Yup. I'm a cheater. Scoundrel, loser, and sinister whistler. Scratch that last one. Can't whistle to save my soul.
I wanted to honor our country with a post, but I didn't want to repeat myself. So I decided to eh...rewind...fast forward...rewind...fast forward...
I've reposted my Oasis for YA post from last week. If you follow Oasis, I apologize for the repeat episode. If you don't follow Oasis (Uh...why the heck aren't you???), then I hope you enjoy my pondering over our nation's independence.
In honor of America’s greatest holiday, the Fourth of July, I thought it’d be fun to compile a group of songs fit to celebrate our independence. I also wanted to keep with the theme of summertime, BBQ’s, and the beach. Or in my case, the back fields. I grew up in the puck-a-brush.
We did have The Cove, where we’d stupidly leap off a 10, 30, or 60 foot cliff. Eh…yeah, I never made it past the 10 footer. But that really can’t compare to the warmth of a sandy beach or the salty breeze wafting off the ocean water.
Stupid human info: Is the Pacific Ocean warmer than the Atlantic Ocean? Any answer gets a round of applause by the Oasis ladies. Maybe we’ll even to a happy dance.
When I began combing the catacombs of my brain for related songs, the first one that hit me was “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen. It reminds me of grit and grime, and what it truly took to make this country work.
Neil Diamond’s “America” was next. This is one of my ultimate favorite songs. I can picture myself guitar in hand, hips gyrating, and the crowd going wild. Oh, sorry. That was my dream last night. Erase visual please.
And how could we celebrate the Fourth without Don McLean’s “American Pie”? Can’t be done.
Bye, bye miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this will be the day that I die
this will be the day that I die
You can hear it as you read it, huh?? Love that.
One of my personal faves is from Phil Vassar, “American Child”. I think we all can relate to this song. It captures the true essence of growing up in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
(Supporting a wonderful artist.)
And here are a few great songs to upload onto the iPod and jam to while barbecuing this weekend.
“American Woman” The Guess Who
“Back in the U.S.A.” Chuck Berry
“Born to be Wild” Steppenwolf
“Blowin’ in the Wind” Bob Dylan
“Independence Day” Martina McBride
Of course there are songs like “America the Beautiful”, “God Bless America”, and even “Take me out to the ballgame”. Yeah that one is different but it’s all American.
May we be thankful to those who have come before us and ensured our way of life. May we also celebrate the wonderful culture we have in our music, how it carries us and inspires us.
I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy Fourth of July.
I've never had that sense of pride for the country I live in. I guess that's because I've grown up equally in two (well three - I'll explain) different cultures.
ReplyDeleteBorn in Aus, spent half my life in Greece, have German mother, so Christmas was always celebrated on Xman Eve night (That's the German tradition) along with traditional German cuisine. It's all mixed up. I guess I'm just proud to be multicultural :o)
Great post. Glad you re-posted it. I had a great day, more relaxing than I expected.
ReplyDeleteI've grown up in three different countries, and have two different heritages (England and Finnish), which means I don't have quite the same level of pride as you do. The only thing I celebrated about Canada Day (much to my kids disappointment) was that my husband had the day off. ;)
ReplyDeleteI hate the 4th. I'm glad ti's over. Plus the irony is, my proud American Marine brother is now an Australian resident. sooo.....yeah...
ReplyDeleteHey Sheri,
ReplyDeleteYeah, I definitely could "hear" the lyrics to some of those songs as I read through them!
I gotta say, some great things have come from that country of yours!
Happy Fif--uh, Fourth of July! And that's a great song list you put together!
ReplyDeleteI love the 4th because it's all about food, friends and family and you don't have to buy presents!
ReplyDeleteI love American Pie <3 it. It's "them good ol boys" not "and good ol boys" I should know. I have the song memorized <3
ReplyDeleteLove the tribute what a cute idea!! Thank you so much for the kind words over at Jessica's blog! The interview was a ton of fun, thank you for the support!
ReplyDeleteI love including "Take me Out to the Ball Game!"
ReplyDeleteMy fourth was low-key and quiet; I'd just got back from my trip and slept most of the day. But it was still in my mind that it was America's birthday. So, of course I had some apple pie to celebrate :)