These are the lyrics to Madonna's new song "American Life",which will be out shortly.What do you think she's really trying to say in this song?




"American Life" (written by Madonna)



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 me?

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 it for me?
This type of modern life---is it for me?


(chorus)
American Life
I live the American dream
You are the best I've seen
You are not just a dream


I tried to stay ahead,I tried to stay on top
I tried to paly 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 me?

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 live the American dream
You are the best thing I've seen
You are not just a dream

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 tried to find a friend,I tried to stay ahead
I tried to stay on top...


Fuck it...
Yeah,fuck it!


(the rap)
I'm drinking a soy latte
I get a double shote'
It goes right through my body
And you know I'm satisfied
I drive my mini-cooper
and I'm feeling super-dooper
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 the bodies
And you know I'm satisfied
I'm digging on the isotopes
This metaphysic's shit is dope
And if all this can give me hope
Then 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 gardner and a stylist
Do you think I'm satisfied?


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


Fuck it...


....
[This message was edited Mon Mar 3 6:16:02 PST 2003 by DavidEye]

DavidEye said:

I think she's looking at the American dream from an outsider's point of view...living in England looking at America from the outside has made her realise it's not all that it seems...

She's also mocking the life of a superstar; soy lattes, mini-coopers, yoga, all the things that a celeb would indulge in - superficial crap!

I thought the 'change my name' line could refer to Prince...or even J-LO...interesting!

I thought the "change my name" thing refered to what many immigrants do in order to assimilate.

It's a far cry from Material Girl thats for sure. Lyrically it's almost the polar opposite. I remember Madonna looking back at that era and calling herself an ameoba. How things have changed.

I think she's saying that the American way does provide the best life (from the chorus), but that people value it for the wrong reasons. That's why she goes on about materialistic and superficial crap in the rest of the song.

WildheartXXX said:

I don't think Madonna is very proud of the song "Material Girl".She has hinted that she will never perform it in concert ever again and I can't blame her.It's too "bubblegum' and kinda silly.And it certainly doesn't reflect her current worldview.



...
[This message was edited Mon Mar 3 1:24:17 PST 2003 by DavidEye]

DavidEye said:

That's a funny rap!

feeling super-dooper.

IstenSzek said:

After hearing the rap and seeing that "super dooper" line,I wonder if this is supposed to be some kind of tribute to Missy? Madonna delivers this rap in a Missy-style,and has even asked Missy to do one of the remixes.

DavidEye said:

It seems more of a piss-take to me. It's a rap and yet it
is very much different from the usual raps that brag about
all these supposed "cool" and "larger than life" things,
whereas she raps about feeling super-dooper driving around
in her mini-cooper, drinking soy latte and having a nanny.

That's quite different from sipping crystal [or whatever it
is called], driving an lambourghini and boasting about the
bitches you keep on the side.



Not that it's meant to be a stab or anything, it's just a
bit of fun I guess. She gets to make her social comment and
be funny at the same time. Make it a bit less heavy.

I can't wait to hear the remix by Missy.That should be funky.Alot of Madonna's remixes these days sound too "cold and trancy",it will be cool to hear a more street/hip hop mix for once.

DavidEye said:

I agree. Or at least some remixes that stay a bit more true
to the original song. Some of the Music/Ray of Light mixes
sounded like completely new songs, with some samples from
the current madonna single thrown in.

I bet Missy can do a lot better than that and she'll come
up with something cool.

Missy was talking about the remix on an MTV segment.She said something to the effect of "Madonna might have to do a whole rap album".