American Girls
Counting Crows

Standard Tuning


Intro riff:
    F           Bb             F           Bb
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-
B-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-
G-|--2p0h2-p0-2-2p0-2p0h2p0--|--2p0h2-p0-2-2p0-2b3r2p0--|- Call these two bars
D-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-  "Riff 1"
A-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-

    F           Bb             C                          Bb
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-
B-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-
G-|--2p0h2-p0-2-2p0-2p0h2----|--------------------------|-
D-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-
A-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-


Intro (with riff) - the bars provide a timing reference
F  Bb  |  F  Bb  |  F  Bb  |  C   |  Bb  |
F  Bb  |  F  Bb  |  Bb     |


Verse 1:
                 F             Bb
She comes out on Fridays every time
                F
Stands out in a line
C                  Bb            F       F Bb F Bb    Bb
 I could have been anyone she'd seen     (Riff 1)
                  F             Bb
She waits another week to fall apart
                          F
She couldn't make another day
C              Bb          C
 I wish it was anyone but me
                  Bb          C
I could have been anyone you see
                  Gm             Bb
She had something breakable just under her skin


Chorus 1:
Dm         Bb                     F
  American girls all weather and noise
            C                      Dm
Playing the changes for all of the boys
          Bb               F
Holding a candle up to my hand
           C
Making me feel so incredible


Verse 2:
Bb                   F             Bb
    She comes out of closets every night
              F
But then she locks herself away
C                     Bb             C
 Where she could keep anything from me
                  Bb          C
I could have been anyone you see
                  Gm          Bb
She's nothing but porcelain underneath her skin


Chorus 2: (same chords as chorus 1)
American girls all weather and noise   Playing the changes for all of
the boys
Holding a candle right up to my hand   Making me feel so incredible


Interlude: (play intro riff with vocals)
F                Bb
  Little shivers shaking me everyday
F                     Bb
  But I could get the same thing anywhere
F           Bb
  So if she goes away
      Gm                C
Well, it's alright and I'm okay
     F            Bb
"Hey", she said, "Come back again tonight."
F              Bb
 And I said "I might, I might, I might."
F                 Bb
 She said "Well, that's alright.
Gm                 Am                 Dm
   If it's alright, it's alright with you
                      Gm                   C       Bb
then it's alright if it's alright with me


Verse 3:
                F                Bb
I waited for an hour last Friday night
                F
She never came around
C                Bb               F      F  Bb
 She took almost everything from me
                     F
I'm going through my closets
              Bb                    F
Trying on her clothes, almost everyday
C                Bb
 I could've been anyone you see
C              Bb         C
 I wish it was anyone but me
                    Gm              Bb
There's nothing but pills and ashes under my skin


Chorus 3:
American girls all weather and noise
Playing the changes for all of the boys
Holding a candle right up to my hand
Making me feel so incredible


Outro:
And now with the chorus chords, play Riff 2:
Riff 2:
    Dm        Bb        F         C
E-|-------------------|-------------------|-
B-|-------------------|-------------------|-
G-|-------------------|-------------------|-
D-|-0--2--3------2--3-|----2--3---5--3--2-|-
A-|-----------1-------|-0-----------------|-
E-|-------------------|-------------------|-

If I made you cry, please tell me why
Cause I'll try again if you let me try
American girls, all feathers and cream
Come into bed so edible