American Girl
SONG INFO
American Girl
- Thieves Lead Vocals: Brandon Pfeiffer
- Release Date: Tuesday, February 1, 1977 (49 years ago)
- Original Key: B major
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Trivia:
- It is ranked number 169 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- “American Girl” was the last song performed in concert by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They played it to close out the encore of their performance on September 25, 2017, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, the final concert of their 40th Anniversary Tour.
- did not chart in the United States, but peaked at No. 40 in the UK for the week ending August 27, 1977
- It was re-released in 1994 as the second single from Petty’s Greatest Hits album and peaked at No. 68 in the U.S. Cash Box Top 100.
- It was recorded on the 4th of July in 1976, the Bicentennial of the United States.
- The tempo is fast and “urgent,”[15] and is built on a repeated jangling guitar riff based on a “Bo Diddley beat.”[16]
- Covered by Taylor Swift (2009), Everclear (1995), Goo Goo Dolls (2008), Elle King (2015), Jason Isbell, Green Day, Gin Blossoms, Pearl Jam, Petty Thieves
- Performers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
-
Writers:
- Tom Petty
-
Producers:
- Denny Cordell
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Record Label:
- Shelter Records
-
Recording Studio:
- Shelter Studios (Hollywood, CA)
ALBUM INFO
Album info section temporarily disabled for testing
LYRICS
Well, she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn’t help thinkin’
That there was a little more to life somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
And if she had to die tryin’
She had one little promise she was gonna keep
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
Well, it was kind of cold that night
She stood alone on her balcony
Yeah, she could hear the cars roll by
Out on 441 like waves crashin’ on the beach
And for one desperate moment
There he crept back in her memory
God it’s so painful when something that’s so close
Is still so far out of reach
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
Oohh
Oooh
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Tom Petty
American Girl lyrics © Tarka Music
CHORDS
Intro
Intro - Guitar 1: 18 bars D
Intro - Guitar 2: E7 E7 G G A A D D E7 E7 G G A7 A7
Verse 1
D E7
Well, she was an American girl
G A
Raised on promises
D E7
She couldn't help thinkin' that there was a
G A
little more to life somewhere else
A D
After all it was a great big world
G Em
With lots of places to run to
A
And if she had to die tryin' she had one little promise she was gonna keep
Chorus
G A D Bm
O yeah, all right, take it easy, baby, make it last all night
G A D
She was an American girl
Verse 2
D E7
Well, it was kinda cold that night
G A
She stood alone on the balcony
D E7
Yeah, she could hear the cars roll by
G A
Out on 441 like waves crashin' on the beach
A D
And for one desperate moment there
G Em
He crept back in her memory
A
God it's so painful when something that's so close is still so far out of reach
Chorus
G A D Bm
O yeah, all right, take it easy, baby, make it last all night
G A D
She was an American girl
Outro:
G G G G G# A D
G G G G G# A D
G G G G G# A D
G G G A A A
Repeat to end
D E7 G A