50 Rock Songs About the U.S.

[westen44]

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/songs-about-america-usa/

[Pilgrim]

Interesting list. I'll come back to it and spend more time listening...

[Dave W]

Steppenwolf's "Monster" ought to be at the top of the protest songs.

At the time, Guess Who's "American Woman" was considered a protest song, no matter what Cummings says now.

I hardly think Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner was a song of protest, and along with Ray Charles' America the Beautiful, doesn't qualify as a rock song.

[westen44]

Anyone who thinks Hendrix's 'Star Spangled Banner" was a protest song or song of rage is pretty much missing the point.  What he felt like protesting against more than anything was that he wasn't being given a chance to spend as much time in the studio as he wanted to.  Besides that, he had already performed the "Star Spangled Banner" many times before Woodstock, usually followed by "Purple Haze" as the final number.  The atmosphere was always one of celebrating music more than anything else.  Not that there were never other things going on from time to time, of course, life being what it is. 

I don't look at Green Day's "American Idiot" as a rock song, either.  If I were going to include a Green Day song about America, I would have included "Last of the American Girls" instead.  Not that it's really a rock song, either, though. 

[Dave W]

Green Day, what a bunch of poseurs. Believed their own hype.

I'll listen to Kim Wilde and my mind will be cleansed of Green Day.

[westen44]

Kim Wilde or Nena either one could make me be cleansed of Green Day.  And the song wouldn't have to be about America or even be in English. 

[Dave W]

What a pleasant surprise!

[westen44]

I just saw something about Kim Wilde.  She said that while her brother was in the next room writing "Kids in America" she got so annoyed at it she wanted to smash his equipment.  Having no idea, of course, that what he was writing would change her life.   

[uwe]

My favorite "America"-song. Because it works both ways, it's tongue in cheek ironic, but retains serious chest-beating machismo and pride.



And this is the other one.



Actually the first song I heard from the Dolls, I was immediately hooked.

[slinkp]

I have to say, Springsteen's "Born in the USA" has aged surprisingly well.

But how could the list makers have left this one off??

[uwe]

Zis one probably got diskwalified for ze Tshörmenn äkzent:

[Dave W]

About 25 years ago, some columnist suggested that the national anthem be replaced with Doo Wah Diddy, saying it was the essential all-American boy-gets-girl song.

The original recording was girl-gets-boy.

[westen44]

All joking aside, I'd love to have Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy as the actual national anthem.  Any version of it.

[slinkp]

Not eligible because not "rock" but whatever ...

[westen44]

i see my original Kim Wilde and Nena video that I posted on post #5 is no longer available, so here is another one.