The lyrics are as follows:

Happy birthday America, It’s the 4th of July

I get to wake up in your freedom, But sometimes I wonder why

Seems like everybody’s pissin’ On the red, white and blue

Happy birthday America, Whatever’s left of you

You were the darlin’ when you saved the world WW I and II

France would just be part of Germany now If it hadn’t been for you

Now your children want to turn you in To something other than yourself

They burn your flag in their city streets More than anybody else

Who they gonna count on When you’re not there to take their call

Will the world keep right on spinnin’ Without the greatest of them all

Without the helping hand of God Your days are numbered my old friend

We’re sure gonna miss you girl You were the best that’s ever been

Happy birthday America

All the broken-down cities By the left’s design

And the right can’t seem to get it right Most of the time

Every time I go to town and vote I just come home with the blues

The lesser of two evils, All we ever get to choose

I have been a fan of Toby Keith’s music for most of my life, and I have always respected him for his unabashed love for this country. As an outspoken advocate for individual liberty and the values that made America the greatest nation in the history of the world, this song struck a chord with me.

It was my love for liberty that first led me to get into the world of media because I felt that many modern-day Americans on both sides of the political aisle don’t really understand the principles on which this country was founded.

I understand his sentiment of feeling like there’s not much left of what America used to be as it seems that both sides want to worship government in their own way instead of valuing limited government and the freedom to live in whatever manner you choose. I am sure it wouldn’t be too bold of me to say that I am sure the lyrics of “Happy Birthday America” resonate with millions of my fellow countrymen as they feel like it is just a matter of time before our nation falls into oblivion. However, I am convinced that no matter how dark the days ahead may seem there is a light inside each one of us that will show us the way forward. 

It is this internal light that will guide the hands and hearts of all who understand the blessings of liberty to fight the evil that seeks to destroy our country from within. The lyrics of Toby’s song have more than just a hint of truth in them. 

Listen to this song and let it stir your heart—not to mourn, but instead let the lyrics motivate you to action to save our American Republic. Let us not pass the buck off to another generation, but fight for what is good and right today. 

What better way to celebrate America than to fight to restore our founding principles and strive to be that more perfect union our founding fathers intended for us?

Listen to Toby’s new song below:

Image: Flickr, fishhawk

The post Toby Keith’s New Song Should Be a Call to Action for Americans appeared first on The Libertarian Republic.

I was born and raised in southeast Missouri. When I was a kid, we lived on a farm for a while and we actually had a pet turkey running free on the property. (That thing was mean, by the way.) My high school senior class had either fifty-seven or sixty-two people in it, depending on what source you use for the count. (Several members of my class were probably in jail at graduation time, hence the confusion about the actual head count.) And we were not the smallest school in the area by a long shot.

The largest public works project in my hometown in the 90’s was the building of covered horseshoe pits at the city park. I didn’t live in a town with a population over five thousand until I was out of college. I’ve been to more than one wedding reception where David Allan Coe songs were played.

But I absolutely loathe country music. And always have.

It probably originates from my parents, who were far more interested in rock & roll or pop music than country. To be sure, there were some questionable records around the house when I was young: such seventies dreck as Jim Croce, Captain & Tennille, Paper Lace, and The Jaggerz. (Shudder.) But at least there was no country.

I was exposed to plenty of country music by the extended family, though. Not to mention friends and acquaintances. You couldn’t get away from it in the sprawling Cape Girardeau-Jackson Metropolitan Area. Early on, I decided that I would have none of it. I developed negative feelings not only towards country music, but many of the people who enjoyed it.

I know you may find this hard to believe, but even as a youngster, I was a bit uppity. Country music itself baffled me; the lifestyle associated with it, doubly so. I was never into pickup trucks, cowboy boots, big belt buckles, ginormous goofy hats, thick syrupy accents, working on the farm, or manual labor in general.

Not to mention, it seemed odd to me that many country songs were about things that…well…weren’t fun or funny. Things folks probably shouldn’t be doing, much less bragging about.

As the aforementioned David Allan Coe says in his famous single “You Never Even Call Me By My Name:”

Well, a friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song
And he told me it was the perfect country & western song
I wrote him back a letter and i told him it was not the perfect country & western song
Because he hadn’t said anything at all about mama,
or trains,
or trucks,
or prison,
or getting drunk.

I am quite fond of my mother. I’m certainly familiar with trains, since they run through my hometown all day and night (and therefore, everyone from there can sleep through anything short of a nuclear bomb.) I have no issues with getting drunk. But I certainly have no use for trucks and even less use for prison.

There are other common elements of country songs that I’ve never cottoned to: domestic abuse, adultery, divorce, unemployment, banjos, fiddles, washboards, Jew’s harps, spoons, tractors, dirt roads, trailer parks, moonshine, NASCAR racing, cow tipping, line dancing, overalls, huntin’, fishin’, muddin’, rodeos, taxidermy, mobile homes, Marlboros, and such. (Though I could probably be talked into moonshine if any of our readers know where to get hold of some. Hint, hint.)

Country music takes the absolute worst elements of whiteness and glorifies them. Which I guess is my primary complaint.

When I think of my least favorite country songs, it’s pretty much all of them. But the worst offenders, just off the top of my head:

Fancy (Reba McEntire)

When I first really listened to the lyrics of this song, I immediately asked: “Wait, did this gal’s mother just send her off into prostitution? Is she bragging about it?”

Yup.

Papa Loved Mama (Garth Brooks)

True story: I was driving the back roads somewhere outside of Piedmont, Missouri many years ago. I was fiddling with the radio, trying to find anything non-country. I was struggling.

Then, this gem of a song came on with these wonderful lyrics:

Papa loved Mama
Mama loved men
Mama’s in the graveyard
Papa’s in the pen

I almost ran off the road. Then, for my own safety, I turned the radio off.

Dixieland Delight (Alabama)

Whitetail buck deer munchin’ on clover
Red-tailed hawk sitting on a limb
Chubby ol’ groundhog
Croakin’ bullfrog
Free as a feeling in the wind

Okay, Marlin Perkins. And since we’re going on about all the wild life out in the boonies, this particular (non-country) video clip also comes to mind.

Achy Breaky Heart (Billy Ray Cyrus)

The less we say about this song, the better. This may have kicked off the wave of “pop country” that we are still suffering from today.

Indian Outlaw (Tim McGraw)

Perhaps the most ridiculous country song of my lifetime, which is saying something. Let’s not even get into the horribly stereotypical stuff being thrown out there. It’s a cringe worthy laundry list of stereotypes.

I’m an Indian outlaw
Half Cherokee and Choctaw
My baby, she’s a Chippewa
She’s a one of a kind
All my friends call me Bear Claw
The Village Chieftain is my paw-paw
He gets his orders from my maw-maw
She makes him walk the line
You can find me in my wigwam
I’ll be beatin’ on my tom-tom
Pull out the pipe and smoke you some
Hey and pass it around

Bonus: McGraw apparently has the same amount of Native American blood as I do. Meaning, zero.

God Bless The USA
Have You Forgotten
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (Angry American)
(three way tie)

I will give one thing to country artists: they are the only segment of the entertainment industry that is not unabashedly progressive. You’ll find plenty of conservatives and Republicans in this bunch. Nashville is definitely not Hollywood.

The downside to this conservative tilt is that you end up with some jingoistic, “America First”, “kill ’em all” kind of music. Lee Greenwood blessed us with the first song above, which has been a cheesy staple of right wing rallies for decades. After 9/11, Darryl Worley and Toby Keith gave us the other two full-throated cries for vengeance.

Military service of all three combined: zilch. Just sayin’.

Old Town Road (Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus)

Can you believe Billy Ray Cyrus is on this list twice? Me neither. This one is an even greater offense than the first. I’m not sure this song is even really country, but fuck ’em both, just on principle. Combining Cyrus’ limited talents with auto-tune should be a war crime.

This song makes me want to slit my own wrists and also those of everyone around me.

Cotton Eyed Joe (Rednex)

Yeah, yeah, they didn’t make the original version of the song. Only the weirdest and most annoying one. Bonus: these ass clowns are from…Sweden. (Presumably southern Sweden?)

She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft) (Jerry Reed)

This is one of the first country songs I ever heard, and it set the tone. And not in a good way.

While she’s livin’ like a queen on alimony
I’m workin’ two shifts eatin’ baloney

Copenhagen (Robert Earl Keen)

Copenhagen, what a wad of flavor
Copenhagen, you can see it in my smile
Copenhagen, do yourself a favor chew
Copenhagen, drivin’ pretty girls wild

My contempt for country music runs so deep that when I first heard this ode to dipping tobacco, I thought it was completely serious. I didn’t learn until much later that Mr. Keen was singing this tongue in cheek. (That same tongue may now be cancerous from dipping too much Copenhagen.)

My buddy Dan and I largely share a disdain for country music. We started making up lyrics to our own over the top country songs.

My two all-time favorites:

Sittin’ on the front porch
Thinkin’ ’bout the back porch

Not to be outdone by:

Three dollar whiskey
Twelve dollar whore
Fifteen bucks, ain’t got no more

(If you want to check out a comedic, raunchy take on country music that is better than most actual country music, look up Wheeler Walker, Jr. Extremely NSFW, but worth it, especially if you have a dark sense of humor.)

Ironically, while I am allergic to country music, I am totally okay with the blues. While the two genres are similar in that they both involve men complaining about their shitty lives, I find the lamentations of (often) illiterate old black dudes way more relatable for some reason.

Maybe it’s because the blues seem genuine while so much of country seems forced. Those illiterate old black dudes had legitimate reasons to be miserable, living under Jim Crow and all. Maybe it’s also because the blues, being the backbone of rock & roll, is capable of carrying a catchier tune. Maybe it’s because I have a love/hate relationship with where I am from, and thus country music starts off with two strikes. Regardless, I’ll take John Lee Hooker over Hank Williams Sr. (or Jr.) every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

The only really nice thing I can say about country music is that at least it’s not Christian rock.

The post Country Music? Nope. Not Even Once appeared first on The Libertarian Republic.

Prior to beginning the rush against the demonstrators, the Seattle police began playing the song “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” by country music artist Big and Rich.

The music begins as more officers arrive on bicycles from down the street, and then clash with the crowd.

Yippee ki yay. At least it’s entertaining.

The post Seattle PD Blasts Country Music While Rushing Crowd [VIDEO] appeared first on The Libertarian Republic.

With that being said, there are many country songs which embody the spirit of the Libertarian philosophy which is all about individual freedom and independence.

I’d like to take you through a list of five songs my fellow liberty lovers might enjoy.

1.    “A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr.

Anyone who has listened to Bocephus knows his music is the definition of a badass man from the country. He holds nothing back when it comes saying what he believes. This song is undoubtedly an excellent representation of that. It talks about how people in the country can survive, no matter what you throw at them. This tune is the definition of a libertarian song talking about being completely self-sufficient and not giving a damn about what anybody thinks. As Hank says,

“’Cause we’re them old boys raised on shotgun
And we say “grace,” and we say “Ma’am.”
And if you ain’t into that, we don’t give a damn.”

2.    “White Lightning” by George Jones

This country toe-tapper tells a story about an old man back in the mountains of North Carolina who made moonshine, and was always dodging the government for trying to put him in jail for making his homemade spirits. As lovers of liberty, we despise prohibition in any form, and don’t believe the government has any authority to tell us what to do. A song about a tough old hillbilly outrunning the law is a story that would surely bring a smile to any true rebel’s face.

3.    “Working Man Blues” by Merle Haggard

“The Hag” was well known for writing and performing ballads about the plight of the working man. This song is just what it sounds like – a tale of a “salt of the earth”, blue-collar type of guy who will do anything in the world to provide for his family. He absolutely refuses to be on the welfare system and breaks his back every week to ensure it never becomes a reality. He drinks cheap beer in a tavern at the end of every work week and is back at it by the time Monday morning rolls around again. As libertarians, we can surely appreciate the hard work and determination the man in this story regardless of the color of our collar.

4.    “Man in Black” by Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash is a true legend in country music. He was one of those who helped define the “outlaw country” movement by blending old school Rock “N” Roll with traditional country music. Cash was an outspoken advocate for prison reform, even recording two live prison albums. “Man in Black” is one of Johnny’s many protest songs. He spoke out against many issues of his day, from people who were held back because of wrongful incarceration to America’s bad foreign policy which was still going on in the early 1970s when “Man in Black” was written. It seems Cash’s lyrics in this song could describe core beliefs of libertarians from criminal justice reform to a foreign policy that doesn’t police the world and get Americans killed for no morally justifiable reason.

5.    “The Coalition To Ban Coalitions” by Hank Williams Jr.

We round out our list with another Hank, Jr. song. This lively tune talks about how the government and social justice warriors who organize coalitions to ban everything good and pleasurable in our daily lives from good whiskey to cartoons. Hank talks about how he isn’t a politician, but has a few views of his own. He suggests we ban coalitions since they want to try to tell us how we can run our lives. Hank repeatedly asks, “why can’t everybody else leave everybody else alone?” The message of this song fits in very well with an old slogan Austin Petersen used to say when he ran for office, “I want to take over the government to leave you alone!”

All these songs have a strong message that speaks out against government overreach, and in favor of the individual liberty we all hold dear. It makes me echo John Denver by saying, “Thank God I am a country boy!”

The post Leave a Country Boy Alone: Five Country Songs for Libertarians appeared first on The Libertarian Republic.