Do you like American music
I like American music
Don't you like American music baby
I want you to hold me
I want your arms around me
I want you to hold me baby
Did you do too many drugs
I did too many drugs
Did you do too many drugs too baby
You were born too late
I was born too soon
But every time I look at that ugly moon
It reminds me of you
It reminds me of you ooh ooh ooh
I need a date to the prom
Would you like to come along
But nobody would go to the prom with me baby
They didn't like American music
They never heard American music
They didn't know the music was in my soul baby
You were born too soon
I was born too late
But every time I look at that ugly lake
It reminds me of me
It reminds me of me
Do you like American music
We like American music
I like American music baby
Do you like American music
We like all kinds of music
But I like American music best
Baby you were born too late
And I was born too late
But every time I look at that ugly lake
It reminds me of me
It reminds me of me
Do you like American music
It reminds me of me
Do you like American music



Lyrics submitted by Nelly

Track duration: 03:51

"American Music" as written by Gordon Gano

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


American Music song meanings
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32 Comments

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  • -1
    General Comment:the other interpretations of the song are probably accurate. but i thought i'd share my own personal interpretation of the ugly moon and ugly lake lines, since they don't really make a lot of sense at first glance lol

    the moon pulls tides... in the lake? perhaps representative of a relationship between two people..that they attract eachother, even though they are ugly to everyone else? or maybe the lyricist poking fun with the word 'ugly'... pah i dunno.

    just thought i'd share :)
    Flag tamsynon June 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I didn't take time to read all the comments, so forgive me if I am repeating someone else's. The song is supposed to be both a celebration and a critisism of American pop music. They emphasize the word "baby" throughout the song to make an ironic point, that song writers use that word to fill in gaps. If you were to take the individual lines out of the song, and create an entire song around those one lines, you'd have 90% of a typical top 40 play list right there. Our pop music tends to be about drug use, teenagers unable to find love, unrequited love due to age difference ("you were born to soon, I was born too late), and every once in while you get a song writer with an angsty poetic streak writing meaningless lyrics about lakes and moons. This song is basically putting all the major themes of most American pop music into one song. That is what I get from it, anyway.
    Flag mr13lckyon February 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:haha currently dancing to this song. :P
    Flag Italion November 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree. Good song.
    Flag DJgifon March 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Wow, I love the guy who said "overanalyse much?" and that you should IGNORE the lyrics. Why are you at a site called "song meanings"? I like the overanalysing guy's comment a lot more than the legion "Duh, this song ROCKS" comments.

    It is true that you can ENJOY music without worrying much about the meaning of the lyrics. You can come to a perfectly valid meaning based on how you feel about the music and the occasional words that make it into your head. However, if you stop to think about the words you might come to a completely different meaning. A great example is REM's "The One I Love". I've heard about people playing it at their wedding because they think it is a great "love song". The lyrics are basically the opposite though.

    This song works that way a bit too. Gordon seems to really love American Music in this song, but I think he's using a lot of irony here. Whenever I sing along to this I think of a character from a cheesy musical singing it, especially the prom lines. They are just so over the top and silly. At the same time though, he seem very earnest, which is what makes the song so great.
    Flag clovuson October 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't think he was referring to milwaukee, I think he was reffering to chekov's "seagull". The moon and the lake make everyone feel romantic.
    Flag runningdevil666on September 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh, I have to add that I think he is talking about the generation changes and music changes.
    "you were born too late. I was born too soon"
    Then later-
    "you were born too soon. I was born too late"
    and still later-
    "baby you were born too late
    and i was born too late"

    He's not singing to the same person through the song.
    Flag 55779on June 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Somebody from Milwaukee help. Do you think ugly lake and ugly moon is because of the heavy industry in the Milwaukee area. I don't know, I haven't been there, just gotta know what this tune is about in my head right now!
    Flag 55779on June 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Violent Femmes are playing at a free concert venue in Buffalo in a couple of weeks so now the tickets are not too expensive, haha. =) This is my favourite song by Violent Femmes. Great driving song.
    Flag polkadottedfameon June 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ah shit i meant ignore the lyrics, not ignore the music. maybe shoudnt post on here when im stoned
    Flag Captain_Planeton May 25, 2007   Link

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