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Song of the Week 9/21/14 : AMERICAN LIFE


Mooncrown11

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"American Life"

Do I have to change my name?
Will it get me far?
Should I lose some weight?
Am I gonna be a star?

I tried to be a boy,
I tried to be a girl
I tried to be a mess,
I tried to be the best
I guess I did it wrong,
That's why I wrote this song

This type of modern life - Is it for me?
This type of modern life - Is it for free?
So, I went into a bar looking for sympathy
A little company - I tried to find a friend
It's more easily said it's always been the same
This type of modern life -Is not for me?
This type of modern life -Is not for free?

American life
I live the american dream
You are the best thing I've seen,
You are not just a dream

I tried to stay ahead,
I tried to stay on top
I tried to play the part,
But somehow I forgot
Just what I did it for
And why I wanted more
This type of modern life - Is it for me?
This type of modern life - Is it for free?

Do I have to change my name?
Will it get me far?
Should I lose some weight?
Am I gonna be a star?

American life
I live the american dream
You are the best thing I've seen,
You are not just a dream

I tried to be a boy,
I tried to be a girl
I tried to be a mess,
I tried to be the best
I tried to find a friend,
I tried to stay ahead
I tried to stay on top...

Fuck it...
Do I have to change my name?
Will it get me far?
Should I lose some weight?
Am I gonna be a star?

I'm drinking a Soy latte
I get a double shot
It goes right through my body
And you know
I'm satisfied,
I drive my mini cooper
And I'm feeling super-dooper
Yo they tell I'm a trooper
And you know I'm satisfied
I do yoga and pilates
And the room is full of hotties
So I'm checking out the bodies
And you know I'm satisfied
I'm digging on the isotopes
This metaphysic's shit is dope
And if all this can give me hope
You know I'm satisfied
I got a lawyer and a manager
An agent and a chef
Three nannies, an assistant
And a driver and a jet
A trainer and a butler
And a bodyguard or five
A gardener and a stylist
Do you think I'm satisfied?
I'd like to express my extreme point of view
I'm not Christian and I'm not a Jew
I'm just living out the American dream
And I just realized that nothing Is what it seems

Do I have to change my name
Am I gonna be a star
Do I have to change my name
Am I gonna be a star?
Do I have to change my name

This is one of those songs that split fans - some love it, some hate it -but either way, it got attention. I think the part that easily caused the most issues is her rap which is not bad but certainly wouldn't win her any rap battles. The song manages to be both serious and tongue in cheek at the same time. She's making a commentary on how obsessed America is with image and materialism but she also jokes about herself as taking part in the obsession as well. While I don't think it's one of her better singles, I do think it's different and had something to say. I quite like the juxtaposition of the more electronic choppy verses with the acoustic, smoother chorus. My favorite part though is the "Do I have to change my name" part which is delivered perfectly and simply but powerfully sums up the message of the song. It's almost impossible to think of this song without thinking of the original pulled video which is so well done and really drives the message of the song home with it's graphic war imagery mixed together with a fashion runway show showing how we are sometimes immune to real violence almost as if it's just another entertainment outlet. I understood why she made the decision to pull it but it's quite a shame as I think it would have helped promote the song better.

Favorite lyric: Do I have to change my name? Will it get me far? Should I lose some weight?

Am I gonna be a star?

Favorite Vocal Part : Same as the above lyric

Favorite Musical part : The acoustic guitar

One word that Sums Up This Song: Disillusion

What do you think of this song?

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It's not one of her best, but it's not as bad as some make it out. It was pretty Madonna-centric, so it wasn't universal or relatable to the average listener.

I prefer the sound of the Headcleanr mix, overall. And the best part is the chorus melody.

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Guest bluejean

Love the song

Love the rap

Love the video

Love the remixes especially Oakenfold's one

Love the single covers

Love the Re-invention live version

Don't care much for the promo live performances. Yawn.

Oh and yes I loved it when it first came out.

I know everyone wants songs like Gambler on the new tour but I wouldn't be surprised if she pulled this one out of her "oldie but goodie" bag. I'm sure she loves it.

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