# America-themed songs: need your help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953 "2017-04-21T23:00:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/21 "2017-04-22T04:01:31Z")
“Volunteers” (We are Volunteers of America!..") - Jefferson Airplane ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/22 "2017-04-22T10:48:22Z")
David Bowie, I’m Afraid of Americans ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/23 "2017-04-22T11:40:33Z")
[We Want America Back](https://www.flashlyrics.com/lyrics/the-steeles/we-want-america-back-59) by the Steeles. (Looks around at room full of nasty stares.) What? Nobody specified _good_ America-themed songs (proven by the mention of Lee Greenwood.) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/24 "2017-04-22T15:36:49Z")
Spirit does a nice version of [America The Beautiful/The Times They Are A Changing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhHZAtntdVc) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/25 "2017-04-22T16:19:53Z")
[James Brown - Living In America](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BL4RNFr58) [Simon And Garfunkel - America](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W773ZPJhcVw) And for a British, more, er, critical perspective: [The Clash - I’m So Bored With The USA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A13vj5vdlCU) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/26 "2017-04-22T16:30:41Z")
Steve Earle: City Of Immigrants [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BGL2DQKSRDo/hqdefault.jpg "Steve Earle - City of Immigrants - Live at the Burt - Festival of Nations pics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGL2DQKSRDo) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/27 "2017-04-22T16:59:40Z")
Chris de Burgh’s medley “Revolution”, “Light a Fire”, and “Liberty”, the last three songs on his album “The Getaway”. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/28 "2017-04-22T17:25:38Z")
Linda Ronstadt [Living In the USA.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbOWDe2GQoo) Or go with the original. [Chuck Berry.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sIDnJlffIs) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/29 "2017-04-22T20:25:16Z")
“Made in America” by Toby Keith ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/30 "2017-04-22T20:29:19Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Linda Ronstadt [Living In the USA.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbOWDe2GQoo) > > Or go with the original. [Chuck Berry.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sIDnJlffIs) Hey ya’ll. Is the name of this song Living in the USA or Back in the USA? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/31 "2017-04-22T20:52:34Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Hey ya’ll. Is the name of this song Living in the USA or Back in the USA? [Back In The USA.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNiElreiMa4) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/32 "2017-04-22T21:58:59Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > “American Woman” isn’t pro or anti American, it’s just anti YOU. And you live in Cleveland and don’t know this…SAD!!! > > 🙂 Nun uh! Here in the Rock N Roll capital, where we all go to Rock N Roll High School and eat at Rock N Roll McDonalds, it’s generally accepted that “American Woman” is about American politics. “Woman” being a euphemism that is better to sell songs. But according to Wikipedia the song’s author says it’s open to interpretation so I’ll let you non-Clevelanders have your opinion too. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/33 "2017-04-22T22:00:45Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > [Back In The USA.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNiElreiMa4) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/34 "2017-04-22T22:07:31Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > “Born in the USA” is not really pro-America. It’s not jingoistic, no. It shows much _more_, and more mature, love of America than jingo songs do. And so does Sinatra’s [“The House I Live In”.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhPwtnGviyg) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/35 "2017-04-22T22:27:16Z")
But if you want to go full jingo, then you can’t beat [America, Fuck Yeah!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDfEKwJJBdU) ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/36 "2017-04-22T23:04:44Z")
[I Want to Live in America](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhSKk-cvblc) from West Side Story. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/37 "2017-04-22T23:07:31Z")
How about some John Philip Souza marches? [The Washington Post March](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOCxegQupMU) [Semper Fidelis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeD9Nk8-tY0) [Stars and Stripes Forever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZLr1SG8Ig4) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/38 "2017-04-22T23:09:53Z")
Some mighty fine suggestions all around and a sprinkle of cockeyed ones surely made in fun. I must admit though I am sore dismayed that the very first thing that came up in the OP was that Lee Greenwood monstrosity, oh dear. > [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Kate Smith - God Bless America (I know, probably too old) Oh, but it HAS to be that version. It really is a great piece plus if they do keep the lamentable earlier mentioned track, this one compensates for it by orders of magnitude. > [@RivkahChaya](#): > > If you want some older stuff, for a little bit of a retrospective, here’s a Frank Sinatra song that the Andrews Sisters did a well-known recording of: “You’re A Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith.” > > (…snip…) Huh, interesting, gotta look it up. > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > [Back In The USA.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNiElreiMa4) Heck yeah. > [@Biggirl](#): > > Ray Charles [America The Beautiful.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CILIBlQ2D0Q) Jimi Hendrix [Star Spangled Banner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKvnQYFhGCc). O.K., that last one may stop your party for a few minutes. Oh, BOTH of thse versions are showstoppers. But yeah the Anthem has to be either the start or the end. And I guess it depends on how the crowd feels about creative adaptations. Now I’m wondering if there’s a particularly party-appropriate version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic… > [@Doug\_K](#): > > This Land is Your Land is not an “America” song. It’s an anti-private property song. And it’s written by Woody Guthrie. Fer cryin’ out loud it’s been seventy seven years, the tune _ **has become** _ an “America” song. > [@TriPolar](#): > > The best part of being American is that you can listen to music that’s not really pro-America if you want to. Or that you can sing out what you love about nuanced imperfect America because as it is you find it’s still awesome, and about how you want to make it better. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/39 "2017-04-23T03:24:22Z")
How about [American Girl](https://youtu.be/SIhb-kNvL6M) by Tom Petty? Or maybe [Route 66](https://youtu.be/Jl_EGGfjcn4)? ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953/40 "2017-04-23T03:57:28Z")
The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-themed-songs-need-your-help/784953.md?page=3)