American Dream
Crosby Stills Nash & Young Lyrics

Don't know where things went wrong
The singer is lamenting that he cannot pinpoint the moment when things started going downhill.

Might have been when you were young and strong
He then muses that perhaps the beginning of the end was when the person he’s addressing was at the height of their power and influence.

Love brought joy and life brought pain
The song goes on to discuss how despite the pleasure that love may bring, life is still full of hardships that can be difficult to deal with.

The emptiness of money and a name
The singer then goes on to criticize the idea that material success is the key to happiness, pointing out the hollowness of wealth and fame.

After that, things got a little rough
He mentions that after this, times became difficult.

I used to see you on every TV
The song then switches to discussing a particular individual who was once highly visible in the media.

Your smiling face looked down on me
This individual’s image was broadcast frequently on television, looking back down on the viewer.

Then they caught you with the girl next door
A scandal then breaks out where this person is caught doing something inappropriate.

People's money piled on the floor
The scandal is followed by accusations that the person in question had stolen large sums of money.

Accusations that you try to deny
The individual in question attempts to deny the allegations made against them.

Revelations and rumors begin to fly
As more details emerge, gossip and rumors circulate surrounding the scandal.

You wake up in the middle of the night
The song then switches back to the general topic of feeling uncertain and unsettled in life.

Your sheets are wet and your face is white
The singer describes waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare or bad dream.

You tried to make a good thing last
At one point, the person in question may have had a good life going for them, but they failed to maintain it.

How did something so good go bad so fast?
The singer laments the swiftness with which things can turn sour in life, despite one’s best efforts to keep them running smoothly.

Now you think about reaching out
Toward the end of the song, there is a shift to discussing the idea of turning to a higher power for help.

Maybe get some help from above
The singer suggests that perhaps divine assistance is needed to get their life back on track.

Reporters crowd around your house
The individual remains in the public eye, even as their life is falling apart, and the media bears down on them.

Going through your garbage like a pack of hounds
They are reviewed and scrutinized, with reporters going so far as to rummage through their trash for information.

It don't matter now, you're all washed up
Finally, the song ends on a note of despair, with the idea that life is essentially over for the person in question.