Lyrics for I'm Afraid of Americans as interpreted by typo

I'm Afraid of Americans Lyrics
Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny's in America
Low techs at the wheel
Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Nobody needs anyone
They don't even just pretend
Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny's in America

I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans

Johnny's in America
Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny wants a brain
Johnny wants to suck on a Coke
Johnny wants a woman
Johnny wants to think of a joke
Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny's in America
Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah

I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans

Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah

Johnny's in America
Johnny looks up at the stars
Johnny combs his hair
And Johnny wants pussy and cars

Johnny's in America, Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny's in America, Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah

I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans

God is an American
God is an American

I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't

Yeah, I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the words
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans

Johnny's an American
Johnny's an American

Johnny's an American, Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny's an American, Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny's an American, Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah
Johnny's an American, Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ah-ah-ah

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  • 42 Comments
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Akasha
06-11-2002

Rated 0 
This is one of my favourite songs on Earthling. The video is absolutely ingenious.

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BamBam
06-13-2002

Rated 0 
the song is cool and the video rocks. but what's the song about???

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BamBam
06-14-2002

Rated 0 
what i mean is that the video has a lot with violents and weapons to do. and maybe it have something to do with american clishe's (spelled correct?).

"I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world"

that could mean the americanisation around the world.

but i'm not sure...

BamBam

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kaisute
06-15-2002

Rated 0 
To me this song is about how God is nothing more than an american who wants pussy cars, to suck a coke and all that... Think of it, he says Johnny's an american and Johnny wants that and he's afraid of that then he says that God is an american, therefore he's afraid of God cause all God wants is pussy and cars, like Johnny.

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ArminTamsarian
07-13-2002

Rated 0 
this song is about the typical american, Johnny.

about him being the (unknowing) victim of mass-control:

"Johnny's in America
Johnny wants a brain
Johnny wants to suck on a Coke
Johnny wants a woman
Johnny wants to think of a joke
Johnny combs his hair
And Johnny wants pussy and cars"

as a consequence about him being unable to think about anything "un-american":

"I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
God is an American"


Johnny is not afraid of the americanisation ("californication"...) around the world - in contrary, he is afraid of anything alien to him.
the song is also not about god being an american, but about Johnny believing in an american god, because he simply doesn't know anything else.


by the way, US-politics nowadays make this song very true once more...

Armin

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tada123
08-13-2002

Rated 0 
when he sais johnny wanst to suck on a coke, that's because bowie wanted to say that jopnhnny wants to snort cocaine, and so bowie wante dto say it in a nother wsy, when he said johnny wants pussy cand cars, is becauese even your tightest angles at attemptes lower of dimension, in the minhjte level, it always orounds about, to the spherical, ythis I knew but just realized, at a more oconscious level, recently.. that is to say you are edgy, while pussy and cars looking curvy, edgy was bowie around edges running away in the city, corners and such, the pathetic crude ansd abnocxious going ons, in some downtown, neglectic and abondaned when time not to take your money, time's the alter is always the $

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Koncorde
09-04-2002

Rated 0 
Armin was along the right lines where basically it's about peer pressure and being brain washed by a society on the cultural and moral rocks.

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NicoleInWonderland
04-07-2003

Rated 0 
i love trent rezonr. i love david bowie. what a weird match but it works. i like the sound.

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aphekqs
05-08-2003

Rated 0 
I agree with Armin on this one. It's actually quite obvious. By the way, the video is also great.

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spookykid
06-19-2003

Rated +1 
i didn't read every post so if i repeat something someone already said im sorry but i always thought this song was about capitalism and how me and my fellow americans only want things and as the rest of the world becomes capitalist hes scared they will start to act the same way.

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WolfTickets
06-20-2004

Rated 0 
I think the "God is an American" line is both Bowie expressing his fear of God (obviously; he's mentioned this before, saying something to the effect that he believes in God very much, but he thinks God is probably an ass) and "Johnny" (perhaps it should be "Georgie") deciding that God is on his side.

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PinkNirvana
07-01-2004

Rated 0 
I think this about America becoming the man country in our world and that everything now is American and that it owns everything even God.....

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PinkNirvana
07-01-2004

Rated 0 
main***** ^

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hairyliberal
11-25-2004

Rated +1 
I'd be afraid of Americans too if Trent Reznor were chasing me around with that lustful look in his eye. :-]

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1 Reply
hairyliberal
11-25-2004

Rated 0 
Seriously though folks. I saw David Bowie perform this song live twice on the Reality tour. The whole time the screen behind him was playing a scene of teenagers dancing VERY violently with each other. I think he's trying to comment on the self-destructive behavior of americans in general and how he thinks it will affect the rest of the world. I also agree that his line about god being an american is simply a manifestation of his animosity in general toward diety. Considering he's spent his life in fear that he was going to go crazy (maybe he did and nobody realized it) it's not hard to imagine why he'd feel that way.

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eyesinyourradio
12-24-2004

Rated 0 
I agree with nicole on that one. An unusual pair but they soudn really really good together.

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KickerOfElves
02-07-2005

Rated 0 
No, Tada, it doesn't mean cocaine at all. Coke is associated as an American symbol, like apple pie. It's implying, with the other lines in that stanza and simply the average-Joe-American sounding name of "Johnny," that this is any American.

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blackbubbletea
02-15-2005

Rated 0 
Bowie has always been fascinated with Americans, and when he first came over to the U.S., I think he witnessed things with awe and a bit of fear. It is a song about standard American society. It's pretty scary if you think about it. Also, I too saw the screen in the background on the Reality tour. It is a statement on the fast-paced superficial lives most Americans lead.

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Cepheus84
03-15-2005

Rated -1 
If I was in Iraq right now in an attack helicopter I would be blasting this shit as loudly as possible as I swooped across the desert, mowing down ragheads left and right.

Ironic, isn't it?

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sam_I_am
04-02-2005

Rated +1 
wow... this ^^ is exactly what is wrong with the states and what he was writing about (i know the songs not about iraq ) .....just America's supposed "manifest destiny"

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whateverlolawants
08-30-2005

Rated 0 
I agree with the general consensus that this song is about the fear the world has of America, and the mindless following of popular, true-blue American culture by its people. (Not to say, of course, that other countries don't have mindless followers of their own culture, but that's another story.) In addition, when I heard the "God is an American" part, I saw it as David Bowie mocking the American assumption that God is just a typical American. Perhaps he is stating it over and over to impress the listener with how absurd a statement it really is. I could see it being other ways, but that's what it meant to me.

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Sessha
01-06-2006

Rated 0 
Aahaha, I absolutely love the music video for this song. Me and my friend got a kick out of it. Just seeing TRent running after Bowie all crazystyle.
Hours of entertainment. ;D
Good song, too.

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Bowie
03-27-2006

Rated 0 
Bowie should really go back to the style he had in this video.

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pipewagon
12-17-2006

Rated 0 
I think this song is about people like cepheus84 (fucking idoits) thats what i reccon its about how america are scary with all the violence and gun deaths there and war like wtf what a rasscits asshole that cepheus84 fucking cunt was go fucking shoot urself in the head u fuck

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PlutonianDoll
01-23-2007

Rated 0 
Just an overview of American culture. A bit cynical, but truthful. With our current situation I can't help feeling a bit of shame and identifying with what's being said here. Not my favorite song but I just really liked the line "God is an American"
that's an extremely bold statement and caught my attention

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