.

I live in a dream
That's not my own
And all the silly things
I'd like to own
Some ideals
Come straight out of TV ads
I'm always so caught up
Caught in the latest fads

You want as many possessions
As you can possess
You want so many possessions
You're becoming possessed

Gucci, Glass by Tiffany
The things you buy won't set you free
Calvin Klein, Riunite on Ice
Your lifestyle has more style than life
Robert Palmer on CD
Don't you see the trap you're in
Plenty of things to take to your tomb
You're not a consumer- you're being consumed

Cause I'm trapped in this dream
That's not my own
And all these useless things
I can't help but own
My behavior
Designed by those TV ads
Is all designed
To turn my brain into crap

I want as many possessions
As I can possess
I want so many possessions
I'm becoming possessed