American Woman – English Lyrics

• By: Lenny Kravitz
• Album: Blue Electric Light

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the electrifying energy of Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman"! This iconic cover offers a fantastic opportunity to explore modern rock and funk vocabulary in English, with its distinctive grooves and Kravitz's powerful vocal delivery. It's a prime example of how an artist can re-interpret a classic and make it uniquely their own, providing a rich context for language learners to appreciate musical expression and cultural adaptation.

[English]

(upbeat rock music)

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Uh ♪

♪ American woman, I said get away ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Babe, I gotta go ♪

♪ I want to 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 ♪

♪ And I'm no good for you ♪

♪ American woman ♪

♪ I'll look you right straight in the eye ♪

♪ And tell you what I'm gonna do ♪

♪ American woman ♪ ♪ I'm gonna leave you woman ♪

♪ You know I gotta go ♪

♪ American woman ♪ ♪ I'm gonna leave you woman ♪

♪ I gotta go ♪

♪ American woman ♪

♪ I gotta go ♪

♪ I gotta go ♪

♪ American woman ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human
stay /steɪ/ A1	verb - to remain in a particular place
away /əˈweɪ/ A1	adverb - at a distance
listen /ˈlɪsən/ A1	verb - to pay attention to sound
hang /hæŋ/ A2	verb - to suspend something
important /ɪmˈpɔrτənt/ A2	adjective - of great significance
spend /spɛnd/ A2	verb - to pay out money
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the progression of events
grow /ɡroʊ/ A2	verb - to develop or increase
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time
knock /nɒk/ A2	verb - to strike a surface with a sound
shadow /ˈʃædoʊ/ A2	noun - a dark area where light is blocked
colored /ˈkʌlərd/ A2	adjective - having color
hypnotize /ˈhɪp.nə.taɪz/ B2	verb - to induce a state of hypnosis
sparkle /ˈspɑr.kəl/ B1	verb - to shine brightly with small flashes of light
machine /məˈʃiːn/ A2	noun - a device that performs a task
ghetto /ˈɡɛtoʊ/ B1	noun - a part of a city where a specific group lives
fly /flaɪ/ A1	verb - to travel through the air
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - to depart from a place
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of a high quality

Key Grammar Structures

• American woman, stay away from me

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The verb "stay" is used in the imperative to directly command the 'American woman'. It's a direct instruction, not a request.

• Don't come hanging around my door

  ➔ Negative imperative with gerund

  ➔ "Don't come" is the negative imperative. "Hanging around" is a gerund functioning as an adverbial modifier, describing *how* not to come.

• I don't need your war machines

  ➔ Present simple with 'need' as a negative statement

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense to express a general truth or a current state of not needing something. 'Don't need' expresses a lack of requirement.

• Colored lights can hypnotize

  ➔ Modal verb 'can' expressing possibility

  ➔ The modal verb 'can' indicates that 'colored lights' have the *ability* or *possibility* to hypnotize. It doesn't state it happens always, just that it's possible.

• I gotta go

  ➔ Contraction of 'I have got to go' - informal future intention

  ➔ 'Gotta' is a colloquial contraction of 'have got to', expressing a strong obligation or immediate intention to leave.