American Dream by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Album: American Dream (1988)

Charted: 55

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Songfacts®:

In 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released the incendiary single "Ohio," written by Neil Young in the aftermath of the Kent State shootings. The quartet didn't release another single until 1988, when they put out "American Dream," the title track to their first album together since Déjà Vu, also in 1970 (Crosby, Stills & Nash released three albums without Young in the interim).

Like "Ohio," it's written by Neil Young and deals with the political climate of the day, which in 1988 was a lot less urgent than in 1970 when American soldiers were killing students on a college campus. "American Dream" is a satire on the Iran-Contra Scandal and, to a lesser degree, the downfall of presidential candidate Gary Hart, who was caught with his mistress. The video, which includes news footage of the satired events, got some airplay on VH1, but the single didn't chart in America and the album was widely panned and remains remembered as one of the group's less noble efforts.

Comments: 4

Jonny Pineapple from Laguna BeachWhen I first read the lyrics I thought the song was about Jim Baker. I was a baby when the song was released. I don’t know who Gary Hart is. I always learn new stuff at SongFacts.
Anonymous from Arroyo Grande CaBring the guys back..they are like no other.
Leia from San FranciscoThe last cut on this album, "Night Song" was written for the twenty-seventh episode of the reboot of the television series "The Twilight Zone."

This program aired as the third episode of the second season in 1986–87 with a slight difference in the show's titling: "Nightsong."

"Nightsong" is the only Twilight Zone episode to ever air without the iconic narration/voice over at either the beginning and the end. "Instead, the track for "Night Song" is played intro/outroing the episode.
Kevin from Reading , PaThis was a pretty poor Neil Young song, but, still, probably the third best song on this disappointing album. The best tracks were "Name of Love" also by Young and "Clear Blue Skies," a typically lightweight environmental tune from Nash, but still better than the rest of the dreck on this album.

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