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Your Best American Girl
Mitski Lyrics


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If I could, I'd be your little spoon
And kiss your fingers forevermore
But, big spoon, you have so much to do
And I have nothing ahead of me

You're the sun, you've never seen the night
But you hear its song from the morning birds
Well, I'm not the moon, I'm not even a star
But awake at night I'll be singing to the birds

Don't wait for me, I can't come

Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I think I do
And you're an all-American boy
I guess I couldn't help trying to be your best American girl

You're the one
You're all I ever wanted
I think I'll regret this

Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I finally do
And you're an all-American boy
I guess I couldn't help trying to be the best American girl

Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I think I do

Overall Meaning

Mitski's song Your Best American Girl is a heartwarming yet heartbreaking ballad about unrequited love and cultural differences. The lyrics are rich with emotion, and Mitski's delivery is raw and powerful. The song begins with a yearning desire to be close to someone you love, despite the weight of their responsibilities. The lines "If I could, I'd be your little spoon/And kiss your fingers forevermore/But, big spoon, you have so much to do/And I have nothing ahead of me" perfectly capture the feeling of wanting to be with someone so badly that you're willing to sacrifice all you have to be close to them.


The song then takes a turn towards addressing cultural differences and the societal expectations placed on individuals, particularly women. The lyrics "Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me/But I do, I think I do/And you're an all-American boy/I guess I couldn't help trying to be your best American girl" speak to the pressure put on women to conform to traditional ideas of femininity and domesticity. Mitski challenges these notions, expressing her own identity and desire to be with someone who may not fit into societal expectations.


Line by Line Meaning

If I could, I'd be your little spoon
If possible, I'd love to cuddle up behind you in bed


And kiss your fingers forevermore
I'd like to give endless kisses to your hands


But, big spoon, you have so much to do
You have important things to attend to in your life


And I have nothing ahead of me
I don't have anything particularly important to focus on


You're the sun, you've never seen the night
You're influential in many people's lives and have never experienced darkness


But you hear its song from the morning birds
You can still appreciate the beauty of the night through the songs of the birds in the morning


Well, I'm not the moon, I'm not even a star
I'm not as significant or bright as celestial bodies like the moon or stars


But awake at night I'll be singing to the birds
Even in the darkness, I'll make music and try to enjoy the present moment


Don't wait for me, I can't come
I won't be able to join you, so don't hold up for me


Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
Our upbringings and ways of life don't align with each other's families


But I do, I think I do
Despite our differences, I believe in our relationship and connection


And you're an all-American boy
You embody the typical American boy archetype


I guess I couldn't help trying to be your best American girl
I wanted to conform to the societal expectations of being the 'perfect' American girlfriend for you


You're the one
Out of everyone, you're the most important to me


You're all I ever wanted
You are the only thing I desire and need to be happy


I think I'll regret this
I have doubts and apprehensions about our relationship


But I do, I finally do
I've reached the conclusion that I accept and love our differences and can be happy with you




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mitsuki Laycock

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@riy7zz

LYRICS: If I could, I'd be your little spoon
And kiss your fingers forevermore
But, big spoon, you have so much to do
And I have nothing ahead of me
You're the sun, you've never seen the night
But you hear its song from the morning birds
Well, I'm not the moon, I'm not even a star
But awake at night I'll be singing to the birds
Don't wait for me, I can't come
Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I think I do
And you're an all-American boy
I guess I couldn't help trying to be your best American girl
You're the one
You're all I ever wanted
I think I'll regret this
Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I finally do
And you're an all-American boy
I guess I couldn't help trying to be the best American girl
Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I think I do



@LordVanBrave

If I could, I'd be your little spoon
And kiss your fingers forevermore
But, big spoon, you have so much to do
And I have nothing ahead of me

You're the sun, you've never seen the night
But you hear its song from the morning birds
Well, I'm not the moon, I'm not even a star
But awake at night I'll be singing to the birds

Don't wait for me, I can't come

Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I think I do
And you're an all-American boy
I guess I couldn't help trying to be your best American girl

You're the one
You're all I ever wanted
I think I'll regret this

Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I finally do
And you're an all-American boy
I guess I couldn't help trying to be the best American girl

Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me
But I do, I think I do



All comments from YouTube:

@Zelgaro

The thing is Mitski is mixed, so she looks Asian to Americans but when she goes to Japan she looks white to them. Makes you feel like you don't belong anywhere.

@franfran5155

Bro kinda like me, sucks

@potato.pancake

i’m not mixed-race, just asian-american, but damn that hit home

edit: okay technically i’m mixed race but from two southeast asian areas so you can’t tell from my appearance

@carolbaez5891

the money should help

@faeghoul

ah, I get this too. my mums from the philippines and my dads from the uk

@jR_610

I'm black and white and it sucks feeling like no group wants you

232 More Replies...

@renik3497

You can see how she then becomes uncertain again at the end as she switches the lyric back to “I think I do”, it shows no matter how much we love ourselves there is always a tinge of uncertainty

@killjinxx

I always interpreted the first ‘I think I do’ as indignant

@erika8643

that's so depressing pls stop

@drek273

Speak for yourself

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