Behind the Patriotic Meaning of “Country On” by Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan has no shortage of songs that speak directly to the country way of living. It’s something the Georgia native knows a little something about, having grown up on a farm himself. His 2022 release, “Country On,” is one of his best in that vein.

Hey, farmboy, keep droppin’ that plow / Bailin’ that hay, feedin’ them cows, he sings in the opening line. The track is a reminder for the characters that color more rural settings to keep on keepin’ on. It’s a message we all need to hear from time to time.

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Dig into the lyrics of “Country On” with us, below.

Behind the Meaning

Hey, farmboy, keep droppin’ that plow
Bailin’ that hay, feedin’ them cows
From the rooster crow ’til another long day is gone
Country on
Hey big rig, keep clockin’ them miles
Pullin’ that horn, makin’ us smile
Rollin’ that load down the road all night long
Country on

Bryan starts each verse by addressing someone he thinks needs to “country on.” In the opening verse, it’s farmboys and big rig drivers. Later he makes nods to firemen, soldiers, fellow musicians in Nashville, and the entirety of the U.S.A. He lets his scope run wide, issuing his reminder to anyone and everyone who might sympathize with the song’s sentiments.

“It’s got patriotism in it, it’s got honoring people that keep us free and people that keep us safe and look after us,” Bryan once said of the song. “I think that’s something the country music crowd is always very, very appreciative of because so many in country music are those people.”

Hey Nashville, keep bending them strings
Diggin’ for gold, chasin’ them dreams
Keep on with your songs ’til the whole world’s singin’ along
Country on
I say, “Hey, hey USA
We ain’t seen our better days”
Hell naw, hey y’all
Country on

Music Video

In the accompanying music video for the song, Bryan takes his cameras to the very people he’s talking about in the lyrics. There are shots of farmboys hauling hay, cowboys at rodeos, and sweeping cityscape shots of downtown Nashville.

Everything–and everybody–Bryan represents is given a moment to shine in this visual. Check it out, below.

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)