You probably think you know the song. It’s that chunky, fuzzed-out bass line and the image of Heather Graham draped in a flag while Lenny Kravitz swaggers around in leather pants. But honestly, the story of how American Woman Lenny Kravitz became a late-90s cultural staple is way weirder—and more accidental—than most people realize.
It wasn't even supposed to be on his album.
Back in 1998, Kravitz was already a massive star, but he was deep in the cycle of his album 5. He was touring for Believe when he found himself at Abbey Road Studios in London. Just messing around. That’s how the best stuff happens, right? He and his band started jamming on this old track by The Guess Who. It was raw. It was spontaneous. They weren't trying to make a hit; they were just playing.
The Guess Who vs. Lenny: A Tale of Two Versions
To understand why the American Woman Lenny Kravitz cover worked so well, you have to look at where it came from. The original version by the Canadian band The Guess Who was born during a 1969 gig in Ontario. Randy Bachman broke a guitar string, started riffing while tuning, and Burton Cummings just started screaming lyrics to keep the crowd from leaving.
Fast forward to 1999. Lenny didn't want to just copy that.
While the original is a fast, biting, anti-war anthem with that frantic "A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N" intro, Lenny slowed it down. Way down. He dropped the key from E to C, giving it this heavy, sludgy, soul-rock vibe. Interestingly, he actually told Randy Bachman later that he skipped the iconic opening guitar solo because he "couldn't get the tone."
Basically, he didn't want to do a bad imitation. So he did something entirely new.
The track was originally a B-side. Then it got picked up for the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack. Suddenly, it was everywhere. It was so big they actually had to go back and add it to the tracklist of the reissue of his album 5.
Why the Song Still Matters (and the Grammys Loved It)
People forget that Lenny Kravitz dominated the "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance" category at the Grammys. He won it four years in a row from 1999 to 2002. American Woman Lenny Kravitz was the one that kickstarted that historic run in 1999.
It's sorta funny because some people still think he wrote it.
He didn't.
But he made enough money for the original writers that they were allegedly buying new houses and cars thanks to the royalty checks. Burton Cummings even called Lenny to thank him. It was a win-win. The Guess Who got a massive financial windfall and a relevance boost, and Lenny got a signature hit that showcased his ability to blend retro rock with modern sex appeal.
Technical Breakdown: Why It Sounds "Different"
If you're a musician, you'll notice the shifts immediately:
- The Key: The Guess Who used E major (specifically E5, B5, D5). Lenny dropped it to C.
- The Feel: The 1970 version is frantic, driving rock. The 1999 version is a "pocket" groove—heavy on the bass and drums.
- The Vocals: Cummings was aggressive and shouty. Lenny is breathy, soulful, and honestly, a bit more menacing.
It’s about the attitude.
The Heather Graham Effect
You can't talk about American Woman Lenny Kravitz without the music video. Directed by Paul Hunter, it featured Heather Graham in her "Felicity Shagwell" persona. It was peak 1999 aesthetic. The video was on high rotation on MTV and VH1, cementing the song as the unofficial anthem of that summer.
It weirdly bridged the gap between the 60s nostalgia of the Austin Powers movies and the futuristic, techno-adjacent rock Lenny was experimenting with at the time.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lyrics
There’s this long-standing debate. Is the song anti-American?
The Guess Who were Canadian. They wrote it while the Vietnam War was raging. Randy Bachman has said it was an anti-war protest song, born from the fear of being drafted while crossing the border into North Dakota. He saw the "American Woman" as a metaphor for the US government's "war machine."
But Burton Cummings? He once said it was literally just about preferring Canadian girls because American women "get older quicker" and seemed "dangerous."
When Lenny took it over, the political teeth mostly disappeared. It became a song about vibe, power, and classic rock cool. It was less about the draft and more about the grit.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Lenny Kravitz catalog or learn how to play this specific version, here are a few things you can actually do:
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- Listen to the "Fields of Joy" B-Side: This was the original pairing with the single. It shows the more psychedelic side of Lenny’s late-90s era.
- Compare the Live Versions: Find the footage from the 2000 MuchMusic Video Awards. Lenny actually performed the song with The Guess Who. It’s a rare moment where you can hear both styles colliding on one stage.
- Check Your Gear: If you're trying to nail that Lenny tone on guitar, stop trying to find a high-gain pedal. The secret to the 1999 version is actually a clean-ish tube amp pushed into natural breakup, with a heavy emphasis on the neck pickup for that "woody" sound.
Ultimately, the song is a masterclass in how to do a cover right. Don't copy. Reinterpret. Lenny Kravitz took a classic rock staple and made it sound like it belonged in a 90s nightclub, and that's exactly why we're still talking about it decades later.