"American Slang" Song Meaning

So the other night, after the Gaslight Anthem show in San Jose, I got the chance to ask Brian Fallon exactly what "American Slang" (the song) is about. He responded, "It's about the way I grew up, which is kind of weird, because my mom and dad had split up before I was born, so I just had a mom. And she told me what any other mom would tell you, like everything's gonna work out. She was like my best friend, and that's kind of what the whole song is really about. It's a little weird, but it's my life, and I turned out alright."

Yep, Brian, you did turn out alright!