11 Songs With Hidden Meanings
4. The Guess Who - American Woman
The Canadian rock band released American Woman n 1970 on an eponymous album. However, the song itself was improvised on stage at a concert in Ontario. The meaning of American Woman may seem obvious, but it’s actually an anti-war song.
At the time of the concert, people in the US were being drafted to the Vietnam War – The Guess Who members had almost been drafted while touring the US. As a result, many Americans sought refuge in Canada. The audience that day was largely made up of fleeing Americans, so the band and their fans shared a hatred towards the Vietnam War.
From this, we now know that “Woman” is a metaphor. “American Woman, get away from me” and “I don’t need your war machine” are The Guess Who telling the US Army to get away.