National Anthem

Great song. I think it's about 'his' America in his early years. His hometown and so on...It's constantly changing and not in a positive way. Most lines that refer to some girl are metafors.

I heard this song and at first didn't like it, but then after getting into a argument with my girlfriend giving it another listen i realised how deep it is, the song is about a girl who he did love, and possibly still loves, still remembering her and saying he will put the feelings behing him no matter how much it kills him it's a beautiful song when you see it from brians point of view

Sounds like it should be on Nebraska. Awesome, beautiful. Looking back on life, all the people come and gone...

Indeed, I rather think this is - like the title suggests - a song that describes the united states... or a part of it at least. I doubt this is about a love or friendship towards a person in general.

Reminds me of this from Nietzsche: "Where has God gone?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. We are his murderers. But how have we done this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we do when we unchained the earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving now? Away from all suns? Are we not perpetually falling? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is it not more and more night coming on all the time? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we not smell anything yet of God's decomposition? Gods too decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves?"

This song reminds me of "The River," and coming to terms with the fact that the life is not a fairytale

I think this is a song about finding purpose in our lives.

His American Love was a girl he was with and they have gone their separate ways. He's reflecting on their time together and what she meant to him.

The whole song is about finding something in life worth living for. Finding meaning amongst all that crap that exists today. His American Love was this to him. She gave his life meaning. Now that he has come to terms with the fact that its over between them he's wondering what else is there to keep him hopeful and motivated, but finding it difficult.

"Now everybody lately is living up in space Flying through transmissions on invisible airwaves With everything discovered just waiting to be known What’s left for God to teach from his thrown? And who will forgive us when He's gone?"

To believe in God these days seems more and more difficult as Man progresses and his knowledge grows. We are being removed from spirituality so what hope is there when everything else is taken away i.e. girlfriend, friends, family? where do we turn?

He sings about how hard life is. But when he had this girl, she made it ok because she gave him a reason to endure. However, she wanted more than what he could offer.

"So take what you need now Honey and, do what you like..." Just get by however you need to. And if he's not the direction she needs to take, then that's alright. She needs to find whatever will get her through the night i.e. satisfy her own pursuit of fulfilment.

"The place where you were in my heart is now closed I already live with too many ghosts"

I love these lines so much.