‘We're an American Band’ is a song by American rock band Grand Funk Railroad, released in 1973 from the band's album of the same name (their seventh) which became the band's first number one single, released July 2, 1973. Written by Don Brewer and produced by Todd Rundgren, its huge chart success broadened Grand Funk's appeal. It was sung by drummer Don Brewer, who began doing more lead vocals for the band and helped with their transition to making top 40 hits. It is the 99th song on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs.
Don Brewer says that the story that the song emerged after Grand Funk and the British band Humble Pie had a slightly drunken argument, over British and American bands, while they were on tour together in 1973 is totally untrue. In an interview, Brewer said “We were on planes all the time, flying into these towns. I remember I’m looking down at the ground as we’re coming into a city and that thought came to my mind: “We’re coming to your town, we’ll help you party it down.” Because that’s what we’re doing; that’s what this band does. So, I wrote the song around that line and came up with the other things that were going on while we were on the road at the same time, like the young chiquitas in Omaha and sweet sweet Connie.”
Brwere added, “And i came up with the line about staying up all night playing poker with Freddie King, the great bluesman: Freddie actually was opening the Phoenix Tour for us, and it was true. We would stay up all night playing poker with Freddie.” “I really didn’t come up with the tag, “We’re an American band,” until I had the song finished. I had that melody but not the words, and then it came out, the line, and it just sang so well: ‘We’re an American band.’ That’s what we are.”
This is one of the great cowbell songs in rock. Mark Farner says he came up with the idea while they were working up the song. He had Don Brewer pick up six different cowbells so they could pick the one with the best sound. When interviewed, Farner said “He brought in six cowbells and we ended up picking one of them and putting a little duct tape on it to give it more of a cank…It doesn't go 'cink, cink, cink,' it goes 'cank, cank, cank.'"
Label – Capitol
Songwriter – Don Brewer
Producer – Todd Rundgren
SONG LYRICS
{Intro}Out on the road for forty days
Last night in Little Rock put me in a haze
Sweet, sweet Connie and doing her act
She had the whole show and that's a natural fact
Up all night with Freddy King
I got to tell you poker's his thing
A-booze 'n ladies keep me right
As long as we can make it to the show tonight
We're an American band
We're an American band
We're coming to your town, we'll help you party it down
We're an American band
{Hook}
Four young chiquitas in Omaha
Awaitin' for the band to return from the show
I'm feelin' good, feelin' right, it's Saturday night
The hotel detective -- he was out-a-sight
Now, these fine ladies, they had a plan
They was out to meet the boys in the band
They said, "Come on, dudes, let's get it on,"
And we proceeded to tear that hotel down
We're an American band
We're an American band
We're coming to your town, we'll help you party it down
We're an American band, hey!
We're an American band
We're an American band
We're coming to your town, we'll help you party it down
We're an American band, ah, ah, ah down!
{Bridge}
We're an American band
We're an American band
We're coming to your town, we'll help you party it down
We're an American band, ah, ah, ah, ah!
We're an American band
We're an American band
We're coming to your town, we'll help you party it down
We're an American band
We're an American band, Ooo-ooo
We're an American band, Ooo-ooo
We're an American band, Ooo-ooo