We're America. We're the big guys. We are the super-industrial-sized butt-kickers of the world. We still use miles, feet and yards, pounds, ounces, and tons, because they are freedom measurements, not commie metric systems, which are fine for countries that haven't put men on the Moon and brought them home safely.
We have vast sweeps of prairie, mountains, deep forests, deserts, beaches, taiga, and tundra, and you could put all the puny little nations of Europe together and that still wouldn't give us enough room to park our trucks. That's who we are, baby, and our culture reflects it. Some songs really reflect it, that essential spirit we call 'Merica, and here are five - no, six, because R.I.P. Toby Keith - songs that reflect that Spirit of 'Merica.
Toby Keith: Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue/American Soldier. Toby Keith was taken from us much too soon, at 62, a year younger than I am now, which is a sobering thought. But he gave us a lot of great songs, many of which exemplified 'Merica - not least of which was "Red Solo Cup." But while I couldn't narrow it down to one, I managed to pick two of his best, both of which recognized and paid tribute to American military might - at least, as it was, before the Harris/Biden people started meddling with things.
See Related: Distinctive and Prolific Country Artist Toby Keith, Dead at 62
Jason Aldean: Try That In A Small Town. In another great display of 'Merica, we have a country-music reply to the 2020 BLM/Antifa riots. In the wake of those events, some of the Antifa clowns started making noises about going out into the country, out into the small towns of America, in the red areas, to take the fight to who they thought was their enemy; needless to say, that wouldn't have worked out the way they thought. Jason Aldean exemplified that in this song, which is not only a great tune but a solid warning to anyone who doesn't know the meaning of "frig around and find out."
Trace Adkins: Still A Soldier. I was once a soldier myself, and those of us who took that oath still live by these words:He's still a soldier
His blood runs red, white, and blue
He put away his gun and boots
But he still believes the American dream
'Til his last breath he'll always be a soldier
We all took the oath, to the Constitution, not to any politician or general. Our oath is to the republic and the flag, and the vast majority of us still consider it binding. I know I do. My father did as well, as did his father. That's part of what goes into being a soldier.
Nothing more needs to be said.
Hank Williams Jr.: A Country Boy Can Survive. This Bocephus song was first released in 1982; I still have the single on vinyl around here somewhere. Hank Jr., in this song, produced an elegy for all the people who lived outside the big cities; like the singer, many of us have friends in those cities, but there is a dividing line somewhere, where the city people never quite understand the rural people, and vice versa. But rural and small-town folks, as Hank informs us, know how to make things; how to grow food, how to shoot, how to catch fish, how to get by. That's something you can't do in a city - and that's why, in small-town and rural 'Merica, folks will survive.Lee Greenwood: God Bless The USA. If ever the United States needs a new national anthem, Lee Greenwood's famous piece deserves strong consideration. I'm not even religious and the song sends me chills. It's a lovely piece, obviously penned and performed by someone who loves America. Lee Greenwood's song has become a staple at Trump rallies this election year, and the man himself isn't a stranger to those events. I heard it at CPAC last February; I want to say it was played as former President Trump was walking onto the stage, but my memory of that is a little hazy. One thing I do remember, though: In 1991 when my medical company was returning from Desert Storm, our chartered airliner had made the Atlantic crossing some time before when the pilot came on the PA to announce we had just crossed into American air space. One of the younger NCOs picked up his boom box, put in a cassette tape, and played this song. There wasn't a dry eye on the airplane.
See Related: Exclusive: 'God Bless The USA' Singer Lee Greenwood Shares His Emotions When Trump Walked Into RNC Monday
That's us. That's 'Merica. If you didn't appreciate all that goes into that, you probably wouldn't be reading RedState. These are just a few songs that define the culture, that makes us what we are. But there are doubtless many more. Have you any favorites? As always, the comments are yours!
