Whether your Memorial Day celebration is being held in a backyard for a barbecue or on a boat where the dress code is strictly red, white and blue, the playlist is key for a good old patriotic day.
In honor of those who have died while serving in the military, we have hand-selected this list of songs that encompass what it means to be proud of the hero’s that risk their lives for our country. Kick off the day with (Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land”), one that everyone can sing along to and end your festivities with the triumphant (Brad Paisley’s “American Saturday Night”).
See the full list of patriotic songs below.
Miley Cyrus – “Party In The U.S.A.”
“So I put my hands up/ They’re playing my song, the butterflies fly away/ I’m noddin’ my head like, yeah/Movin’ my hips like, yeah/I got my hands up, they’re playing my song/They know I’m gonna be okay/Yeah, it’s a party in the U.S.A./Yeah, it’s a party in the U.S.A.”
Toby Keith – “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)”
“My daddy served in the army/Where he lost his right eye but he flew a flag out in our yard/Until the day that he died/He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me/To grow up and live happy/In the land of the free”
Brooks & Dunn – “Only In America”
“Only in America/Dreamin’ in red white and blue / Only in America/Where we dream as big as we want to/We all get a chance/Everybody gets to dance/Only in America”
Johnny Cash – “Ragged Old Flag”
“On Flanders field in World War one/ She got a big hole from a Bertha gun/She turned blood red in World War Two/She hung limp and low a time or two/ She was in Korea and Vietnam/ She went where she was sent by Uncle Sam/She waved from our ships upon the Briny foam/ And now they’ve about quit waving her back here at home/ In her own good land here she’s been abused/ She’s been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused”
Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Red, White And Blue”
“Well my hairs turning white/My necks always been red/My collars still blue/We’ve always been here/Just trying to sing a truth to you/Guess you could say/We’ve always been/Red white and blue”
Demi Lovato – “Made In The USA”
“No matter how far we go, I want the whole world to know/I want you bad, and I wont have it any other way/No matter what the people say,/I know that we’ll never break/’Cause our love was made, made in the USA/Made in the USA, yeah”
Kenny Chesney – “American Kids”
“Growin’ up in little pink houses/Makin’ out on livin’ room couches/Blowin’ that smoke on a Saturday night/A little messed up, but we’re all alright/We were Jesus save me, blue jean baby / Born in the USA/Trailer park truck stop, faded little map dots/New York to LA”
Faith Hill – “American Heart”
“She’s up before the sun, on the run/Another dollar another day another cup of coffee/Thank you Lord/For giving me one more/She still leans on her dreams but it seems/Sometimes she’s the only one who still believes that life is hard/So she takes it on with an American heart”
Bruce Springsteen – “Born In The U.S.A.”
“Born in the U.S.A/I was born in the U.S.A. now / Born in the U.S.A/ I’m a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A. now/ Born in the U.S.A/Born in the U.S.A / Born in the U.S.A/I’m a cool rockin’ Daddy in the U.S.A. now”
Tom Petty – “American Girl”
“Well she was an American girl/Raised on promises/She couldn’t help thinkin’ that there/Was a little more to life/Somewhere else/After all it was a great big world/With lots of places to run to/Yeah, and if she had to die tryin’/She had one little promise/She was gonna keep”
Toby Keith – “American Soldier”
“I’m an American soldier, an American/Beside my brothers and my sisters/I will proudly take a stand/When liberty’s in jeopardy/I will always do what’s right/I’m out here on the front lines/sleep in peace tonight/American soldier, I’m an American soldier”
Home Free – “Travelin’ Soldier”
“I cried/Never gonna hold the hand of another guy/Too young for him they told her/Waitin’ for the love of a travelin’ soldier/Our love will never end/Waitin’ for the soldier to come back again/Never more to be alone when the letter said/A soldier’s coming home”
Carrie Underwood – “All American Girl”
“And now he’s wrapped around her finger,/She’s the center of his whole world./And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American girl.”
Green Day – “American Idiot”
“Don’t wanna be an American idiot/One nation controlled by the media/Information age of hysteria/It’s calling out to idiot America”
Brad Paisley – “American Saturday Night”
“It’s a French kiss, Italian ice/Margaritas in the moonlight (woahhhh)/Just another American Saturday night/You know everywhere has somethin’ they’re known for/Although usually it washes up on our shores/My great great great granddaddy stepped off of that ship/ I bet he never ever dreamed we’d have all this”
Lee Greenwood – “God Bless The U.S.A.”
“And I’m proud to be an American/Where at least I know I’m free./And I won’t forget the men who died,/Who gave that right to me./And I gladly stand up,/Next to you and defend her still today./’Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,/God bless the USA.”
Lil Wayne – “God Bless Amerika”
“God bless Amerika/This ole’ godless Amerika/I heard tomorrow ain’t promised today/And I’m smoking on them flowers, catch the bouquet”
Madonna – “American Life”
“American life/I live the American dream/You are the best thing I’ve seen/You are not just a dream”
Lenny Kravitz – “American Woman”
“American woman, I said, get away/American woman, listen what I say/Don’t come hangin’ ’round my door/Don’t want to see your face no more”
John Mellencamp – “R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.”
“Well, some are black and some are white/And ain’t to proud to sleep on your floor tonight/With blind faith of Jesus you know that they just might/Rockin’ in the U.S.A., hey/ Alright”
Dolly Parton – “Color Me America”
“I am red and white and blue/These are colors that ring true/To all I am and feel and love and do/I stand proud and brave and tall/I want justice for us all/Color me America, red, white and blue”
Don McLean – “American Pie”
“I started singin’, bye-bye, Miss American Pie/Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry/Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye/Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die/This’ll be the day that I die”
Woody Guthrie – “This Land Is Your Land”
“This land is your land and this land is my land/From California to the New York island/From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters/This land was made for you and me”
James Brown – “Living In America”
“But everybody’s workin’ overtime./Living in America, eye to eye, station to station/I live in America, I live in America, wait a minute,/you may not be lookin’ for the promised land”
Elton John – “Philadelphia Freedom”
“’Cause I live and breathe/This Philadelphia freedom/From the day that I was born/I’ve waved the flag/Philadelphia freedom/Took me knee high to a man/Yeah/Gave me peace of mind my daddy never had”
Childish Gambino – “This Is America”
“This is America (woo, ayy)/Don’t catch you slippin’ now (woo, woo, don’t catch you slippin’, now)/Don’t catch you slippin’ now (ayy, woah)/Look what I’m whippin’ now (Slime!)/This is America (yeah, yeah)/Don’t catch you slippin’ now (woah, ayy)/Don’t catch you slippin’ now (ayy, woo)/Look what I’m whippin’ now (ayy)”
Estelle feat. Kayne West – “American Boy”
“Take me on a trip, I’d like to go some day/Take me to New York, I’d love to see L.A./I really want to come kick it with you/You’ll be my American boy, American boy”
Weezer – “I Love The USA”
“Ain’t that bad a place/I was born that way/I bite my fingernails/Still got bills to pay/You sure know what to say/I’ll put you in your place/Land of the free, I’m on my way/I love the USA/I love the USA/Fuck yeah, this place is great/I love the USA”
Phil Vassar – “American Child”
“’Cause 419 Lakewood had no silver spoons/Just an old beat up upright that played out of tune/Now I’m singing and living the life that I love/And when I count my blessings I thank god I was/An American child/An American child/’Cause dreams can grow wild/Born inside an American child”
Granger Smith feat. Earl Dibbles Jr. – “Merica”
“We’re back to back undefeated world war champs/ So take a cup, raise it up for my Uncle Sam/ You know we sent a man to the moon/ And before we’re done/ Yeah we’ll probably send a man to the sun / ‘Merica”
