American Life

Madonna

About American Life

"American Life" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It is the title track from her ninth studio album American Life (2003), and was released digitally as the lead single from the album on April 8, 2003 by Maverick Records. It was written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï; the lyrics to "American Life" feature violent transitions and a political and religious view from Madonna. She questions the shallowness of modern life and the American Dream during the presidency of George W. Bush. Towards the end of the song, Madonna raps, naming the people who were working for her. "American Life" was panned by music critics, with Billboard criticizing Madonna's rapping, and Blender naming it as the ninth worst song of all time. Commercially, "American Life" reached number one in Canada, Denmark, Italy, Japan and Switzerland, and the top ten in Australia, where the song was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Elsewhere, the song peaked at number 37 in the US Billboard Hot 100, staying in the chart for eight weeks, while it debuted and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. 


Year:
2006
5:21
150 
#3

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Do I have to change my name
Will it get me far
Should I lose some weight
Am I gonna be a star

I tried to be a boy
I tried to be a girl
I tried to be a mess
I tried to be the best
I guess I did it wrong
That's why I wrote this song
This type of modern life
Is it for me
This type of modern life
Is it for free

So I went into a bar
Looking for sympathy
A little company
I tried to find a friend
It's more easily said
It's always been the same
This type of modern life
Is not for me
This type of modern life
Is not for free

[Chorus:]
American life [American life]
I live the American dream [American dream]
You are the best thing I've seen
You are not just a dream [American life]

I tried to stay ahead
I tried to stay on top
I tried to play the part
But somehow I forgot
Just what I did it for
And why I wanted more
This type of modern life
Is it for me
This type of modern life
Is it for free

Do I have to change my name
Will it get me far
Should I lose some weight
Am I gonna be a star

[Chorus:]

American life

I tried to be a boy
Tried to be a girl
Tried to be a mess
Tried to be the best
Tried to find a friend
Tried to stay ahead
I tried to stay on top

Do I have to change my name
Will it get me far
Should I lose some weight
Am I gonna be a star

Uh, uh, uh, uh

I'm drinkin' a soy latte
I get a double shotie
It goes right through my body
And you know I'm satisfied
I drive my mini cooper
And I'm feeling super-duper
Yo they tell me I'm a trooper
And you know I'm satisfied
I do yoga and pilates
And the room is full of hotties
So I'm checking out their bodies
And you know I'm satisfied
I'm diggin' on the isotopes
This metaphysics shit is dope
And if all this can give me hope
You know I'm satisfied
I got a lawyer and a manager
An agent and a chef
Three nannies, an assistant
And a driver and a jet
A trainer and a butler
And a bodyguard or five
A gardener and a stylist
Do you think I'm satisfied

I'd like to express my extreme point-of-view
I'm not a Christian and I'm not a Jew
I'm just living out the American dream
And I just realized that nothing is what it seems

Do I have to change my name
Am I gonna be a star
Do I have to change my name
Am I gonna be a star
Do I have to change my name

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Madonna

Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone /tʃɪˈkoʊneɪ/ chi-KOH-nay; August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, dancer and entrepreneur. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. Considered to be one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, she is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. Critics have praised her diverse musical productions which have also been known to induce controversy. more »

16 fans

Written by: Mirwais Ahmadzai, Madonna Louise Ciccone

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Album location
"American Life" is the title track from Madonna's ninth studio album.
Release date
The song was released in March 2003.
Musical style
"American Life" is a pop song with elements of folk and rock music. It features Madonna singing in a quasi rap style.
Controversial music video
The original music video for "American Life" was very controversial. It featured violent images from war and satirical images of the American dream.
Video withdrawal
Due to the potential offensive nature of the video, especially in relation to the Iraq War, Madonna withdrew it before public release.
Replacement video
A new, simpler video was subsequently made for the song, which just featured Madonna singing against a backdrop of the American flag.
Lyrics Inspiration
Madonna stated that the lyrics of the song are about her own experience of questioning the things she had once thought were important.
Chart Performance
Despite the controversy, "American Life" reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA, and performed better in other countries, reaching the top spot in Canada, Denmark, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
Production Team
The song was produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï, marking their third collaboration on an album.
Mixed Reviews
Critics had mixed responses to the song, with some praise for its boldness and others criticizing its lyrical content and Madonna's rapping.
Live Performances
Despite its mixed reception, "American Life" has been performed by Madonna on several tours, including the Re-Invention World Tour (2004), the MDNA Tour (2012), and Madame X Tour (2019-2020).

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    American Life

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 2003

    Billboard #37


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