In interviews, David Bowie describes the song as not particularly anti-American or even anti-gun. Rather, the song is a response to the ubiquitous global presence of elements of American culture, such as the fast food restaurants he saw just before writing it. The song's appearance in the episode may reference the song's music video, which involves a character named Johnny pursuing Bowie, the growing presence of guns, a New York City taxi, and the taxi being caught in a hail of gunfire. The video's themes include paranoia and the inability to trust anyone.