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"American Bad Ass"
Single by Kid Rock
from the album The History of Rock
ReleasedApril 18, 2000
Recorded
  • 1991
  • 1996–2000
Genre
Length4:32
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kid Rock
  • Uncle Kracker
Kid Rock singles chronology
"Wasting Time"
(2000)
"American Bad Ass"
(2000)
"Forever"
(2001)
Music video
"American Bad Ass" on YouTube

"American Bad Ass" is a song by the American musician Kid Rock, released from his 2000 album The History of Rock. "American Bad Ass" samples Metallica's "Sad but True."

Music video[edit]

The music video for the single aired on MTV2 upon release, and reached number one on Canada's MuchMusic Countdown.[2] The song was performed on Saturday Night Live.

At the beginning, Kid Rock watches TV and then after going to a rapping party, he goes to a concert on a cabriolet, surrounded by bikers. At the middle of the song, Kid Rock's car explodes and the thrash metal party starts to play. At the end of the video, Kid Rock with his band plays at a concert on the stage.

The video features a cameo appearance by Ron Jeremy.

This is the last music video to feature Joe C. before his death.

In popular culture[edit]

  • After the USS Cole bombing in October 2000, the song was played on the ship's PA system upon leaving the port of Yemen after the national anthem and other patriotic songs were played.[3]
  • A version of the song was used as the entrance theme for WWF (now WWE) wrestler The Undertaker in 2000 for his "American Badass" persona.[4] It was replaced by Limp Bizkit's "Rollin" in the same year.[5][6] 23 years later, The Undertaker is reusing the song as his entrance theme for his post-retirement appearances in WWE, first at WWE Raw is XXX in January 2023[7] and then on the October 10, 2023 episode of WWE NXT.[8]

Track listing[edit]

  1. "American Bad Ass" (clean album version)
  2. "3 Sheets to the Wind" (live)
  3. "Cowboy" (live)

Charts[edit]

Chart (2000–2001) Peak
position
Canada Rock (RPM) 6
Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 26
Ireland (IRMA) 30
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[10] 81
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 25
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 20
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 33

References[edit]

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