The video is set on a beach, showing Chesney strumming a guitar as a group of young folks kicks up sand dancing around a colorful school bus that's a clear throwback to Ken Kesey's famous bus Further.

We're not sure how much of fan Chesney is of Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, but the "American Kids" lyrics are certainly sympathetic to the crazy-fun energy of being young and eager to cut loose, bust a few rules and see where life takes you. Chesney's attitude is playful and upbeat as he sings of growing up in Anywhere, U.S.A. ("trailer park truck stop, faded little map dots New York to L.A."), maybe without much money ("MTV on the RCA, no A/C in the vents") but still brimming with the thrill of possibilities ("We were teenage dreamin', front seat leanin', baby, come give me a kiss").

The kids in Chesney's song might be "a little messed up" at times, but in the long run they're "all alright." The energy in the song and video is positive and upbeat, showing Chesney's affection for youth culture (especially that of the 1960s, if the psychedelic bus and long-haired dancers are any indication) and the spirit that often leads down the line to great things.