Written by Neil Young



I used to see you on every T.V

Your smiling face looked back at me.

I used to see you on every T.V

Your smiling face looked back at me.



Then they caught you with the girl next door,

People's money piled on the floor,

Accusations that you try to deny,

Revelations and rumours begin to fly.



Now you think about reaching out

Try to get some help from above.

Now you think about reaching out

Try to get some help from above.

Reporters crowd around your house.

Going through your garbage like a pack of hounds,

Speculating what they may find out,

It don't matter now, you're all washed up.



You wake up in the middle of the night.

Your sheets are wet and your face is white,

You tried to make a good thing last,

How could something so good, go bad, so fast?



American dream, American dream

American dream, American dream.



Don't know when things went wrong,

Might have been when you were young and strong.

Don't know when things went wrong,

Might have been when you were young and strong.



Reporters crowd around your house.

Going through your garbage like a pack of hounds,

Speculating what they may find out,

It don't matter now, you're all washed up.



Don't know when things went wrong,

Might have been when you were young and strong.

American dream, American dream.

Don't know when things went wrong,

Might have been when you were young and strong.

American dream, American dream