It’s impossible to live in the 50 states and not know about such schoolhouse classics as “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.
VIDEOS The Most Anticipated Summer Blockbusters of 2014
To celebrate the 4th 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.”).
VIDEOS 5 Worst National Anthem Performances Ever
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 USA”
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.”
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.”
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”
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”
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.”
Don McLean, “American Pie”
Key “America” lyric: “So bye-bye, miss American pie /Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry.”
For 10 more songs about America, visit Billboard.com.
