You’ve heard the brouhaha. Now, put up or shut up. Look at the following set of lyrics and tell me which you like best. One is Steve Earle, from The Ballad of “John Walker’s Blues” and the second is Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)”. Which is the better song and be honest?
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Just an American boy
Raised on MTV
And I’ve seen all them kids in the soda pop ads
None of them look like me.
So I started looking around
For a light out of the dim.
And the first thing I heard
That made sense was the word
Muhammad peace be upon him.
Chorus: Ash hadu alla Ilaaha illallah, there is no God but God.
If my daddy could see me now
Chains around my feet
He don’t understand sometimes a man
Has got to fight for what he believes.
And I believe God is great
All praise to him
And if I should die
I’ll rise up in the sky
Just like Jesus peace be upon him.
Chorus: Ash-hadu alla ilaaha illallah, there is no God but God.
We came to fight the jihad
Our hearts were pure and strong.
And when death filled the air
We all offered up prayers
Prepared for our martyrdom.
But Allah has some other plan
Some secret not revealed
Now they’re dragging me back
With my head in a sack
To the land of the infidels.
Chorus: Ash-hadu alla ilaaha illallah, there is no God but God.
Here’s a touch of Toby Keith:
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Now this nation that I love
Is falling under attack
A mighty sucker punch came flying in
From somewhere in the back
As soon as we could see clearly
Through our big black eye
Man we lit up your world
Like the Fourth of July
Chorus:
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 going to be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom
Start ringing her bell
And it will feel like the whole wide world
Is raining down on you
Brought to you courtesy
Of the Red, White and Blue
Oh, justice will be served
And the battle will rage
This big dog will fight
When you rattle his cage
You’ll be sorry that you messed
With the U.S. of A.
Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass
That’s the American way
CHORUS
Of the Red, White and Blue
Of my Red, White and Blue
Patriotism makes for shitty music. Just think about it. Lee Greenwood? Vomit.