Toby Keith has created the soundtrack for Independence Day, with a selection of his most patriotic tracks including his 2021 track “Happy Birthday America.” The song acts as both the guiding force and the title for the new playlist.
Videos by American Songwriter
The playlist opens with the title song, taken from his latest album, Peso In My Pocket, along with a handful of other on-theme Keith tracks. Elsewhere on the track list are songs from some of the country icon’s favorite musicians, including Merle Haggard, James Brown, Jason Aldean, and Keith Urban.
“I’m standing on the back of one of a thousand boats tied together on the Fourth of July, 2020. A local radio station is blaring from every one of them because they synchronize the music with the fireworks,” Keith said. “The guy who owns the big cruiser I’m on asks which of my songs I think they’ll play and when. And I said, ‘If they play ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,’ they’ll probably play a few things—Lee Greenwood and such—and wait to play mine once they’re really rolling.”
He continued, “Sure enough, I’m the third song. Everybody on the lake is singing, boats are honking and it’s been a really screwed up year. My buddy looks at me and says, ‘Happy Fourth of July, big dog.’ I said, ‘Happy birthday, America. Whatever’s left of you.’ And then I was like, ‘I need to write that.’”
The playlist comes alongside Keith’s combustible post-9/11 anthem, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” getting a new lyric video featuring patriotic moments from Keith’s recent live shows as well as his overseas visits with troops during his 11 USO tours. Check out the video below.
Listen to Toby Keith’s playlist below.
What song would be on your July 4 playlist? Let us know, comment below.
(Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage)
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