Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, patriotism was at an all-time high within the United States, and country music naturally went hand in hand. Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” and Darryl Worley’s “Have You Forgotten?” were two tunes that paid tribute to this devastating event in American history, however, Toby Keith‘s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” is arguably the most popular (yet polarizing) of them all.
See below for the story behind the song, as explained by Toby Keith himself.
Meaning Behind Toby Keith’s “Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” was written in late 2001, and it was inspired by two things: the death of Toby Keith’s father — a United States veteran named Hubert Keith Covel — in March of 2001, as well as the terrorist attacks in September of 2001. The tune was released months later in May of 2002 as the lead single from his album Unleashed, instantly sparking quite a bit of controversy.
This controversy did not come as a surprise to the Oklahoma native, admitting in a video shared to Facebook that he “knew it would be polarizing,” but he decided to release the track nonetheless.
“I was playing on a fantasy football team, and I had this sheet that I had to fill out,” he explained in the clip. “It was laying there in my gym, and I flipped it over, and in 25 minutes or something, I wrote the lyrics down to ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,’ and I knew it would be polarizing. I knew it would be a lightning rod, and I prayed about it, but at the end of the day, it was a battle cry for our guys to go win and get back home safely, and to go do what Americans really do.”
Keith Admitted That The Song “Wasn’t Written For Everybody”
In an interview with CBS just a few months after the release of the track, Keith elaborated on “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” even further, admitting that “It wasn’t written for everybody.” He continued passionately, “When you write something from your heart — I had a dad that was a veteran, taught me how precious our freedom is — I was so angry when we were attacked here on American soil that it leaked out of me. You know, some people wept when they heard it. Some people got goosebumps [and] some people were emotionally moved [and] some cheered.”
Why was the tune so controversial? The song’s support for an aggressive military response to 9/11 was something that was very prominent within the lyrics of “Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” something in which not everyone was in agreement with.
“Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” Lyrics
As implied, “Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” is known for its lyrics that are rather blunt or aggressive, coming straight from the heart of Toby Keith himself.
“Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list / And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist / And the eagle will fly and, and it’s gonna be hell / When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell / And it’ll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you / Oh, brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue,” the country crooner sings in the chorus.
Success Of Toby Keith’s “Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”
While it was not the most beloved song by country music fans from coast to coast, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” debuted at number 41 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of May 25, 2002, ultimately topping the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart and reaching number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA on January 3, 2006, Platinum on March 27, 2012, and four-times Platinum on September 18, 2023.
To date, the tune is Toby Keith’s highest certified single in the country, making a profound impact on members of the United States military and their supporters. In fact, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, James L. Jones, even told the talented singer/songwriter that it was his duty to record the tune, telling Toby Keith himself, “It’s your job as an entertainer to lift the morale of the troops. If you want to serve, that is what you can do.”
Despite being released over two decades ago, country music lovers can listen to “Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” on their favorite music streaming platform right now.
