david bowie and nine inch nails I'm afriad of Americans meaning?

does anybody know the deeper meaning of this song. I have heard all sorts of ideas but I'm wondering what your take is on this song besides David bowie is afraid of Americans lol Ps im a big fan of him as well as nin and im American as well.

reply to post by pcrobotwolf


My opinion of the song/video is their interpretation of the stereotypical crazy gun toting American ( I don't agree with this generalization ). The video accompanied with the lyrics can lead to many different interpretations.

Imagine a member of an uncontacted amazon tribe all of a sudden finding themselves in downtown NYC or Los Angeles. I bet they would be afraid of Americans too.

reply to post by pcrobotwolf


Explanation: Here ...

I'm Afraid of Americans (song) [wiki]

Bowie describes the feelings behind the song:

It's not as truly hostile about Americans as say "Born in the U.S.A.": it's merely sardonic. I was traveling in Java when [its] first McDonald's went up: it was like, "for

sake." The invasion by any homogenised culture is so depressing, the erection of another Disney World in, say, Umbria, Italy, more so. It strangles the indigenous culture and narrows expression of life.

Note edited to replace extreme profanity with swear emoticon!

Personal Disclosure:

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Interesting i thought the same thing from watching the video. But i think thats the directors idea on it, not bowies or Trents

reply to post by OmegaLogos


very cool thanks for the answer. our culture is killing others interesting i always wondered about that.

This video really ticked me off Whats up with Bowie? Im sorry, just because I own a gun or two doesnt mean you have to fear me...Good Grief. Cant shoot a deer with your fingers.

The stereotype he creates might actually scare people from visiting America...Come on now...Just dont go walking down the street in East LA after dark and your good.....

reply to post by Starwise


its the director take on it not Bowies actually what he was talking about was how our culture invades other cultures with our multinational corporations killing a little bit of other countries culture

Originally posted by pcrobotwolf

im a big fan of him as well as nin

That's impossible. If that was true, then you would not have made these ridiculously idiotic statements.

Originally posted by pcrobotwolf

david bowie and nine inch nails I'm afriad of Americans meaning?

Originally posted by pcrobotwolf

Interesting i thought the same thing from watching the video. But i think thats the directors idea on it, not bowies or Trents.

:bash:

NO!!!!




The ONLY part that you have gotten correct, is- "that is not Trent's idea on the song"
.....because Trent Reznor did not write this song!

[color=50EBEC]The original version of this song, that is on the Bowie album 'Earthling,' was written by David Bowie, and Brian Eno. The song was later released on a single CD, that includes several different remix versions. Trent Reznor is in the video, and Trent Reznor did alot of the work for the remix album, AFTER the song was already written.

:bnghd:

How old is that song and vid cos Mr Bowie's lookin goooood.

reply to post by BrokenCircles


I was a fan of bowies all the way back to that movie he did called labyrinth" i was a kid at the time" and nin and trent im a big fan of. Whats your deal brokencircles i never said it was all trent. Good for you, you can read a Wikipedia page yet didnt get to the part where he explains what the songs meaning is as logos put up the right answer and not like an arse i might add.

reply to post by pcrobotwolf


But is Bowie the director? He directs a lot of videos.

I agree that the song is about the corporate invasion of the world by the US. As for the video; look at what American TV and films export; this is exactly what a non-American would expect from going to the US. The few times I've been there, I've felt like the guy in this video (not as paranoid, but paranoid nonetheless). You keep expecting people with guns ready to assault you everywhere. Whether it's reality or not is irrelevant; the image the US projects stays with you.

Some people will come on here and say that they feel safe when travelling in the US, but for the majority of non-Americans, you don't tend to feel safe, at least on your first visit.

Originally posted by pcrobotwolf

Good for you, you can read a Wikipedia page yet didnt get to the part where he explains what the songs meaning is as logos put up the right answer and not like an arse i might add.

I did not read the wikipedia page. I do not use wikipedia as a source. I have not watched this video for years, but I have had both CD's for quite some time now. There is no need to search wikipedia, for information that I already know. If wikipedia had the answer that you wanted, then why did you even start this thread??

I did not make an attempt to explain the meaning of the song, which would make it impossible for me to have "not gotten to a part." I was making an attempt to 'DENY IGNORANCE,' but obviously I have failed with you.

Originally posted by pcrobotwolf
i never said it was all trent.

Of course it was not all Trent, because Trent did not write this song.

reply to post by pcrobotwolf


the Brain Dead Gun toting christians!!! who pray to Jesus and cling to guns..ready to shoot anyone who steal the smallest thing from them..

because, you know jesus was all about killing, violence and JOINING THE MILITARY

reply to post by pcrobotwolf


OOH OOH I have one...

Bowie is perhaps the greatest British composer of songs ever.
He also penned a song called "This is not America".
He obviously wrote the song " Iam afraid of Americans" before the ninch inch nails collaboration.
Bowie is an egnima.
He is an actor within an actor within a life within a movie.
Only Bowie may ever know anything about Bowie.
His songs reveal little.
His very early to early stuff, is amazing.
After scary monsters he forgot he became a star as a side affect of brilliant imagination, and just tried to be a star.
But he has redeemed himself somewhat since that period .

He meant the rabid, right-wing gun-toting America all sensible people, including many Americans, fear.

As he said when introducing the song on stage in Singapore in 2003, ‘I’m only afraid of some Americans.’

The song is a reflection of the Bush era, when America really was a slavering outlaw beast. It’s a bit better now.

Maybe the behavior of the "character" Reznor plays is meant to suggest Mark David Chapman or some kind of MK Ultra controled figure stalking the musician. Just an idea.

The end of the video is strange.

our culture is killing others interesting

Our corporations are killing other cultures- and ours too.

interesting suggestions

Isa reply to: pcrobotwolf isn't the whole world?