"American Woman"
Single by The Guess Who
from the album American Woman
Released	March 1970 (U.S.)
Format	Vinyl album
Recorded	August 12, 1969 at the RCA Mid-America Recording Center, Studio B, Chicago, Illinois
Genre	Rock
Length	5:10
Label	Buddha Records
Writer(s)	Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson
Producer(s)	Jack Richardson
Chart positions
#1 U.S.

"American Woman"
Single by Lenny Kravitz
from the album 5
Released	1999
Format	CD Single
Genre	Rock
Length	4:25
Label	Virgin America
Producer(s)	Lenny Kravitz
Chart positions
#177 (United Kingdom) #49 (U.S. Billboard Hot 100)
Lenny Kravitz singles chronology
"Black Velveteen" (1999)	"American Woman" (1999)	"Again" (2000)

"American Woman" is the title track of Canadian band The Guess Who's 1970 album, American Woman. American Woman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was one of the first to establish a major successful following in their own country while still residing there as well as abroad in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here American Woman album cover An album (and single) released in 1970 by Canadian rockers The Guess Who. ... 33⅓ LP vinyl record album The vinyl record is a type of gramophone record, most popular from the 1950s to the 1990s, that was most commonly used for mass-produced recordings of music. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Look up rock in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... While working at Kama Sutra Records, Art Kass was unhappy with the distribution deal with MGM Records and started Buddah Records around 1967. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Randoph Charles Bachman, OM (born September 27, 1943) was lead guitarist and songwriter of the 1970s rock band, The Guess Who, and later formed the famous hard rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive with his brothers Robbie Bachman, drums, Tim Bachman, rhythm guitar and friend Fred Turner on bass and lead... Burton Cummings, OM, D.Mus (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. ... Garry Peterson began drumming at the age of three and has been the drummer for the Canadian rock band, The Guess Who, ever since its inception in the mid-1960s. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Jack Richardson, (b. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Leonard Albert Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American rock singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist whose retro-style amalgam of rock, pop, funk, and even techno is inspired by such music icons as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Guess Who and John Lennon. ... 5 is the fifth studio album by Lenny Kravitz. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Rock and roll. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Virgin America is a new U.S. airline that expects to begin flying in 2007. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Leonard Albert Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American rock singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist whose retro-style amalgam of rock, pop, funk, and even techno is inspired by such music icons as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Guess Who and John Lennon. ... Again is the first and only single by rock musician Lenny Kravitz released to promote his Greatest Hits album. ... The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was one of the first to establish a major successful following in their own country while still residing there as well as abroad in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here American Woman album cover An album (and single) released in 1970 by Canadian rockers The Guess Who. ...

Song information

The song's origins took the form of a live jam in Kitchener, Ontario. 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. [[ For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ... A jam session is a musical act where musicians gather and play (or jam) without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements. ... Motto: Ex industria prosperitas (Latin: Prosperity through industry) Location of Kitchener in the Waterloo Region Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario Government  - Mayor Carl Zehr Area  - Land 136. ... Burton Cummings, OM, D.Mus (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. ...

The song's lyrics have been the matter of some debate, often interpreted as an attack on U.S. politics (especially the draft). Jim Kale, the group's bassist and the song's co-author, explained his take on the lyrics: For other uses, see Conscript (disambiguation). ... A bassist is a musician who plays a double bass or electric bass (also referred to as bass guitar). ...

^{[citation needed]}

Randy Bachman has claimed that the American woman referred to in the song is in fact the Statue of Liberty, furthering the anti-war theme. Randoph Charles Bachman, OM (born September 27, 1943) was lead guitarist and songwriter of the 1970s rock band, The Guess Who, and later formed the famous hard rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive with his brothers Robbie Bachman, drums, Tim Bachman, rhythm guitar and friend Fred Turner on bass and lead... Vinyl Tap is a CBC Radio One radio show hosted by Randy Bachman, musician alumnus of the famous Canadian rock bands, The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. ...

As a single, the track spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 (where it was credited as a double-sided hit, along with "No Sugar Tonight"), an unprecedented success for a Canadian band; at the time, it competed with singles such as The Jackson 5's "ABC" and the Beatles's "Let it Be". The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as J5, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music quintet from Gary, Indiana. ... ABC is a 1970 #1 hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. ... Let It Be is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney), released by The Beatles as a single in March 1970 and later the same year as the title track of their album Let It Be. ...

"American Woman" was voted Best Canadian Single of All Time by Chart Magazine in both the 2000 and 2005 polls of readers, music industry professionals, and musicians throughout Canada. Chart is a monthly Canadian music magazine. ...

The song has been covered by many, including Lenny Kravitz and the The Butthole Surfers. It was also featured in Sam Mendes's movie American Beauty. It has most recently been covered by former Guess Who members Cummings and Bachman in a blues rock style. Leonard Albert Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American rock singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist whose retro-style amalgam of rock, pop, funk, and even techno is inspired by such music icons as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Guess Who and John Lennon. ... Butthole Surfers are an American punk band, founded by lead vocalist Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas, in 1981. ... Sam Mendes Samuel Alexander Mendes, CBE (born August 1, 1965) is an English stage and film director born in Reading, Berkshire, England. ... American Beauty is a 1999 drama film that explores themes of love, freedom, self-liberation, the search for happiness, and family against the backdrop of modern American suburbia. ... Blues-rock is a hybrid musical genre combining elements of the blues with rock and roll, with an emphasis on the electric guitar. ...

Trivia

• Shortly after its release The Guess Who were invited to play at the White House. Because of its supposed anti-American lyrics, Richard Nixon asked that they not play "American Woman."^{[citation needed]}
• The song starts with a 1:15 intro, in which Randy Bachman plays a blues shuffle and turnaround repetitively on an acoustic guitar. While Bachman plays guitar, Cummings sings in a spoken word style. Though this intro is contained on all releases of the song, it is rarely played on the radio.
• While there are some who believe that during the fade out you can hear Cummings sin "Good Bye American Woman, Good Bye American Shit", there are also some who believe Cummings is instead saying "Chick".
• The song is widely regarded as a rock classic. M.C. Strong calls it "a juddering behemoth of a record fuelled by guitar distortion and a testosterone saturated verve" and describes Cummings as sounding "like Jim Morrison after a particularly heavy night on the whisky and cigs"^[1].

North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that typically follows a twelve-bar structure. ... In jazz, a turnaround is a passage at the end of a section which leads to the next section. ... Acoustic Guitar Playing an acoustic guitar without a pick (fingerpicking) A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. ... Spoken word is a form of music or artistic performance in which lyrics, poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Lenny Kravitz version

Kravitz covered the song for the soundtrack of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. It was later included in the 1999 re-issue of his 5 album. Lenny said that he wanted to make a funkier version of the song, but ironically it did not feature any kind of snare drums, something common in funk songs, however, Kravitz argues that he has listened to old funk records that do not feature notable drums sounds. [1] Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me is the second film in the Austin Powers series started with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued in Austin Powers in Goldmember. ... 5 is the fifth studio album by Lenny Kravitz. ...

ABC is a 1970 #1 hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. ... The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as J5, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music quintet from Gary, Indiana. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... This is a list of number-one hits in the United States by year from the Billboard Hot 100. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Everything Is Beatiful is a song by Ray Stevens. ... Ray Stevens was born Harold Ray Ragsdale on January 24, 1939 in Clarkdale, Georgia, now part of Decatur. ...

References

1. ^ M.C. Strong, The Great Rock Discography, 1998, p. 322.

External links

• "American Woman".