Mistakenly Patriotic Songs

[RockyRaccoon]

I know this may be incredibly specific, but can anyone think of any songs that people typically think are patriotic songs but were not intended that way?

The only ones I could think of were "Born In The U.S.A" and "Pink Houses".

Can anyone think of any others?

[TheLizard]

I've run into people that only know the first line of "Fortunate Son" and assume it's patriotic.

[Shawna]

Sean Hannity used Martina McBride's "Independence Day" on the intro to his show, a fact which songwriter Gretchen Peters hates, but found irony in the fact that she was paid for something she wholly disagreed with.

[MindCrime]

Rockin in the Free World by Neil Young

[Carl]

"American Woman" by The Guess Who. They weren't even American.

[JumboXL]

"American woman, stay away from me...".

Nothing patriotic about that, I'd say, whatever the nationality of the band.

[pinkstones]

Sean Hannity used Martina McBride's "Independence Day" on the intro to his show, a fact which songwriter Gretchen Peters hates, but found irony in the fact that she was paid for something she wholly disagreed with.

What makes me laugh about that is the song is about a woman who finds the strength to leave an abusive spouse, and the video shows her burning the house down with him still in it.

The only reason that tub of lard uses the song is because of the title. Hilarity.

[phil]

This Land Is Your Land, by Woody Guthrie, is often mistaken as a patriotic song. Woody wrote it to counterbalance Irving Berlin's God Bless America,which Guthrie considered "unrealistic and complacent". Guthrie wrote it as more of a 1940's Populist anthem. The melody comes from a Carter Family orignal, Little Darlin' Pal of Mine.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Guest

[Carl]

This Land Is Your Land, by Woody Guthrie, is often mistaken as a patriotic song. Woody wrote it to counterbalance Irving Berlin's God Bless America,which Guthrie considered "unrealistic and complacent". Guthrie wrote it as more of a 1940's Populist anthem. The melody comes from a Carter Family orignal, Little Darlin' Pal of Mine.

A lot of people don't know about the last verses, which usually get cut off:

As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there

And that sign said - no tress passin'

But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!

Now that side was made for you and me!

In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple

Near the relief office - I see my people

And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin'

If this land's still made for you and me.