My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. (1.1)

Obama's opener hints at what's to come. Throughout the speech, he makes references to past American pioneers who gritted their teeth through tough times and uncertain adventures. And he makes sure to not let the audience forget how daunting "the task before us" is: there is a recession-size hole in America, and it's going to take a while to fill it in.

Obama spent most of the 2008 presidential campaign openly criticizing George W. Bush. So, depending on your interpretation, Obama thanking Bush for his service at the beginning of the inaugural address could either be taken as a gesture of respect ("thanks, bro") or a sarcastic serving of shade ("thanks for nothing, bro"). Obama follows up this show of gratitude by talking about how bad things got in America during Bush's last term: bad economy, bad wars, bad mood.

Shade court is still deliberating on this one.