Guess Who - American Woman Meaning

Song Released: 1970

American Woman Lyrics

American Woman, stay away from me
American Woman, mama let me be
Don't come a hangin' around my door
I don't wanna see your face no more
I got more important things to do
Than spend my time growin' old with you
Now Woman, I said stay...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   undead_drummer

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   May 10th 2006 !⃝

   This basically refers to the time of the cold and Vietnam wars when America tried to get Canada to adapt nuclear missles and join. When the singer refers to the American Woman, it is America.
   
   "Don't com hangin' around my door
   I don't wanna see your face nomore
   I got more important things to do
   then spendin my time growin old with you"
   
   This is basically saying that Canada has its own troubles that they have to deal with and they don't need to get into some wars over opinion with the US
   
   "I don't need your war machine" - nuclear weapons
   
   "I don't need your ghetto scenes" - the after math of the explosives
   
   "colored lights can hypnotize" - explosions of the bombs
   
   "sparkle someone esle's eyes" - basically piss off and bother someone else lol
2. anonymous

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   Jun 14th 2023 !⃝

   Watch the interview with Burton Cummings who wrote the song. It is not political in any means. It is a tribute to Canadian Women.
3. anonymous

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   Sep 10th 2022 !⃝

   Burton Cummings says it was not meant to be political, just an observation of American girls they saw on tour compared to the Canadian girls. Watch the Professor of Rock interview with B. Cummings. He wrote the lyrics, its a very interesting interview.
   
4. anonymous

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   Sep 10th 2021 !⃝

   I had thought this song was about "Big Kathy" Richards and her romantic relationships with men.
5. anonymous

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   Jul 8th 2021 !⃝

   Canadians are like ostriches they stick their heads in the sand and let US do their dirty work for them. From now on let the UK protect them.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
6. anonymous

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   Mar 25th 2021 !⃝

   The American Woman was the US govt and the American men were telling the govt get away from me, dont draft me into some war i dont believe in as i dont want to die.
   
   If this was about Canada as some say, then why was it so popular in the US? Ive been to Canada, believe me, it's nothing to want for!
7. anonymous

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   Oct 14th 2020 !⃝

   I was hopingthe song was referring to real American women, who (generally speaking) seem very confused about what their role is in this society, or how to behave.
8. anonymous

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   Oct 6th 2020 !⃝

   It was meant to be anti-American when it was written, and remains so. However, the Canadians now have their own ghettoes, and took part in the war in Afghanistan, so they can't throw stones.
9. anonymous

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   Apr 19th 2020 !⃝

   I believe It’s essentially a protest song. Listen to the lyrics. It’s 1969. The Vietnam war. Civil rights struggles. Peace demonstrations. Kent State student demonstrators shot by the National Guard. Government policies. American woman is a metaphor for the so-called American way.
10. anonymous

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    Apr 15th 2020 !⃝

    The Canadians have always been jealous of Americans. They are the ugly stepsister. They are one-tenth the size of America. Look at all of the singers, comics and actors from Canada who come here to make a living. Ask them if they appreciate the U.S.
    
11. anonymous

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    Apr 13th 2020 !⃝

    The Guess Who were all gay and wrote this song about American female groupies, telling them to stay away, don't knock on my door.
12. anonymous

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    Dec 23rd 2019 !⃝

    They even said it's about how much American women suck compared to Canadian women. I happen to agree, especially this day and age, and I'm glad I live in a border town.
13. anonymous

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    Nov 14th 2019 !⃝

    All you America haters conveniently use the BS line handed you. The song is obvious and anyone stating otherwise is wrong and in denial. American women, for the most part, are spoiled princesses (what is the HRM doing for ya Canada?). The advent of oprah has only made that worse. American women will lie, cheat and steal and feel entitled to do so thanks to oprah's instruction. Just call it what it is: misandry. Not all American women are like this but a large slice of the population is. To all the US haters: grow up and take a look at yourself. No American said the US is perfect. America is a work in progress and it state it in the Constitution. All you envious US haters get to work and make something of your country now.
14. anonymous

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    Oct 23rd 2019 !⃝

    Anybody who is looking for esoteric or political meanings in this song obviously doesn't know a lot of American women. They were awful in the 1960s. They are worse now.
15. anonymous

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    Oct 21st 2018 !⃝

    Typical American arrogance. Live with the fact your misadventure in Southeast Asia was a failure and 58,000 didn’t come back. Your country has been dissing Canada constantly over the years! Maybe you should look at yourelf in the mirror America..You’re not great, songet over yourseles. Maybe you should go home! Canada doesn’t need or want you around anyway...so like the song goes... American women stay away from me! Don’t need your war machines, don’t need your ghetto scenes. You can stick the the statue of Liberty in a warm dark place.
16. anonymous

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    Jun 17th 2018 !⃝

    The American Woman in the song is the Statue of Liberty. This was the first thing on American soil that European immigrants saw when they reached New York.The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of American freedom, However during the Vietnam war they would draft anyone into the US Army.
    
    In 1969 the Guess Who were travelling into the USA to perform a gig when an American border patrol officer tried to draft the band into the US Army. The band turned around and hightailed it back across the border into Canada. They had no gig in Canada, but they managed to get a gg at a Curling Arena. During the gig Randy Bachman broke a string on his guitar, Randy didn't have a spare guitar so the band had a break while Randy restrung his guitar.
    
    After Randy replaced the string he started playing a riff on his guitar, he liked it and didn't want to forget it, he turned up his amp and said to Burton Cummings, "Sing anything". Burton sang "American woman, stay away from me", a new song was born.