My Musical Stories: Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red White & Blue (The Angry American)" and "American Soldier"

Country music artist Toby Keith has released a lot of interestingly lighthearted songs in his time on the mainstream radio waves.  We've had the catchy I Wanna Talk About Me, which used to be something my sister and I would love to sing over and over again, the song that's more focused towards the drinkers with Red Solo Cup, and even the people down in the Trailerhood.  It's safe to say that a lot of the music from Keith, especially over the past fifteen years, has been focused on this more lighthearted material that doesn't exactly make you think too deeply about what you're hearing.

Despite all of that though, Keith has managed to write some emotionally touching pieces that help him to come across as being unashamed of his roots, and while there are around five or so of them, there are two that were released between 2000 and 2005 that stick out to me and have always been worthy of another listen, and they tie into the place we as Americans call home and are proud to be from.  Both songs also shine a light on the War In Iraq and serve as nice tribute to our armed forces, which is why I'm sharing this post today for Veterans Day.

With that being said, let's talk about the songs...

Courtesy Of The Red White & Blue (The Angry American)

When I first heard this song in the early 2000's, the time when my father was shifting from rock music over to country, I fell in love with it instantly, and so did my sister, as we often found ourselves signing along with in the vehicle, or at least trying to.  Never hurts to try right?  Anyways, this song focuses in on the War On Terror, which was in full swing when this song was released, and I feel that it worked to give Americans a sense of pride and courage in a time of trouble, which was it gave me once I could understand what the song was talking about. It worked to make us feel proud to be an American, and again, the song is really catchy.  The chimes are hands down my favorite part of the song instrumentally.  It is very "twangy" but I hope you'll enjoy it as much as my sister and I did.

American Soldier 

I don't have too much to say about this song, but I can say that it's a touching tribute to our troops overseas.  It's got a nice rhythm, and the snare roll at the end going on and on makes it even better and gives the song a nice fade out.  I have family that served and I know of friends who are serving in the military, and this song is such a moving tribute to that.  Give it a listen, you'll really like it.

Thank you vets for your service, and Happy Veterans Day.

What songs make you proud to be an American, or remind you of the troops overseas?  Share them in the comments below!