MC5 had a promising beginning that earned them a January 1969 cover appearance in Rolling Stone magazine and a story written by Eric Ehrmann before their debut album was released. They developed a reputation for energetic and polemical live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams. Their initial run was short-lived, though. In 1972, just three years after their debut record, the band came to an end. Often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of that era, their three albums are regarded by many as classics.
Tyner died of a heart attack in late 1991 at the age of 46. Smith also died of a heart attack, in 1994 at the age of 45. The remaining three members of the band reformed in 2003 with The Dictators' singer Handsome Dick Manitoba as its new vocalist, and this reformed line-up occasionally performed live over the next nine years until Davis died of liver failure in February 2012 at the age of 68.
In 2022, Kramer announced that a tour would take place that spring, and that a new MC5 studio album with producer Bob Ezrin would also be released later that year with original MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson playing on two tracks. In 2023, Kramer announced that the album would be released in the spring of 2024. Kramer died in February 2024, leaving Thompson as the only surviving original member of the band.
Back In The USA
MC5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We just touched ground on an international runway
Jet propelled back home from overseas to the USA
New York, Los Angeles, oh how I yearned for you
Detroit, Chicago, Chattanooga, Baton Rouge
Let alone just to be back in Chuck Berry's old Saint Lou (Let me hear it once more!)
Did I miss the skyscrapers, did I miss the long freeway
From the coast of California to the shores of the Delaware Bay ?
Well, you can bet your life I did 'til I got back in the USA
(Come on, boy!)
/ INSTRUMENTAL /
Lookin' hard for a drive-in, searchin' for a corner café
Where hamburgers sizzle on an open grill, night and day
Yes, and a jukebox jumpin' with 'Welcome back in the USA'
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA
Anything you want, they got it right here in the USA
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA
Anything you want, they got it right here in the USA
The song "Back In The USA" by MC5 is an upbeat and celebratory tune that expresses the joy and relief of returning to one's homeland. The opening lines, "Well, oh well, I feel so good today / We just touched ground on an international runway / Jet propelled back home from overseas to the USA," immediately establish the sense of excitement and happiness that the singer is feeling upon their arrival back in America. The lyrics continue to namecheck various cities around the country, expressing a deep longing and nostalgia for each place that had been missed during the journey abroad. The reference to Chuck Berry's old Saint Louis is particularly noteworthy, as Berry was a key figure in the early development of rock and roll music and his influence can be heard in MC5's own work.
The second part of the song is more playful, as the singer hunts for classic Americana experiences like a drive-in diner and a jukebox playing old rock and roll tunes. The repetition of the phrase "I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA / Anything you want, they got it right here in the USA" reinforces the sense of pride and optimism that the song embodies. Overall, "Back In The USA" is a straightforward and celebratory song that captures the joy of returning to familiar and beloved surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, oh well, I feel so good today
I am feeling really good today
We just touched ground on an international runway
Our plane has just landed on an international runway
Jet propelled back home from overseas to the USA
Our jet propelled us back home from overseas to the USA
New York, Los Angeles, oh how I yearned for you
I really missed New York and Los Angeles while I was away
Detroit, Chicago, Chattanooga, Baton Rouge
I also missed Detroit, Chicago, Chattanooga, and Baton Rouge
Let alone just to be back in Chuck Berry's old Saint Lou (Let me hear it once more!)
And most of all, I'm so happy to be back in Chuck Berry's old Saint Louis
/ INSTRUMENTAL /
No lyrics, just music playing
Did I miss the skyscrapers, did I miss the long freeway
Did I miss seeing tall buildings and driving on long highways?
From the coast of California to the shores of the Delaware Bay ?
From California's coast to the shores of Delaware Bay?
Well, you can bet your life I did 'til I got back in the USA
Yes, I definitely missed those things until I returned to the USA
(Come on, boy!)
An exclamation meant to encourage or hype up someone, possibly the band itself
/ INSTRUMENTAL /
More music with no lyrics.
Lookin' hard for a drive-in, searchin' for a corner café
I am really looking hard for a drive-in and searching for a corner cafe.
Where hamburgers sizzle on an open grill, night and day
I want to go to a place where hamburgers are always cooking on an open grill
Yes, and a jukebox jumpin' with 'Welcome back in the USA'
I also want to find a jukebox playing the song 'Welcome back in the USA.'
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA
I am extremely happy to be living in the USA
Anything you want, they got it right here in the USA
You can find anything you want right here in the USA
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rosa Iglarsh
Uh-huh, whoa, yeah,
Uh-huh, whoa, yeah,
Uh-huh, whoa, yeah,
Whoa, yeah, whoa, yeah!
Well, well, well, I feel so good today,
We just touched ground on an international runway,
Jet-propelled back home from overseas to the USA.
New York, Los Angeles, oh, how I yearn for you,
Detroit, Chicago, jumpin' through the Baton Rouge,
How I longed just to be back in Chuck Berry's home, St. Lou!
[Guitar solo]
Did I miss the skyscrapers, did I miss the long freeways,
From the coast of California to the shores of the Delaware bay?
Well, you can bet your life I did 'til I got back in the USA!
Uh-huh, whoa, yeah,
Uh-huh, whoa, yeah,
Uh-huh, whoa, yeah,
Whoa, yeah, whoa, yeah!
Looking hard for a drive-in, searching for a corner café,
Where hamburgers sizzle on an open grill night and day.
Yes, jukebox jumpin' with records back in the USA.
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA,
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA.
Anything you want, they got it right here in the USA.
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA,
I'm so glad I'm livin' in the USA.
Anything you want, they got it right here in the USA.
Chris Guarnieri
Probably the all-time best cover of this classic. Incredible! Listen to that rhythm and those Berry licks! MC5 were pure, unadulterated rock ‘n roll!
Scarabaeus1
The MC5 is the ESSENCE of Rock n' Roll!
Tom Engel
Deeeeetroits OWN -the Mighty MC-5 Glad I got to hear’em dozens of times
AllBobsAllTheTime
You generally can't go wrong covering a Chuck Berry classic!!!!
blackcargo
You just have to love it, Rob Tyner and the boys kicked out the jam !"
inquiry7
MFerS!!!!!!!
billylebraillard
j'aime !! j'adore les MC5 !! I love !!
1978domy
totalmente adelantados ,si que eran y son muy buenos estos muchachos
Tony M
every 4th of July I blast it out. screaming guitars!!
inquiry7
As Rob said to Sonic and Wayne...."Play The ROCK Chords!!!"