American Wasteland
By: Beck Hansen, John King, Mike Simpson

Written by: Beck Hansen, John King, Mike Simpson

Version Of: Devils Haircut

This Version:
 
Lyrics:
Barney Miller was a cop!

Barney Miller was a cop!

He's dead!
You guys are posers!
This next song is called "American Wasteland."

Something's wrong 'cause my mind is fading
And everywhere I look there's a dead end waiting
Temperatures dropping at the rotten oasis
Stealing kisses from the leperous faces

Heads are hanging from the garbage man trees
Mouthwash, jukebox, gasoline
Pistols are pointing at a poor man's pockets
Smilin' eyes whippin' out of their sockets
Got a devils haircut in my mind
Got a devils haircut in my mind
Devils haircut in my mind

Love machines on the sympathy crutches
Discount orgies on the dropout buses
Hitching a ride with the bleeding noses
Coming to town with the briefcase blues
Got a devils haircut in my mind
Got a devils haircut in my mind
Devils haircut in my mind

Something's wrong 'cause my mind is fading
Ghetto-blasting, disintegrating
Rock and roll, know what I'm saying?
And everywhere I look there's a devil waiting
Got a devils haircut in my mind
Got a devils haircut in my mind
Devils haircut in my mind
Devils haircut in my mind
Devil

Can I get a little more guitar in the monitors?
Turn the bass down a little bit too.
This next song is called "Go To Hell."
 
The Song:

"American Wasteland" is another "Devils Haircut" remix, courtesy of Mickey P. It is one of the more memorable remixes, as the song has been transformed into a fast, hardcore punk song.

The sampling before and after the song come from an obscure 1984 cassette by Urbicide called They Finally Let Us Have A Gig. That cassette has a song called "Barney Miller Was A Cop" which leads into a song called "American Wasteland." Then two songs after "Wasteland," there is a song called "Go To Hell."
 
Live:

Played live once:
March 25, 1997

Beck has actually performed this arrangement of "Devils Haircut" on stage (at least) once.