A boot in your ass, it's the American way...

Part of my excitement in moving to North Carolina is that I'm sure I can find better country and bluegrass music, live and on radio, than I can here. I mentioned this today as the country station was on and I was cooking, and Gabriel looked very, very worried. I believe he thought this was a phase, as did I, but country is now my go-to music.

I still surf all the other stations while in the car, and this week the alternative station was having a contest of the most embarrassing patriotic song - most were country. Immediately the Toby Keith song below popped in my head, and that was one of the nominees. As much as I like country, I get hives when they play the uber-Christian, gun-toting xenophobic American sub-genre. The country station here plays God Bless America everyday at noon. I suppose the purpose of country music is not to encourage a complex worldview, but I don't think it needs to boil down political dynamics as a recess fight, either. I remember hearing this song for the first time and saying, really? is this a real song? really? So for some patriotic torture this Fourth of July, lyrics and video are below - enjoy!

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue
(The Angry American)

American girls and American guys, will always stand up and salute.
We'll always recognize, when we see ol' glory flying,
There's a lot of men dead,
So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads.
My daddy served in the army where he lost his right eye,
But he flew a flag out in our yard 'til the day that he died.
He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me.
To grow up and live happy in the land of the free.

Now this nation that I love is fallin' under attack.
A mighty sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back.
Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye,
Man, we lit up your world like the fourth of July.

Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist.
And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell,
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell.
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you.
Ah, brought to you, courtesy of the red, white and blue.

Instrumental break.

Oh, justice will be served and the battle will rage:
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage.
An' you'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A.
'Cos we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way.

Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist.
And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell,
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell.
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you.
Ah, brought to you, courtesy of the red, white and blue.

Oh, oh.
Of the red, white and blue.
Oh, hey, oh.
Of my Red, White and Blue.


If you want to hear the song, in all its stars-and-stripes guitar glory, you can find it here.