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How Can You Tell an American? Lyrics by Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson

Kurt Weill on Broadway

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[IRVING]
How can you tell an American?
Has he any distinguishing flavor?
Could you spot him on an elephant in Turkestan
Or floating on a raft fifty miles at sea
As you know a single leaf from the sassafras tree
By its characteristic savor?
[BROM]
It isn't that he's short or tall
It isn't that he's round or flat
It isn't that he's civilized or aboriginal
Nor the head size of his hat
No, it's just that he hates and eternally despises
The policeman on his beat, and the judge at his assizes
[IRVING]
The sheriff with his warrants and the bureaucratic crew
[BROM]
For the sole and simple reason that they tell him what to do
[IRVING]
And he insists on eating, he insists on drinking
He insists on reading, he insists on thinking
Free of governmental snooping or a governmental plan
And that's an American!
[BROM]
How can you tell an American?
Has he any distinguishing notion?
There's something in the essence of a good champagne
That makes you certain sure you're not imbibing rain
And you won't succeed in growing an American man
On the opposite side of an ocean
[IRVING]
It isn't that he's good or bad
It isn't that he's gay or grim
It's only that authority repels him as a lad
And never goes down with him
Yes, it's just that he hates both the guts and the faces
Of the people who can order him and put him through his paces
[BROM]
The assessor with his taxes or the colonel at review
[IRVING]
Or any fool official who can tell him what to do
[BROM]
And he won't go to heaven and he won't got to hell
[IRVING]
And he will not buy and he will not sell
[BROM]
According to the precepts of a governmental plan
And that's an American!
[IRVING & BROM]
How can you tell an American
When it comes right down to cases?
Is there any one virtue or particular vice
Like a Scotchman's whiskey or a Chinaman's rice
Or a Gypsy's addiction to the moving van
That marks him among the races?
[IRVING]
It isn't that he's black or white
[BROM]
It isn't that he works with tools
[IRVING & BROM]
It's only that it takes away his appetite
To live by a book of rules
Yes, it's just that he hates and he damns all the features
Of any mortal man set above his fellow creatures
[BROM]
And he'll hate the undertaker when at last he dies
If he hears a note of arrogance above him where he lies
[IRVING]
He does his own living
[BROM]
He does his own dying
[IRVING]
Does his loving
[BROM]
Does his hating
[IRVING]
Does his multiplying
[IRVING & BROM]
Without the supervision of a governmental plan
And that's an American!
Credits
Jerry Hadley

Jerry Hadley

Thomas Hampson

Thomas Hampson

About “How Can You Tell an American?” by Jerry Hadley

Read the complete lyrics to "How Can You Tell an American?" by Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson from the album "Kurt Weill on Broadway". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Musicals, Pop.

"How Can You Tell an American?" is performed by Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson. from the album "Kurt Weill on Broadway" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "How Can You Tell an American?", explore more songs by Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"How Can You Tell an American?" is credited to Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"How Can You Tell an American?" appears on "Kurt Weill on Broadway".

Visit the Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson artist page at /artist/jerry-hadley for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.