Editing I'm Afraid of Americans (section)

==Composition==
{{quote box|quote='I'm Afraid of Americans' was written by myself and Eno. It's not as truly hostile about Americans as say '[[Born in the U.S.A. (song)|Born in the U.S.A.]]': it's merely sardonic. I was traveling in [[Java]] when the first [[McDonald's]] went up: it was like, 'for fuck's sake.' The invasion by any homogenized culture is so depressing, the erection of another [[Walt Disney World|Disney World]] in, say, [[Umbria, Italy]], more so. It strangles the indigenous culture and narrows expression of life.<ref name="RS essentials" />|source=—David Bowie in a press release announcing ''Earthling''|width=30%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
In an interview with ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' magazine in 1997, Bowie described the song as "one of those stereotypical 'Johnny' songs: Johnny does this, Johnny does that".<ref name="Mojo">{{cite magazine |last=Gill |first=Andy |title=David Bowie: ''Earthling'' |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-earthling |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |date=March 1997 |access-date=21 November 2021 |via=Rock's Backpages {{subscription required}} |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417204153/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-earthling |url-status=live }}</ref> The absurdist lyrics present a critique of America, in line with Bowie's 1975 track "[[Young Americans (song)|Young Americans]]".{{sfn|Perone|2007|pp=118–123}}{{sfn|Spitz|2009|pp=370–371}} Commentators have seen similarities between the song's titular Johnny and the Johnny of the ''[[Lodger (album)|Lodger]]'' track "Repetition" (1979);{{sfn|O'Leary|2019|loc=chap. 10}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=128–129}} while the Johnny of the former craves objects of status through self-entitlement, the Johnny of the latter emotionally abuses his wife due to his lower status.<ref name="Vice" /> The song concludes with the revelation that "God is an American",{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=128–129}} which biographer [[Marc Spitz]] considers an "ironic jingoism".{{sfn|Spitz|2009|pp=370–371}}

Musically, reviewers have categorised it as [[techno]],<ref name="Mojo" /><ref name="Rapp">{{cite web |last1=Rapp |first1=Allison |title=How David Bowie Successfully Ignored Critics on 'Earthling' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-earthling/ |website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |access-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217181220/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-earthling/ |archive-date=17 February 2022 |date=3 February 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> with author James Perone writing that it mixes various [[Industrial music|industrial]] and techno styles of the 1980s and 1990s.{{sfn|Perone|2007|pp=118–123}} ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s Caroline Sullivan found the melody reminiscent of Bowie's "[[Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)|Ashes to Ashes]]" (1980), with a "perky [[Jungle music|jungle]] percussion loop", ultimately creating "a most singular fusion of [[Rock music|rock]] and [[drum and bass|drum & bass]]".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sullivan |first=Caroline |title=David Bowie: ''Earthling'' (RCA) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260722209/?terms=david%20bowie%20earthling&match=1 |magazine=[[The Guardian]] |date=31 January 1997 |access-date=21 November 2021 |page=39 |via=Newspapers.com {{subscription required}} |archive-date=21 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121213333/http://www.newspapers.com/image/260722209/?terms=david%20bowie%20earthling&match=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Characterised by drum patterns, synthesisers, various [[Loop (music)|loops]] and vocal distortions, O'Leary writes that the remake retained the original's "'laughing' hook" and "synth hook pinging around an [[E♭ (musical note)|E{{flat}}]] octave". Both the original and remake are also in the [[Key (music)|key]] of [[F major]].{{sfn|O'Leary|2019|loc=chap. 10}} Biographer [[Nicholas Pegg]] calls the remake "darker" and "[[funk]]ier" compared to the original,{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=128–129}} while Spitz compares the track's "loud/quiet/loud anthem[ic]" quality to the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]].{{sfn|Spitz|2009|pp=370–371}} Perone considers it "richer" than other ''Earthling'' tracks.{{sfn|Perone|2007|pp=118–123}}