Your Best American Girl
Mitski Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
@Vqleriq
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
@quietheroine
If I could, I'd be a little spoon
And kiss your fingers forever more
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
But 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 go
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.
@riknee
i just wanted to rant about how i relate to this song as a fully-bangladeshi girl // i grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, and because of that, i've always felt insecure.
exhibit A: i try to hide my arms because of my excessive body hair (relating to the lyric "and you're an all-American boy , I guess I couldn't help trying to be the best American girl")
exhibit B: im always embarrassed because my family isn't as wealthy (relating to the lyric "but, big spoon, you have so much to do , and I have nothing ahead of me)
exhibit C: i hide my parents from people because they don't raise me the same way others do (relating to the lyric "your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me").
exhibit D: it hurts to hear people fight about "blondes or brunettes," when they've never even LOOKED at the direction of WOC (relating to the lyric "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").
and so i ask, why do we always have to be ignored? why do people always have to be against us? i don't think ill ever get valid answers to those questions. so i think ill just embrace my culture instead.. and i say the same to my fellow people :)
@Someone-fn3ij
"I'm not even a star" darlin you're the whole fucking universe
@judeweyland8834
This made me feel so uplifted ty
@Someone-fn3ij
@@judeweyland8834 im so glad!!
@Jp_-dd1rl
Aww🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️
@hannahreynen4283
See I think this lyric has a different meaning. I think we are supposed to have different purposes and are completely different from the white American boy she is talking about. The lyric “but awake at night I’ll be singing to the birds” says she is darkness.
@junebug2205
this made me smile so hard
@j4dedlyric
“your mother wouldnt approve of how my mother raised me..
but i do, i think i do?”
but i do, i FINALLY do.”
this slapped me across the face
@009.51
Can you explain this lyric? I don’t quite understand
@j4dedlyric
@ a lot of (in this case, immigrant) households are run differently and/or somewhat harshly, which a lot of other (in this case, american) parents would disapprove of.
it’s really hard to grasp why your household or parents are so difficult/different until you grow up, and realize that a lot of the time, it’s due to how they grew up or how the outside world treated them etc.
you have to be raised harshly to prepare for what’ll happen when you leave home
TLDR it’s a way of saying “you don’t get why i was raised this way, but i do, now that i’ve seen what the world thinks of me”
im not very good at explaining sorry but i tried my best !!
@t3chsavvyy
can't believe mitski invented america just for this song omg