“I’m Afraid of Americans” Updated

The 2016 song-a-day tribute I did during the year of Bowie’s death took place against the backdrop of the presidential campaign that ultimately left us with Donald Trump as President. I selected this song to go along with the Super Tuesday that Trump was expected to (and did) win to the point that his improbable nomination was secured. And that’s all I wrote about the song at the time.

In subsequent years, “Americans” has been included on many lists of Bowie’s best songs. I turned out not to be the last commentator to link Bowie’s lyrics to the Trump phenomenon— he seems to be describing the type of American that elected Trump.

I have long thought that the video tells a different story. Bowie’s character is stalked by an imaginary American boogeyman, portrayed by Trent Renzor, who collaborated with Bowie form the song and has his own version. It’s quite clear that the Renzor character, though feared by Bowie, is not real. I have taken the message to be that the fear toward Americans was misplaced. I don’t know that that’s the message of the song, so Bowie might have used the video to flip it on its head.

I’m under the impression that “Americans” is one of Bowie’s better-known songs from the 1990s. It was his best selling single before “Where Are We Now?” In 2013.

Here’s what I originally wrote on march 1, 2016 (Day 51), and then a note from 2018

On this Super Tuesday, when Donald Trump is expected to essentially sew up the nomination, this is the only appropriate song. Depending on the outcome, tomorrow might be This is Not America. Album: Earthling

Note from 2018: This would be the first appearance of Donald Trump in my Bowie tribute. Though Trump won big on Super Tuesday, this development still seemed almost funny. My selection of song masked a combination of disbelief and hope that the Republicans would be so foolish as to actually nominate Trump, 5us ensuring a Clinton victory.