Video hit Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz - American Woman

American Woman is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, first released in January 1970 on the album of the same name and later in March as a single, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song has been covered by many rock artists, including Lenny Kravitz, Krokus, Jimi Hendrix and the Butthole Surfers.

Lenny Kravitz version

Lenny Kravitz covered American Woman for the soundtrack of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Kravitz did a slower and softer version, without the signature guitar solo; he later said to Randy Bachman that the reason why he skipped the guitar part was "I couldn't get the sound. I couldn't get the tone."

Kravitz won a Grammy in 1999 for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

It was later included in the 1999 re-issue of his 5 album. The music video featured actress Heather Graham (who starred in The Spy Who Shagged Me); the original political themes of the song were largely replaced by sex appeal. The song has been used in season 2, episode 13 of Alias. It was also used on the youtube video for Heroes including Niki Sanders, Jessica and Tracy Strauss for Ali Larter.

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:

“The popular misconception was that it was a chauvinistic tune, which was anything but the case. 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. After that one particularly grinding tour, it was just a real treat to go home and see the girls we had grown up with. Also, the war was going on, and that was terribly unpopular. We didn't have a draft system in Canada, and we were grateful for that. A lot of people called it anti-American, but it wasn't really. We weren't anti-anything. John Lennon once said that the meanings of all songs come after they are recorded. Someone else has to interpret them”.

The lyrics:

American woman, stay away from me

American woman, mama let me be

Don't come hanging around my door

I don't want to see your face no more

I got more important things to do

Than spend my time growin' old with you

Now woman, stay away

American woman, listen what I say

American woman, get away from me

American woman, mama let me be

Don't come knocking around my door

I don't want to see your shadow no more

Colored lights can hypnotize

Sparkle someone else's eyes

Now woman, get away

American woman, listen what I say

American woman, I said get way

American woman, listen what I say

Don't come hanging around my door

Don't want to see your face no more

I don't need your war machines

I don't need your ghetto scenes

Colored lights can hypnotize

Sparkle someone else's eyes

Now woman, get away

American woman, listen what I say

American woman, stay away from me

American woman, mama let me be

I gotta go

I gotta get away

Think I gotta go

I wanna fly away

I'm gonna leave you woman

I'm gonna leave you woman

I'm gonna leave you woman

I'm gonna leave you woman

Bye bye, bye bye

Bye bye, bye bye

American woman

You're no good for me

I'm no good for you

Looking at you right in the eye

Tell you what I'm gonna do

I'm gonna leave you woman

You know I gotta go

I'm gonna leave you woman

I gotta go

I gotta go

I gotta go

American woman

Yeah