Miley Cyrus Bangerz July 6 - H 2014
Olivia MaloneIt’s impossible to live in the 50 states and not know about schoolhouse classics like “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “This Land Is Your Land,” but those famous patriotic odes aren’t the only way to give a musical shout-out to America. To celebrate the Fourth of July, we’ve hand-selected 20 songs, each of which talks about this big, great, complicated country of ours in its own special way — from the critical (Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born in the U.S.A.”) to the full on celebratory (Miley Cyrus‘ “Party in the U.S.A.”).
Miley Cyrus – “Party in the U.S.A.”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “And I got my hands up / They’re playin‘ my song / I know I’m gonna be ok / Yeah, it’s a party in the U.S.A.”
Bruce Springsteen, “Born In The U.S.A.”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Nowhere to run / ain’t got nowhere to go / Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.”
Lil Wayne – “God Bless Amerika“
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “My country ‘tis of thee / Sweet land of kill ’em all and let ’em die / God Bless America / this ol‘ godless America”
Green Day – “American Idiot”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Don’t want to be an American idiot / One nation controlled by the media / Information age of hysteria / It’s calling out to idiot America”
Kanye West and Jay Z (The Throne) – “Made in America”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “We made it in America / I pledge allegiance to my grandma / For that banana pudding, our piece of Americana / Our apple pie was supplied through Arm & Hammer / Straight out the kitchen / Shh, don’t wake Nana!”
Simon and Garfunkel – “America”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike, they’ve all gone to look for America.”
Madonna – “American Life”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “I’d like to express my extreme point-of-view / I’m not a Christian and I’m not a Jew / I’m just living out the American dream / And I just realized that nothing is what it seems.”
2 Live Crew – “Banned in the U.S.A.”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “The First Amendment gave us freedom of speech. So what you sayin‘? It didn’t include me?”
Tom Petty – “American Girl”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Well, she was an American girl / Raised on promises / She couldn’t help thinkin‘ that there was a little more to life somewhere else”
Brad Paisley – “American Saturday Night”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “It’s a French kiss, Italian ice / margaritas in the moonlight / Just another American Saturday night”
Demi Lovato – “Made In The U.S.A.”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Our love was made in the U.S.A. / Made in the U.S.A.”
Neil Diamond – “America”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Everywhere around the world / They’re coming to America / Every time that flag’s unfurled / They’re coming to America / Got a dream to take them there / They’re coming to America / Got a dream they’ve come to share / They’re coming to America”
Eminem – “White America”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “The women and men who have broke their necks for the freedom of speech the United States Government has sworn to uphold, or (Yo‘, I want everybody to listen to the words of this song) so we’re told…”
Lenny Kravitz – “American Woman”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “I don’t need your war machines / I don’t need your ghetto scenes / Colored lights can hypnotize / Sparkle someone else’s eyes / Now woman, get away / American woman, listen what I say”
John Mellencamp – “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Some are black and some are white / Ain’t to proud to sleep on the floor tonight / With the blind faith of Jesus you know that they just might / be Rockin‘ in the U.S.A.”
Toby Keith – “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Oh, 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.”
James Brown – “Living in America”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Living in America – hand to hand, across the nation Living in America / got to have a celebration… / You might not be looking for the promised land, but you might find it anyway”
Kid Rock – “American Badass”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “I’m an American badass, watch me kick.”
Don McLean – “American Pie”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “So bye-bye, miss American pie /Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry.”
Kim Wilde – “Kids in America”
Key ‘America’ Lyric: “Outside Suburbia’s sprawling everywhere / I don’t want to go baby / New York to East California / There’s a new wave coming I warn you / We’re the kids in America.”
This article originally appeared on Billboard.com.
