This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
She comes out on Fridays every time
Stands out in a line
I could've been anyone she'd seen
She waits another week to fall apart
She couldn't make another day
I wish it was anyone but me
I could have been anyone you see
She had something breakable just under her skin
American girls all weather and noise
Playing the changes for all of the boys
Holding a candle up to my hand
Making me feel so incredible
She comes out of closets every night
Then she locks herself away
Where she could keep everything from me
I could have been anyone you'd seen
she's nothing but porcelain underneath her skin
American girls all weather and noise
Playing the changes for all of the boys
Holding a candle up to my hand
Making me feel so incredible
Little shiver shaking me every day
But I could get the same thing anywhere
So if she goes away
Well, it's all right and I'm OK
"Hey" she said, "Come back again tonight"
And I said "I might, I might, I might"
She said "well that's all right"
If it's alright with you
It's alright with me
I waited for an hour last Friday night
She never came around
She took almost everything from me
I'm going through my closet,
trying on her clothes almost every day
I could've been anyone you see
I wish it was anyone but me
There's nothing but pills and ashes under my skin
American girls all weather and noise
Playing the changes for all of the boys
Holding a candle up to my hand
Making me feel so incredible
If I made you cry, please tell me why
Cause I'll try again if you let me try
American girls all feathers & cream
Coming into bed so edible
American girls oh
American girls
American girls
Oh, oh, oh, oh
American girls oh
American girls
American girls
Oh, oh, oh, oh
You make me cry,
you make me cry,
you make me cry
Yeah, ya made me cry
You make me cry
Hey, miss American girl
Oh, oh, oh, yeah
Stands out in a line
I could've been anyone she'd seen
She waits another week to fall apart
She couldn't make another day
I wish it was anyone but me
I could have been anyone you see
She had something breakable just under her skin
American girls all weather and noise
Playing the changes for all of the boys
Holding a candle up to my hand
Making me feel so incredible
She comes out of closets every night
Then she locks herself away
Where she could keep everything from me
I could have been anyone you'd seen
she's nothing but porcelain underneath her skin
American girls all weather and noise
Playing the changes for all of the boys
Holding a candle up to my hand
Making me feel so incredible
Little shiver shaking me every day
But I could get the same thing anywhere
So if she goes away
Well, it's all right and I'm OK
"Hey" she said, "Come back again tonight"
And I said "I might, I might, I might"
She said "well that's all right"
If it's alright with you
It's alright with me
I waited for an hour last Friday night
She never came around
She took almost everything from me
I'm going through my closet,
trying on her clothes almost every day
I could've been anyone you see
I wish it was anyone but me
There's nothing but pills and ashes under my skin
American girls all weather and noise
Playing the changes for all of the boys
Holding a candle up to my hand
Making me feel so incredible
If I made you cry, please tell me why
Cause I'll try again if you let me try
American girls all feathers & cream
Coming into bed so edible
American girls oh
American girls
American girls
Oh, oh, oh, oh
American girls oh
American girls
American girls
Oh, oh, oh, oh
You make me cry,
you make me cry,
you make me cry
Yeah, ya made me cry
You make me cry
Hey, miss American girl
Oh, oh, oh, yeah
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Has anybody been able to download this? I can't get the full version on KaZaA and I'm pissed!
ok... no one get all mad at me... but this song doesn't seem like the full quality of counting crows... ya know? it seems like just a song that they squirted out...i guess every band needs a song like this... and i'm not a HUGE fan of it... but whatever floats yer boat.
(god, this was a rambling post... DOES IT MAKE SENSE?? no.)
I think this song is really genius and not the kind of song CC slapped together in 5 minutes. The lyrics are amazing (like always) and the vocals and musical talent is top notch. The female background vocals add such a aspiring feeling to the song...a very powerful feeling. I can't wait until the new album comes out.
By the way, LindzyMarie, try using WinMX to get a full length 192 bitrate version of "American Girls."
I agree this song is not up to par with other counting crows songs. I'm hoping it's a throw-away single for radio play like hanginaround was (though hanginaround was better for it's rhythmic lyrics). Still, it's growing on me like most pop songs do. Listen closely at the end when the lyrics change to, "you make me cry" as dan comes in with lead guitar. It's the strongest moment in the song.
After seeing Counting Crows tonight, I can say that this song rocks, live!!!
The Crows played a few songs off the album, Sounds good
Did they have the female background vocalist when they played it live?
How come some of you guys think this is just a regular Pop song and doesn't meet the expectations of CC's older songs? Everyone I've talked to so far are kind of bummed out about this song and are starting to think CC are "selling out." I think this is a great song and the first time I heard it on the radio I immediately knew it was CC and I thought (and still think) it's a great song.
hmm i was able to get the full song off of kazaa.. try again maybe? and by the way, does anyone know who the female vocalist is on this song?
I heard a rumor that it's Sheryl Crow (I wouldn't be surprised) but I'm not sure.