Patriotic Songs: Country Music & the Military
There’s a lot of music out there that’s been written to show patriotism and support to our military. Many songs are tied to, and recognized for, particular conflicts throughout US history. For example, “Don’t Tread on Me” by the group Metallica was immediately recognized by many after the 9/11 attacks. “We Gotta Get out of This Place” was a song that was sung by many during the Vietnam War.
Music is an important aspect of everyday life. So the music that reflects the wars and conflicts we’ve been in has helped motivate the enlisted men and women of the United States Armed Forces. If you want to hear patriotic songs, whether openly saluting the military or just extolling the virtues of everyday life in America, country music is a great place to start.
Country Music’s Best Tracks for the Military
Some of the most endearing patriotic songs were written and sung by country music’s most influential artists. Here are some examples of these songs that were created and written for our military men and women:
- “I Drive Your Truck,” written by Jessi Alexander and sung by Lee Brice. The song was inspired after co-writer, Connie Harrington, listened to an interview on Here and Now. The interview was about a father who lost his son in Afghanistan while trying to save a fellow soldier. The father stated in the interview that he drives his son’s truck to feel closer to him.
- “For You,” written by Keith Urban for the film Act of Valor. While writing the song, Keith Urban had the opportunity to spend time with real life Navy Seals. He was impressed with their commitment to their service and to one another.
- “It’s America,” written by Brett James and sung by Rodney Atkins. This song paints a picture of America and lists out things like lemonade stands, Chevrolets, apple pie, and flying flags.
- “Fly Over States,” written by Neil Thrasher and sung by Jason Aldeen. The song centers around a man who overhears a conversation between two businessmen on a first class flight from New York to Los Angeles. The businessmen wonder why anyone would want to live in small town USA. So Jason sings about the reasons describing Santa Fe and the plains of Oklahoma. The things that make rural America as beautiful as the big cities.
- “If You’re Reading This,” written by Tim McGraw, is a tribute to fallen soldiers and it takes the form of a letter meant to be read only if the soldier doesn’t return home.
- “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” written by Toby Keith. Over the years Toby Keith has written and performed many songs for the United States military and has spent many hours traveling and doing performances overseas through the USO. I had an opportunity to see Toby Keith for a few minutes during a performance at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
- Toby wrote this song just days after the 9/11 attacks. The tune makes no bones about it and Toby seemed to be fighting mad. Written partly as a tribute to his war veteran father, the song also summed up the feelings that a lot of Americans had who wanted a forceful response towards the assault of terrorists on American soil.
- “God Bless America” is probably the best song ever sung by anyone when it comes to patriotic songs. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing as an American, and especially a veteran or member of the United States Armed Forces, this song will bring a tear to your eye no matter who you are.
And, of course, there are many other songs out there that can invoke patriotism and American pride. Two honorable mentions are “Letters From Home” by John Michael Montgomery and “Some Gave All” by Billy Ray Cyrus.
Music’s Impact on Our Lives
Throughout the years, music has been a part of military life and a part of the wars and conflicts we’re involved in. These songs, and many more, have motivated our military men and women during the wars we’ve fought.
No matter where we are or what we’re doing, we remember the times we’ve spent overseas with our comrades, fighting for freedom hand-in-hand.
The chills run down our spines every time we hear certain songs and we remember the comrades that fought beside us and, unfortunately, the ones we’ve lost. These songs will always be part of our military and our sense of patriotism.
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