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American Girls: Difference between revisions
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*''[[Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years]]'' (2020) | *''[[Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years]]'' (2020) | ||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
{{Small quote box|Round about the time I wrote American Girls, I started getting interested in what one of my professors calls "Strophic" composition: where one verse is essentially the same as the last. I think this form produces less "emotional" music, but the masters of the form, including the [[Beatles]] and [[Nirvana]], don't seem to let their listeners down with it.|[[Rivers Cuomo]], e-mail correspondence, [[2001]]<ref>Cuomo, Rivers. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080603104847/http://www.members.shaw.ca/ridd2/correspondence/matt.html Re: Another Rivers Voice Comment]" Message to Matt (archived). 2 December 2001.</ref>}}"American Girls" was first recorded by Rivers Cuomo on his DA-88 machine in September of 1997, while living in Boston. The song was originally conceived for a potential (though ultimately unrealized) "drone rock" side-project, [[Lovely]],<ref>"[https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Lovely Lovely]" ''[[Riverpedia]]''</ref> described by Cuomo as "a reaction to the reaction" to ''[[Pinkerton]]''. "The world didn't like the 35-chords with a couple of key changes type of song that is "[[Falling for You|Falling For You]]?"" Cuomo wrote of the project, "Ok then I'll try playing just one-chord over and over and call that a song." In 2020, Cuomo released a demo of the song as part of the digital compilation ''[[Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years]]''. | |||
Following the departure of [[Matt Sharp]] from Weezer, Cuomo began performing shows around Boston as both Weezer "try-out" shows as well as shows under his new side-project, [[Homie]]. "American Girls" was first performed live at [[Rivers Cuomo concert: 09/26/1997|the first of these "try-out" shows]] at T.T. The Bear's Place in Cambridge in September of [[1997]]. At this show, Cuomo introduced the song by saying that it was about "how American girls can be kinda rough sometimes." Cuomo was joined by future Weezer bassist [[Mikey Welsh]] on bass, [[Kevin Stevenson]] (of the band The Shods) on guitar, and [[Zeph Courtney]] (of Chevy Heston and Stompbox) on drums. The group also played it at [[Rivers Cuomo concert: 10/08/1997 - Cambridge, MA|another show]] on [[October 8]], and one additional time at [[Homie concert: 11/21/1997 - Cambridge, MA|the second of two Homie shows]] on [[November 21]]. These live performances resemble the tone of Cuomo's original demo, and are sometimes referred to by fans as the "hard rock" or "rocked out" version of the song, in contrast to the slowed-down ballad form of the ''Meet the Deedles'' release. | Following the departure of [[Matt Sharp]] from Weezer, Cuomo began performing shows around Boston as both Weezer "try-out" shows as well as shows under his new side-project, [[Homie]]. "American Girls" was first performed live at [[Rivers Cuomo concert: 09/26/1997|the first of these "try-out" shows]] at T.T. The Bear's Place in Cambridge in September of [[1997]]. At this show, Cuomo introduced the song by saying that it was about "how American girls can be kinda rough sometimes." Cuomo was joined by future Weezer bassist [[Mikey Welsh]] on bass, [[Kevin Stevenson]] (of the band The Shods) on guitar, and [[Zeph Courtney]] (of Chevy Heston and Stompbox) on drums. The group also played it at [[Rivers Cuomo concert: 10/08/1997 - Cambridge, MA|another show]] on [[October 8]], and one additional time at [[Homie concert: 11/21/1997 - Cambridge, MA|the second of two Homie shows]] on [[November 21]]. These live performances resemble the tone of Cuomo's original demo, and are sometimes referred to by fans as the "hard rock" or "rocked out" version of the song, in contrast to the slowed-down ballad form of the ''Meet the Deedles'' release. | ||
Cuomo recorded additional demos of "American Girls" the following winter, including a demo at his home in Cambridge, as well as a "pro" demo engineered by Ross Humphrey. Cuomo subsequently recorded a full Homie album with [[Fred Eltringham]] (of Gigolo Aunts) and Drew Parsons (of Tracy Bonham's band) at a studio (most likely Fort Apache), but the album was never released, and it's not known if "American Girls" was among the songs recorded. | Cuomo recorded additional demos of "American Girls" the following winter, including a demo at his home in Cambridge, as well as a "pro" demo engineered by Ross Humphrey.<ref>[[Recording History - Page 10|Weezer Recording History - Page 10]]</ref> Cuomo subsequently recorded a full Homie album with [[Fred Eltringham]] (of Gigolo Aunts) and Drew Parsons (of Tracy Bonham's band) at a studio (most likely Fort Apache), but the album was never released, and it's not known if "American Girls" was among the songs recorded. | ||
A new version of "American Girls" was recorded in Boston for the [[Meet The Deedles: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|soundtrack to the film ''Meet the Deedles'']], released [[March 24]], [[1998]]. Though it is technically attributed to Homie, "American Girls" was the [[:Category:Book-end tracks|final recording]], to date, to feature the Weezer line up of [[Rivers Cuomo]], [[Matt Sharp]], [[Brian Bell]], and [[Pat Wilson]]. The recording also features instrumentation from [[Yuval Gabay]] and [[Sebastian Steinburg]] of Soul Coughing, guitar by [[Greg Brown]] of the band Cake, and additional vocals from Cuomo's childhood friends [[Justin Fisher]] and [[Adam Orth]] as well as Geffen A&R representative [[Todd Sullivan]]. | A new version of "American Girls" was recorded in Boston for the [[Meet The Deedles: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|soundtrack to the film ''Meet the Deedles'']], released [[March 24]], [[1998]]. Though it is technically attributed to Homie, "American Girls" was the [[:Category:Book-end tracks|final recording]], to date, to feature the Weezer line up of [[Rivers Cuomo]], [[Matt Sharp]], [[Brian Bell]], and [[Pat Wilson]]. The recording also features instrumentation from [[Yuval Gabay]] and [[Sebastian Steinburg]] of Soul Coughing, guitar by [[Greg Brown]] of the band Cake, and additional vocals from Cuomo's childhood friends [[Justin Fisher]] and [[Adam Orth]] as well as Geffen A&R representative [[Todd Sullivan]]. | ||
==Personnel== | ==Personnel== | ||
===''Meet the Deedles''=== | ===''Meet the Deedles''=== | ||
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Darling, I'm afraid to close my eyes when I'm going to bed | Darling, I'm afraid to close my eyes when I'm going to bed | ||
I'm afraid you'll crack the phone down over my head | I'm afraid you'll crack the phone down over my head | ||
Why are all American girls so rough? | Why are all American girls so rough? | ||
Damn, the girl can't ever hurt you enough | Damn, the girl can't ever hurt you enough | ||
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Lady, you knocked me on my knees and I can't stand up | Lady, you knocked me on my knees and I can't stand up | ||
You got the look in your eye and you smack my butt | You got the look in your eye and you smack my butt | ||
Why are all American girls so rough? | Why are all American girls so rough? | ||
Why do all American girls act so tough? | Why do all American girls act so tough? | ||
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Darling, I'm afraid to close my eyes when I'm going to bed | Darling, I'm afraid to close my eyes when I'm going to bed | ||
I'm afraid you'll crack the phone down over my head | I'm afraid you'll crack the phone down over my head | ||
Why are all American girls so rough? | Why are all American girls so rough? | ||
Damn, the girl can't ever hurt you enough | Damn, the girl can't ever hurt you enough | ||
| Line 73: | Line 67: | ||
Lady, you knocked me on my knees and I can't stand up | Lady, you knocked me on my knees and I can't stand up | ||
You got the look in your eye and you smack my butt | You got the look in your eye and you smack my butt | ||
Why are all American girls so rough? | Why are all American girls so rough? | ||
Why do all American girls act so tough? | Why do all American girls act so tough? | ||
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Lady, you knocked me on my knees and I can't stand up | Lady, you knocked me on my knees and I can't stand up | ||
You got the look in your eye and you smack my butt | You got the look in your eye and you smack my butt | ||
Why are all American girls so rough? | Why are all American girls so rough? | ||
Why do all American girls act so tough? | Why do all American girls act so tough? | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[List of Rivers Cuomo songs]] | |||
*[[Homie]] | *[[Homie]] | ||
*[[Lovely]] | *[[Lovely]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Rivers Cuomo songs]] | ||
[[Category:Homie songs]] | [[Category:Homie songs]] | ||
[[Category:Lovely songs]] | [[Category:Lovely songs]] | ||