North American Scum -- but maybe without the scum part?

July 15, 2010 12:49 PM

Looking for songs about North Americans.

So I listened to "North American Scum" by LCD Soundsystem. Looking for more songs like this about North Americans, of all types, and especially happy/poppy ones.

posted by lorrer to Media & Arts (23 answers total)

North America consists of 3 very different countries, Canada, the USA, and Mexico. There are lots of songs about Canada, lots about the USA, and lots about Mexico, but there are very few songs about the entire continent. To my knowledge, there is no song specifically about the North American Free Trade Agreement, although perhaps there should be.

For a nice happy song about the USA, allow me to recommend "Power And Glory" by Phil Ochs.
posted by grizzled at 1:02 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

America, Fuck Yeah?
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:09 PM on July 15, 2010

Matthew Good - North American For Life
posted by iconomy at 1:10 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Sound of North America is a song by The Beautiful South (in one of their more heavy-handed and annoying lyrical modes, IMHO). But it is really about the US. And it is not happy or poppy.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 1:10 PM on July 15, 2010

Stompin' Tom Connors' "Canada Day, Up Canada Way"
posted by kmennie at 1:11 PM on July 15, 2010

This land is your land
American pie
American woman
posted by dfriedman at 1:17 PM on July 15, 2010

America by Neil Diamond
America by Los Tigres Del Norte (it is in Spanish, but if you can understand it, it is a powerful song)

These two songs, with the same title, are a powerful example of just how different the meaning of America can be
posted by Flood at 1:35 PM on July 15, 2010

David Bowie's Young Americans.
posted by umbú at 1:35 PM on July 15, 2010

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee?
posted by runningwithscissors at 1:40 PM on July 15, 2010

Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden
posted by umbú at 1:47 PM on July 15, 2010

To my knowledge, there is no song specifically about the North American Free Trade Agreement, although perhaps there should be.

There is!

Fuck NAFTA by Rah Rah
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:48 PM on July 15, 2010

Political Science by Randy Newman. LOVE this song (in the tongue-in-cheek manner it was intended).
posted by wwartorff at 2:00 PM on July 15, 2010

Here are some South American songs about North America, ranging from playful to enraged:


Chiclete com Banana performed by Jackson do Pandeiro
From United States of Piauí by Gonzaguinha
Filho da patria iludido by Gabriel O Pensador
Disseram que eu Voltei Americanizada by Carmen Miranda
posted by umbú at 2:00 PM on July 15, 2010

Palo Alto - Radiohead
Struck A Nerve - Bad Religion
Dizz Knee Land - Dada
posted by dbiedny at 2:16 PM on July 15, 2010

Wow, no one has mentioned that Bowie / NIN collab "I'm Afraid of Americans." It's not exactly happy or "poppy," but it is Bowie.
posted by Derive the Hamiltonian of... at 2:54 PM on July 15, 2010

Sort of related Arrogant Worms song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29g57XTYgLE
posted by RobotHero at 3:17 PM on July 15, 2010

Proud to be Canadian and Canada's Really Big by the Arrogant Worms
posted by sadtomato at 3:33 PM on July 15, 2010

Holly Johnson - Americanos
Americanos - Blue Jeans and Chinos
Coke, Pepsi and Oreos - Americanos
Movies and heroes in the land of the free
You can be what you wanna be...
(arrgh, 80s flashbacks)
posted by PontifexPrimus at 3:42 PM on July 15, 2010

Happy poppy Canadian/American love song - Candian Rose, Blues Traveller
Old school Mexican/American love song- Senorita, Don Williams

Drawing a blank on Canadian/Mexican love songs.
posted by Erasmouse at 4:03 PM on July 15, 2010

Oh I've got one.

Dance 2 Trance - Power of American Natives

This was one of the tunes that made 1992 (for me, anyway).
posted by Sutekh at 4:16 PM on July 15, 2010

I Wouldn't Take A Million Dollars For A Single Maple Leaf - Roy Payne
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:20 PM on July 15, 2010

X, "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts"

I'm a no-good coward and an American too.
A North American, that is,
Not a South, or a Central. Or a Native American

posted by kirkaracha at 10:34 PM on July 15, 2010

I can't really help with happy/poppy ones, but here are some punk ones.

Big Black - The Ugly American

NOFX - American Errorist (I Hate Hate Haters)

Bad Religion - American Jesus

The Promise Ring - American Girl
posted by namewithoutwords at 5:08 AM on July 16, 2010