American Woman
Bachman Randy Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

American woman, stay away from me
American woman, mama let me be
Don't come a hangin' around my door
I don't want to see your face no more
I got more important things to do
Than spend my time growin' old with you
Now woman, I said stay away
American woman, listen what I say-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay

American woman, get away from me
American woman, mama let me be
Don't come a knockin' around my door
Don't want to see your shadow no more
Colored lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else's eyes
Now woman, I said get away
American woman, listen what I say-ay-ay-ay

American woman, said get away
American woman, listen what I say
Don't come a hangin' around my door
Don't want to see your face no more
I don't need your war machines
I don't need your ghetto scenes
Colored lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else's eyes
Now woman, get away from me
American woman, mama let me be

Go, gotta get away, gotta get away now go, go, go
I'm gonna leave you woman
Gonna leave you woman
Bye-bye bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye
You're no good for me
I'm no good for you
Gonna look you right in the eye
Tell you what I'm gonna do
You know I'm gonna leave
You know I'm gonna go
You know I'm gonna leave
You know I'm gonna go-o, woman
I'm gonna leave you woman




Goodbye American woman
Goodbye American chick

Overall Meaning

The song “American Woman” by Bachman Randy is one of the most iconic songs of the 1970s. This is a song that exhibits the resentment of an American man towards an American woman. The song is a call to independence and autonomy as the singer implores the woman to stay away from him. The lyrics of the song are witty and cynical as the singer tells the woman to get away from him because he does not need her war machines and her ghetto scenes. This could be interpreted as a rejection of the consumerist and militaristic culture that promotes a patriarchal way of life. This song can be seen as a protest against the stultifying social conventions that require a man to be a provider, a protector, and a patriarch. In other words, the song is a response to the cultural pressures that demand the conformity of the individual to the broader social structure.


The song “American Woman” was a hit in 1970, and since then, it became an anthem of liberation and independence. However, the song has been subject to interpretation and debate over the years. Some people believe that the song is anti-American or anti-women, while others believe that it is a celebration of freedom and autonomy. Some people think that the song is about the Vietnam War or the counterculture movement, while others think that it is about relationships and sex. Although the song’s meaning remains subject to interpretation, the song remains a cultural artifact that evokes the spirit of the 1970s and its rebellious youth culture.


Line by Line Meaning

American woman, stay away from me
The singer is addressing American women, asking them to keep their distance from him.


American woman, mama let me be
The singer is telling American women to back off and leave him alone.


Don't come a hangin' around my door
The singer does not want American women to come to his house or be near him.


I don't want to see your face no more
The singer does not want to see American women anymore, and wants them to leave him alone.


I got more important things to do
The singer has other important things to do and does not want to waste his time with American women.


Than spend my time growin' old with you
The singer has no interest in growing old with American women and prefers to focus on other things instead.


Now woman, I said stay away
The singer reiterates his earlier message that American women should stay away from him.


American woman, listen what I say-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay
The singer is emphasizing his message to American women and wants them to listen to what he is saying.


Don't come a knockin' around my door
The singer does not want American women to come knocking on his door or visiting him.


Don't want to see your shadow no more
The singer does not want to see American women's shadows or any other indication of their presence around him.


Colored lights can hypnotize
The singer is warning American women that he is not interested in being hypnotized by them or their charms.


Sparkle someone else's eyes
The singer is telling American women to go find someone else to impress with their charms and beauty.


American woman, said get away
The singer is once again telling American women to get away from him.


I don't need your war machines
The singer does not want to be associated with American women's war machines or any other aspect of the military-industrial complex.


I don't need your ghetto scenes
The singer does not want to be around American women's ghetto scenes or the problems associated with them.


Now woman, get away from me
The singer is making it clear that he wants American women to leave him alone and get away from him.


Go, gotta get away, gotta get away now go, go, go
The singer is affirming his need to get away from American women and his desire to do so immediately.


I'm gonna leave you woman
The singer is letting American women know that he is going to leave and not look back.


Bye-bye bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye
The singer is saying goodbye to American women and leaving them behind.


You're no good for me
The singer realizes that American women are not good for him and that he needs to move on.


I'm no good for you
The singer recognizes that he is not good for American women and that they are better off without him.


Gonna look you right in the eye
The singer is telling American women that he wants to look them in the eye and tell them what he's going to do next.


Tell you what I'm gonna do
The singer is going to tell American women what his future plans are.


You know I'm gonna leave
The singer reiterates that he is going to leave American women and move on with his life.


You know I'm gonna go
The singer confirms that he is going to leave American women and not look back.


You know I'm gonna leave
The singer is reminding American women that he is definitely going to leave, and there's nothing they can do to change his mind.


You know I'm gonna go-o, woman
The singer is making it clear that he is going to go, and that American women should not try to stop him.


I'm gonna leave you woman
The singer is making it clear that he is going to leave American women behind and move on with his life.


Goodbye American woman
The singer is saying goodbye to American women and leaving them behind.


Goodbye American chick
The singer is saying goodbye to American women and referring to them as 'chick', which is a somewhat dismissive term.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burton Cummings, Gary Peterson, Michael Kale, Randy Bachman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@mikegendron3723

Whenever life just kicked smack in the nads, I give this a listen! Always, I'm sayin' ALWAYS lifts my spirits back-up! The original was excellent, this version NEXT LEVEL!!!! Thanks Randy and Burton!!

@kimeastwood3948

Wonderful version of "American Woman" Thank-you Burton, and Randy for this. You guys rock!

@marybertani1

He even dances!!!! Love this version.

@marybertani1

This is an amazing version of one of the best songs ever!!!!!!

@AnnHattieAnn

Let's call it one of the sexiest "re-arrangements" of a truly great rock classic!

@ZieFonzie

This is absolute favorite version of 'American Woman'. Since I first heard it on radio I've been searching for it on the internet so I can listen to it on demand instead of just waiting for Q107 to play it :-)

@marcusbmarc

Absolutely the best version

@bugmandu1

Had tickets' twice' to see them during the pandemic. We've seen Burton twice and I've seen BTO twice also.

@robgionet9582

Down and dirty, the way it should be played. Gotta love this version

@johnwest2204

Woooooo! MAN! That Getar is NASTY!!

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