| "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Toby Keith | ||||
| from the album Unleashed | ||||
| B-side | "Who's Your Daddy" | |||
| Released | May 27, 2002 | |||
| Format | CD Single, 7" vinyl | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:15 | |||
| Label | DreamWorks Nashville 450815 | |||
| Writer(s) | Toby Keith | |||
| Producer | Toby Keith James Stroud |
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| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Toby Keith singles chronology | ||||
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"Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. The song was written in late 2001, and was inspired by Keith's father's death in March 2001, as well as the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States later that year. It was released in May 2002 as the lead single from the album, Unleashed." The song topped the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached number 25 on the Hot 100 chart becoming his biggest solo hit on that chart.
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On March 24, 2001, Keith’s father, Hubert Keith (H.K.) Covel, was killed in a car accident. That event and the September 11, 2001 attacks prompted Keith to write the song "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)", a song about his father’s patriotism and faith in the USA. It only took him 20 minutes to write the song. At first, Keith refused to record the song and only sang it live at his concerts for military personnel.
The reaction was so strong that the Commandant of the Marine Corps James L. Jones told Keith it was his duty as an American citizen to record the song. "It's your job as an entertainer to lift the morale of the troops," Jones said to Keith. "If you want to serve, that is what you can do."[1] As the lead single from the album Unleashed (2002), "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue" peaked at number 1 on the country charts over the weekend of July 4.
In a November 2003 interview with CBS, Keith gave his take on the song: “It wasn’t written for everybody. And 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 goose bumps. Some people were emotionally moved. Some cheered, turned their fists in the air.”[2]
ABC invited Keith to sing "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" on a patriotic special it was producing in 2002; however, the host of the show, Canadian-born newsman Peter Jennings, requested Keith soften the lyrics of the song or choose another song to sing. Keith refused both requests and did not appear on the special. The rift gave the song a considerable amount of publicity, which led to many national interviews and public performances of the song. During an interview with 60 Minutes, Keith spoke about his public comments about Jennings, saying "I thought it was hilarious. My statement was, ‘Isn't he Canadian?’ to a bunch of press. They laughed and then I said, ‘Well, I bet Dan Rather wouldn't kick me off his show,’" says Keith."[3] Responding to criticisms of the network decision, a representative for ABC stated that because Keith was performing in Utah when the show would broadcast, Keith could be on the program only as the opening act, and that the song was "angry" and "not the kind of tone the producers wanted to use to begin this three-hour celebration."[4]
Keith had a public feud with the Dixie Chicks over both the song and comments they made about President George W. Bush. The lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, publicly stated that the song was "ignorant, and it makes country music sound ignorant."[5] Keith responded by belittling Maines' songwriting skills, and by displaying a backdrop at his concerts showing a doctored photo of Maines with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.[6] On May 21, 2003, Maines wore a T-shirt with the letters FUTK on the front at the Academy of Country Music Awards.[7] While a spokesperson for the Dixie Chicks said that the acronym stood for "Friends United in Truth and Kindness", many, including host Vince Gill, took it to be an obscene shot at Keith and understood the acronym to mean "Fuck You, Toby Keith." In August 2003, Keith publicly declared he was done feuding with Maines "because he's realized there are far more important things to concentrate on."[8]
In the 2006 film Shut Up and Sing, Maines admitted that the FUTK shirt was, in fact, a shot at Keith.
The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and premiered in the summer of 2002. It is a partial live performance, showing Keith performing on stage to a group of soldiers. It also shows footage of the soldiers on duty.
"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" debuted at #41 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of May 25, 2002.
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |
| Preceded by "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)" by Brad Paisley |
Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number-one single July 20, 2002 |
Succeeded by "The Good Stuff" by Kenny Chesney |
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