LCD Soundsystem producer James Murphy has spoken about his complex relationship with the United States.
With their track ‘North American Scum’ LCD Soundsystem finally nailed how it feels to be an American broad. The sense of shame at how they are perceived is mixed with an amusement at mis-guided perceptions.
One of the band’s biggest tracks, the single spearheaded their sublime second album ‘Sound Of Silver’. Speaking to ClashMusic, James Murphy spoke about the complexities in the song’s lyrics.
“Americans don’t know anything about other places very much. And they either are the kind that think they know, but then as soon as you push them a little bit they’re like “I don’t know”. Like “Oh! French people” Well, do you know the who the president of France is? Then shut up. It’s easy to pick through. But because the rest of the world knows a lot of facts about America I think they know what America’s like from television. Well, that’s not America, that’s American television.”
“That’s why people didn’t understand that ‘North American Scum’ had an element, that I take for granted that Americans are insecure and embarrassed. And people are like “what? Americans are overconfident” Well, you just never lived in the suburbs of America.”
“People on television are overconfident because they’re on fucking television! So that element’s always there. Being baffled that people don’t know that Americans feel insecure or inferior or nervous. That’s my America I guess. Not ‘The real America’ as Sarah Palin would say.”
Meanwhile, the LCD Soundsystem star revealed that he still does not spend that much time on his lyrics. “I mean, I’ve lived with the lyrics slightly longer than you” he explained. “I don’t know. I have to look at it again. I forget things. I forget what the lyrics are because also I write so many lyrics for the song then whittle it down.”
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