Country Singers who Sing about War

It's showing respect to those serving. Do I have to be a soldier to respect what they do? Singers are artists, yes some only care about money but most mean what they say.

The country music demographic is small town people, rural people. The songs are for the audience. Many small town and rural people can relate to the songs well.

It doesn't bother me any more than "rappers" that grew up in the burbs going on about how rough their childhood was.

I don't have a problem if it's about the war and in respect for a soldier. But I've seen a lot of songs where the singer portrays a soldier in it. I guess I just always felt that being a soldier is something that should be sung about from first-hand experience, not some glamourous version by some country singer to make money.

Whats your thoughts on the dumbass hippie dropouts singing about complex foreign policy?

It's a little different, those people are just morons who have a platform to sing. I just think it's more disrespectful to trivialize the life of a soldier by pretending you know what they go through in a song.

Johnny Come Lately Lyrics
by Steve Earle


I'm an American, boys, and I've come a long way
I was born and bred in the USA
So listen up close, I've get something to say
Boys, I'm buying this round

Well it took a little while but we're in this fight
And we ain't going home 'til we've done what's right
We're gonna drink Camden Town dry tonight
If I have to spend my last pound
When I first got to London it was pourin' down rain
Met a Iittle girl in the field canteen
Painted her name on the nose of my plane
Six-four missions I've flown
Well I asked if I could stay and she said that I might
Then the warden came around yelling "turn out the lights"
Death rainin' out of the London night
We made love 'til dawn

But when Johnny Come Lately comes marching home
With a chest full of medals and a G.l. loan
They'll be waitin' at the station down in San Antone
When Johnny comes marching home

MY P-47 is a pretty good ship
And she took a round coming cross the Channel last trip
I was thinking 'bout my baby and letting her rip
Always got me through so far
Well they can ship me all over this great big world
But I'll never find nothing like my North End girl
I'm taking her home with me one day, sir
Soon as we win this war

Now my granddaddy sang me this song
Told me about London when the Blitz was on
How he married Grandma and brought her back home
A hero throughout his land
Now I'm standing on a runway in San Diego
A couple Purple Hearts and I move a little slow
There's nobody here, maybe nobody knows
About a place called Vietnam

Oh when Johnny Come Lately comes marching home
With a chest full of medals and a G.l. loan
They'll be waitin' at the station down in San Antone
When Johnny comes marching home

Keep in mind these guys donate a lot of money to organizations that help the families of soldiers as well as making appearances which is always appreciated.

Aaron Tippin is one who served in Iraq, maybe not the most popular but nevertheless he was there and did his time.

Sadly enough I watch country music videos during lunch often. I haven't seen a singer dress up like a soldier yet. Who exactly do you have in mind?

Every song about war I see is mainly about supporting the soldiers, etc.

I was in the army. I served in Desert Storm. Frankly, being in a small war and hearing country singers singing songs that actually SUPPORTED what the army was doing was the reason that I got into country music at all. All the other musical genre's seemed to be giving us a load of shit, and bumming my buddies out when we were out there in the desert. I had never liked country until then.

Most of those guys also come from small towns where a lot of their friends, neighbors and relatives serve or have served.

So overall... I think that it's great. It seems to be the only type of music out there that is actually supportive of the US military.

The one I most recently saw was "Letters from Home" by John Michael Montgomery.

It's not just country songs though, it has to do with anyone who trivializes being a soldier I guess. Like when an athlete says "We're soldiers" or "we're going to war today", it pisses me off. I just don't think people should be singing about the trials and tribulations of a soldier unless they've experienced it first hand.

it's patriotic to sing

Angry American (Toby Keith)

Spoken:

Following September 11th last year, everybody that was a poet or writer or a
song writer of any kind had a reason to write some words down or some thoughts
down on a piece of paper. And I was no different than anybody else, that's
what you do when you do what I do. And Uhh

My father served in the army in the 50's he lost his eye in a training combat
mission. He came home he put up a flag at the farm I was raised on. I lost
him six months prior to the attacks on New York City and the United States and
Uhh that flag flew out there in that yard and it's flown there every day.

He raised me right and he never bitched one time about losing his eye. Never
heard him cry about it one time, he was glad to go do it, that's why we're free
today and it's our turn to stand on what our fathers and fore fathers did for
us and make sure we don't let them down.

I wrote a song in the following days after September 11th it's called the
"Angry American" and I want to send it out to my father tonight.

Sang ....

American Girls and American Guys
We'll always stand up and salute
We'll always recognize
When we see Ole Glory Flying
There's a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night
When we lay down our head

My daddy served in the army
Where he lost his right eye
But he flew a flag out in our yard
Till 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
Has fallen 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 4th 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 there's gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom
Start ringing her bell
And itll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Ahhh Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

Ohhh Justice will be served
And the battle will rage
This big dog will fight
When you rattle his cage
And you'll be sorry that you messed with
The U.S. of A.
'Cause 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 there's gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom
Start ringing her bell
And itll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

Uhhh Ohhh
Of the Red, White and Blue
Ohhh Ohh Oh
Of My Red, White and Blue

John Michael Montgomery - Letters From Home

"My Dearest son, it's almost June
I hope this letter catches up with you
And finds you well
It's been dry
But they're callin' for rain
And everything's the same old same
In Johnsonville
Your stubborn old daddy
Ain't said too much
But I'm sure you know
He sends his love

And she goes on...
In a letter from home

I hold it up and show my buddies
Like we ain't scared
And our boots ain't muddy
And they all laugh
Like there's something funny
'Bout the way I talk
When I say, "Mamma sends her best, ya'll"

I fold it up and put it in my shirt
Pick up my gun and get back to work
And it keeps me drivin' on
Waitin' on letters from home

My dearest love, it's almost dawn
I've been lyin' here all night long
Wonderin' where you might be
I saw your mamma
And I showed her the ring
Man on the television
Said something
So I couldn't sleep
But I'll be alright,
I'm just missin' you
And this is me kissin' you
X's and O's in a letter from home

I hold it up and show my buddies
Like we ain't scared
And our boots ain't muddy
And they all laugh
'Cause she calls me honey,
But they take it hard
'Cause I don't read the good parts

I fold it up and put it in my shirt
Pick up my gun and get back to work
And it keeps me drivin' on
Waitin' on letters from home

Dear son, I know I ain't written
I'm Sittin' here tonight alone in the kitchen
It occurs to me
I might not have said it
So I'll say it now...
"Son, You make me proud"

I hold it up and show my buddies
Like we ain't scared
And our boots ain't muddy
But no one laughs
'Cause there's ain't nothin' funny
When a soldier cries
And I just wipe my eyes

I fold it up and put it in my shirt
Pick up my gun and get back to work
And it keeps me drivin' on
Waitin' on letters from home"

I really dont have any problem with that. Thats like getting mad at Steven Spielberg for making Saving Private Ryan

Alan Jackson didn't have to be in the WTC or Pentagon on 9/11 to come up with such poignant lyrics to 'Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)'


Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

2hp

so what you are saying is only a soldier or someone that has served in the military has the right to sing a song or have an opinion about the war or something related to military service?

get serious.. thats like saying a company that makes american flags and sells then for a profit shouldnt be doing that because its unpatriotic not to do it for free or the person that buys the flag doesnt have the right to fly that flag unless they were born in the US.

Out of curiosity, what type of music do you listen to Pocketgangaroo?

I think you mean they support the troops/men fighting, not the military. A lot of these singers come from some little podunk town who have had family members serve in the military.

People tend to forget that a lot of the time its the lower class out there fighting these wars. Country music singers aren't usually the children of successful wall street stock brokers, or the like.

EXACTLY (that's kind of what I said in the rest of my post)


.

yah, i agree with everybody else on this one. toby keith sang a song about it. his dad served in the military. darrell worley sang a song about it. same thing. he has close family members in the military. and, as somebody else said, why do you have to serve in order to write a song?

WTF do redneck know about wars? I mean besides how to lose one? Yeah tlak about being an "American" then have the rebel flag all over the place. Now you either are for the USA or you are a Confederate supporter, you can't be both. And don't talk about it being heritage or Southern Pride? Proud of what? Being responsible for starting a war that killed over 5% of the male population over the age of 18 and wounding another 10%?

You're a retard as usual. Yup only southerners listen to country......

It's interesting to observe some of the same people who praise singers who praise war country and values so viciously attacking a guy selling T-shirts saying He Lied They Died...

The rest are posers

Ok Southerners and idiots and people who find dates at family reunions.

yah, and cuz the US government doesnt accept southerners into their military either, right?

Like in any art form, the gems have to be found amongst the rest.