I Am Damo Suzuki

Described as spectral, the music is heavily influenced by the 1971 Can song "Oh Yeah", but also contains elements (especially the descending chords) of other Can tracks such as "Bel Air" (1973), "Gomorrah" (1974) and "Midnight Men" (1977).

The song was described in 2022 as a "hypnotic art-rock anthem befitting of [Can's] name",[5] while in 2019 Suzuki biographer Paul Woods wrote that "MES took the 'Oh Yeah' riff and overrode it with a speed-freak surrealist tribute to Can and Damo himself while throwing in an oblique reference to Fritz Leiber, one of a number of supernatural horror authors who also obsessed him.

Smith had earlier said that Suzuki's surrealistic lyrics and tendency abandon language, and even have his vocals played backwards in the final mix (as on "Oh Yeah") was a major influence on his writing and delivery style.

[7] Other lyrics such as "who is "Mr. Herr Stockhausen / Introduce me / I'm Damo Suzuki" indicate how listening to Can had broadened Smith's musical taste,[7] while the word "What have you got in that paper bag?

The band recorded two separate takes during the sessions for This Nation's Saving Grace, but Smith and producer John Leckie could not agree on which one to use.

[6] The American hip hop group Injury Reserve sampled parts of the song, mostly the keyboards, for their track "Ground Zero" which appears on their 2021 album By the Time I Get to Phoenix.