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American Kryptonite Lyrics
He is the icon of our times, solution to our modern crimes. His trigger finger clicks remotes, as carbohydrates slowly bloat.
Not fragile, or brittle. He's seeking an acquittal.
No scruples, no meekness, he has but one great weakness.
All the world must have a price, save yourself from sacrifice, everything will end all right. American Kryptonite.
His mighty hands will hardly fail, his intellect is barely frail, he moves his lips in perfect sync, demanding an espresso drink.
With passion, he searches, he'll make another purchase.
Familiar, you know him, he's saying that you owe him.
It was like the Manifest Destiny all over again, except, instead of taking and consuming everything in their paths for God, they did so with the same fervor and sense of entitlement for their new god... themselves.
Buy, take, break, throw it away.
No scruples, no meekness, he has but one great weakness.
Familiar, you know him, he's saying that you owe him.
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This song is about greed... 100% of the way. Its about how we've become not only powerful as a nation, but greedy. How demanding we are about everything, and how much we take that same everything for granted.
I love the line about there new God....themselves.. How true, people today act so selfishly
who does the song refer to in the word 'he' through out the song? Is it American Kryptonite? And if so what is American Kryptonite, or what does it mean? this is the song I have had so much trouble understanding.
"he just means us in general.
"he just means us in general.
I suppose the American Kryptonite is paper money. It's green and it brings us Americans to our knees.
American Kryptonite isn't money, and every time the you hear the words: he, his, they, and their, it's talking about America itself.
The American Kryptonite is as it says in the song "he has but one great weakness" (remember 'he' is America). And that weakness is "All the world must have a price, save yourself from sacirfice." So what that is saying is that America's weakness is that America has to be able to by its salvation.
I agree that this is a picture of American society sadly, but I also think that this song is a portrait of each of our own lives if we truly look at ourselves introspectively. We are the Americans who make up America after all (unless of course you are from a differnt country)
I see the "He" as referring to the American consumer, who is being portrayed (ironically) as a superhero, and sacrifice is his own great weakness, his kryptonite.
I agree with all of that, but I also think that Kryptonite could refer to Superman(wasn't that his only weakness?) if so....then, America's weakness is kryptonite or money or an assortment of things. ALso, the parts of carbohydrates and lattes, I think refer to the obesity problem in our country.
i love reese's cynical views about america, and this song is just one of his many that touch the subject. he has some really great insights about the pitfalls of our society.