"American Oxygen" was raved by music critics whom praised the maturity of the lyrical content. Darren Craig, Jonathan Craven and Jeff Nicholas of Uprising Creative directed the music video for "American Oxygen", which premiered exclusively on Tidal on April 6. It depicts numerous moments from American history while Rihanna sings in front of a large American flag. Critics noted the patriotic feeling of the video, comparing it to Billy Joel's music video for his 1989 single "We Didn't Start the Fire". Rihanna performed "American Oxygen" for the first time at the Final Four of the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis.
"American Oxygen" was written by Alex da Kid, Sam Harris, Candice Pillay and Rihanna. The production was done by Alex da Kid and the American rapper Kanye West. The writing of the song began in 2014, and it continued over a course of one year. Originally, Alex da Kid sent the beats of the song to Harris who started writing some lyrics. In an interview with Billboard, Harris noted how "American Oxygen" really stuck with him and he started the chorus with a couple lines he wrote: "We worked on just that chorus for like three or four months, going back and forth, back and forth.... It goes to show you that sometimes these songs just appear out of nowhere and sometimes you just have to go at it like a block of marble and you're chipping away at it."Harris explained how he and Alex da Kid wanted the chorus of the song to say a lot, even with a very small amount of lyrics in it. When they got the final chorus, the producer started to look for potential performers of the song.
When the song came across Rihanna, she and Alex da Kid began to adjust the song. The singer and the producer co-wrote the verses together with Harris, "I wrote one thing and then Alex and Rihanna had the idea to turn it into this song about an immigrant story, coming to this country as an outsider... That was her idea, really, hers and Alex's, to turn it into that kind of song." Harris stated that the inspiration for starting to write "American Oxygen" was the 1984 single "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen.[1] According to Harris, "He [Springsteen] gets that there's pride to living here in this country. This country is great and has the potential to be something really, really incredible, but there are a lot of problems that we don't acknowledge and it's important to shed light on both those things. And if you can do that in a song, that's the best."[1] He also told the publication that they have their own version of "American Oxygen" too, however, according to him it means much more to be sang by Rihanna because she is a black female immigrant in the United States, "That is so powerful for a young kid to see her singing that song, it gets me choked up just thinking about it. It really was made so much more powerful by what she contributed to the songwriting and the performance of the song. I idolize her, and to have been given the opportunity to work with her is amazing."
"American Oxygen" was first featured on commercials which promoted the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Later, the song was made available for streaming on April 5, 2015, via Tidal, a service co-owned by Rihanna together with other music artists including, Jay Z, Beyoncé and Madonna. On April 14, "American Oxygen" was made available for digital download worldwide via the iTunes Store.
American Oxygen
Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
American oxygen
Every breath I breathe
Chasin' this American Dream
We sweat for a nickel and a dime
Turn it into an empire
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American oxygen
American oxygen
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American Oxygen
Oh say can you see, this is the American Dream
Young girl, hustlin'
On the other side of the ocean
You can be anything at all
In America, America
I say, can't you see
Just close your eyes and breathe
Breathe out, breathe in
American oxygen
Every breath I breathe
Chasin' this American Dream
We sweat for a nickel and a dime
Turn it into an empire
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American oxygen
American oxygen
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American Oxygen
American oxygen
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American Oxygen
Oh say can you see, this is the American Dream
Young boy, hustlin'
Tryna get the wheels in motion
But he can be anything at all
In America, America
I say, can't you see
Just close your eyes and breathe
Breathe out, breathe in
American oxygen
Every breath I breathe
Chasin' this American Dream
We sweat for a nickel and a dime
Turn it into an empire
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American oxygen
This is the new America
We are the new America
This is the new America
We are the new America
This is the new America
We are the new America
This is the new America
We are the new America
Breathe out, breathe in
American oxygen
Every breath I breathe
Chasin' this American Dream
We sweat for a nickel and a dime
Turn it into an empire
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American oxygen
American oxygen
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American Oxygen
American oxygen
Breathe in, this feeling
American, American Oxygen
This is the new America
We are the new America
This is the new America
We are the new America
In Rihanna's song "American Oxygen," the lyrics portray the American Dream as something that can be chased through hard work and perseverance. The song highlights the idea that every breath taken in America is filled with the pursuit of this dream, and that despite the challenges faced, the rewards can be worth it. The lyrics also touch on the idea of America being a land of opportunity, where those who are willing to work for it can achieve their dreams. The repeated phrase "Breathe out, breathe in, American oxygen" emphasizes the idea of the American Dream being an ongoing process, with every breath being an opportunity to work towards it.
The song also references the American national anthem, "Oh say can you see," further emphasizing the connection between the American Dream and the country itself. There is also a recognition of the challenges faced in pursuit of the American Dream, such as the struggle to earn a living and the need to turn hard work into success.
In summary, "American Oxygen" portrays the American Dream as a constant pursuit that requires hard work, but that can lead to success and fulfillment. The idea is that every breath taken in America is an opportunity to chase this dream and overcome the challenges encountered along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Breathe out, breathe in
Concentrate and focus, inhale and exhale.
American oxygen
The air that we breathe is the essence of the American way of life.
Every breath I breathe
Each inhalation and exhalation is a reminder of the struggles and aspirations of the American people.
Chasin' this American Dream
Pursuing the idea of achieving success, prosperity and happiness in America.
We sweat for a nickel and a dime
Working tirelessly for meager rewards, often taken for granted by those in power.
Turn it into an empire
With determination and hard work, we can build something remarkable from meager beginnings.
Breathe in, this feeling
Experience and absorb the essence of America through your breath.
American, American oxygen
The air we breathe represents the American way of life.
Oh say can you see, this is the American Dream
Can you imagine the possibilities and opportunities available to us in America?
Young girl, hustlin'
A young woman fighting to succeed in a male-dominated society and industry.
On the other side of the ocean
In a foreign land, she's making her dreams come true with sheer tenacity.
You can be anything at all
In America, the sky's the limit. Possibilities are endless.
In America, America
This phrase repeated twice suggests that we can achieve anything we want in America.
I say, can't you see
Can't we all see the opportunities available to us in America?
Young boy, hustlin'
A young man fighting to make his dreams a reality through hard work.
Tryna get the wheels in motion
Fighting to get things started and establish his business in America.
But he can be anything at all
In America, anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
This is the new America
A declaration of the changing face of America, where anyone can succeed with grit, determination and hard work.
We are the new America
The 'we' here refers to all those who are contributing to the new vision of America.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ROBYN FENTY, ALEXANDER JUNIOR GRANT, SAM KENT HARRIS, CANDICE PILEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Fireplay29
Rihanna has every right to sing this song. The United States is a country of immigrants. We systematically killed 95% of the native population of our portion of the American continent, that's the only reason we are able exist here. Someone will always benefit from another's misery.
You have a whole bunch of different cultures coming together, mixing, and sometimes clashing. If you look at all the images in the video, it tells an incredibly complex story. Everyone came here somehow. Rihanna was born and raised in Barbados, is of African and European ancestry, and immigrated to the U.S. Her story is complicated, and so is everyone else's.
The United State's history is not pretty half the time, and it never will be. We are a nation of contradictions, but I wouldn't live anywhere else. This is the only place where I as an individual would have come into existence.
I am of African, Asian, European, and Native American descent (Creek). My mother is a recent Asian immigrant. My father is descended of enslaved Africans, Irish indentured servants, and a native culture that was almost completely wiped out. I'm very mixed raced and it could only have happened in the U.S. It gives me hope that people across different cultures and languages will eventually be able to understand each other after a road of pain and sorrow. If my ancestors were able to meet and fall in love despite coming from different nations, there is a possibility of this happening on a wider scale.
The United States has never been perfect and it never will be. The same goes for the rest of the globe if we don't take the steps to try and understand each other throughout all the hatred caused by wars, rivalry, and strife.
@nemleon87
(Read from top to bottom then from bottom to top...)
Our generation will be known for nothing.
Never will anybody say,
We were the peak of mankind.
That is wrong, the truth is
Our generation was a failure.
Thinking that
We actually succeeded
Is a waste. And we know
Living only for money and power
Is the way to go.
Being loving, respectful, and kind
Is a dumb thing to do.
Forgetting about that time,
Will not be easy, but we will try.
Changing our world for the better
Is something we never did.
Giving up
Was how we handled our problems.
Working hard
Was a joke.
We knew that
People thought we couldn’t come back
That might be true,
Unless we turn things around
(Read from the bottom to top now...)
- Jordan Nichols
@brunomatos5636
What the world really needs is to feel love again
@linusholmofficial
Bruno Vanderheiden Listen to my cover of this song if u want to I did my own version. :) Tell me what you think :)
@user197
Bruno Vanderheiden or literally feel loved.
@eternaltam
Bruno Vanderheiden dance in the rain in spite of all the pain
@ArmendNuredini7
Subscribe me to my official channel ❤
@MrLillauu
It's like : pulL OVEr !
@bluecozade2922
I'm not from America I'm from the UK but for basically all my life I've seen so much devastation happen in America. America has witnessed countless amounts of history, fear, hurt, pain and loss but have always come out so much more stronger than before, America has had it so hard and it's good to see someone like Rihanna addressing the imperfections of America and set across a message, she may not be from America but that doesn't she can't express her views of America, that doesn't mean she can't set across a message. I think people who didn't like Rihanna for a long time will finally now see her, as well as America in a new perspective.
@bluecozade2922
*that doesn't mean she
@rosietema824
Best comment so far. 😊👌👏👏👏
@elsadiffo5754
ParxdiseHarry i agree