The Guess Who Lyrics

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

The band is just 'Guess Who' (originally Chad Allan & The Expressions) and some PR person at Quality records promoted the performers of 'Shakin All Over' as Guess Who? (and later it was revealed that it was Chad Allan and the Expressions). "Guess Who" stuck.

American Woman is not about women at all. It's about the United States and the attitudes and policies of the country. Canada, rather than considering those who protested the war as 'pussies', supported those who left. One of my math teachers was a 'draft-dodger' and we considered him to to be brave in his protest. It takes guts to have to leave everything you know behind to express your beliefs.

The person who wrote the review 'the real reason' is correct. A friend of mine, who is a female from the US, said that Americans are stupid enough to actually believe this song is about American women. (Not my comment, it's hers).

I personally thought it was funny when Lenny Kravitz played his version on the Grammys and the crowd cheered. Made the point that they really had NO idea what the song was about.

Read the words to things before you think you know what they're about.

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

"The fact was, we came from a very strait-laced, conservative, laid-back country, and all of a sudden, there we were in Chicago, Detroit, New York — all these horrendously large places with their big city problems." (as posted on Wiki)

Note, it says in Background: ''The song's origins took the form of a live jam at a curling rink concert in Kitchener, Ontario.[5] The group was rushing into the second set and began improvising a rhythm to liven up the crowd. Burton Cummings, the lead singer, began improvising lyrics to fit the music'' The origin of the song was improvised. I also regularly get the basis of tunes from jamming, but the final version takes more thought.

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

Recently on TV and in his new book Randy Bachman says that American Women is the statue of liberty.

As a songwriter, you may start with an idea but the song does NOT have to mean or be about anyone or anything!

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

1) Take it from someone that was draft age, and in college, in 1970. American Woman is an anti-war(Viet-Nam), anti-US "Imperilism" (Capitalism), national anthem" of us hippies.
I'm sure the double endre (sp?) as to the typical american "bit(h" of the era, wasn't an accident.
2) This would be obvious if the last line wasn't purged. If any of y'all have ever heard the original. The last line was "Good bye, American Woman. Good bye, American Bit(h". Used to hear the unpurged version all the time on late night "alternative rock" radio, "in the day" :).

    ------ About the song Bus Rider performed by The Guess Who

What I think The Guess Who were trying to express in the lyrics to "Bus Rider"is basically rebellion against the status quo! I mean it's rather
obvious! It starts lyrically in the first person, Then
by the middle and the ending of the song ,second
and third person. What one has to see is that you
have to look at it through a late sixties, counter-
culture mentality.Burton Cummings and The Guess Who, were not immune to this,being young
people in a time of great upheaval in our country (U.S.A)
and I'm sure in theirs( Canada ) and in most developed countries.
They didn't want to live with the same idealistic
mentality that their parents did.

    ------ About the song Friends of Mine performed by The Guess Who

I also have looked for the name of this song for ever. I heard it along time ago when my girlfriend and I use to get into her brothers albums and listen when he was not home. When I would tell people the words "he walked up the thirteen steps of the gallows" and "in flanders fields where poppies grow" they thought I was mad no one that I knew had ever heard or knew what song it was. Thank you.

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

AMERICAN WOMAN was made up - ON THE SPOT- at a concert to excite the crowd. No prior thought was made.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Woman_(song)
I guess we'll all meet over at "Losing my religion" by REM so you pretend that it's about losing faith.

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

the song is a protest toward american men who were running away from america during the draft to avoid doing their duty for their country and going to canada and the canadians are basically calling them "pussies" for running away and saying that they don't want them there with their ideas, fears,protest and so on. that's what it's about, not about woman at all. thats why so many woman don't understand the song.

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

You guys are pretty hard on America. I don't see it as this imperialistic "whore." I see her as a bunch of individuals who are just trying to make a living. I don't know about the rest of you, but I never had any big ideas about trying to take over the world, or imposing anything on anyone. I just hate to see people who are oppressed and like to kind of help them, and I'd like to see people respect each other and be kind to one another and if people don't mess with us I'm all for leaving them alone. I'm an american woman. I don't manipulate and I try not to nag.

    ------ About the song American Woman performed by The Guess Who

this song hits the nail on the head. MOST American Women are needy, manipulative, controlling and neurotic. the song can be taken literally with the exception of a few lines:


"I don't need your war machine" - women were used back in the past to manufacture weapons and military vehicles while men were at war.

"I don't need your ghetto scenes" - ?

"colored lights can hypnotize" - a metaphor for the hypnotic powers of a beautiful woman.

"sparkle someone esle's eyes" - basically piss off and go try to ruin someone else's life.