| "American Soldier" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Toby Keith | ||||
| from the album Shock'n Y'all | ||||
| Released | November 24, 2003 | |||
| Format | CD single, 7" | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:23 | |||
| Label | DreamWorks B0002046 | |||
| Writer(s) | Toby Keith Chuck Cannon |
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| Producer | Toby Keith James Stroud |
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| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Toby Keith singles chronology | ||||
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"American Soldier" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in November 2003 as the second single from his 2003 album, Shock'n Y'all. It became a number one hit on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart, keeping the top spot for four weeks.
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Keith said that the song was written "for all the times that I get to meet the troops on these USO tours, and since Courtesy of Red, White, and Blue, the P.O.W.s and the families that have come and brought me back my old CD covers and stuff that they had and shown how much support they had (for me), this is my support for the American fighting men and women."
"American Soldier" is about a soldier who is headed off to war, willing to take a stand and do what's right. He is prepared to die "because freedom don't come free."[1]
Ray Waddell, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Keith "makes his politics readily apparent on the gentle, powerful" song.[2]
The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and was released on December 14, 2003. It was filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base in Edwards, California and features off-duty soldiers, reservists and their families.[3] The video portrays a man who gets a phone call early one morning to go to war. He gets himself and his family ready in the morning, the guy acting like it's just another day, and they head off to a military base for him to leave for the war. He hugs his wife and kids, and gets on the plane, while his family watches sadly and wave goodbye from the gate as the plane leaves.
This song debuted at #34 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on the chart dated November 22, 2003, at the same time that his single "I Love This Bar" was at Number One.
| Chart (2003-2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 28 |
| Preceded by "Remember When" by Alan Jackson |
Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number-one single February 21-March 20, 2004 |
Succeeded by "Watch the Wind Blow By" by Tim McGraw |
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