Johnny Cash to Miley Cyrus: Election Day Playlist

Here's a little history on some of these songs.

1. The Star Spangled Banner

The national anthem of the United States came from the lyrics of "Defence of Fort M'Henry," a poem that was written on September 14, 1814, by amateur poet Francis Scott Key.

Standout Lyric:

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

2. Lee Greenwood, "God Bless the U.S.A."

Lee Greenwood wrote God Bless the U.S.A. because of feelings he was having on the shooting down of Korean Airlines Flight 007. He said he always wanted to write a song about America, one that would help unite us.

Standout Lyric:

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

3. Johnny Cash, "Ragged Old Flag"

"Ragged Old Flag" is the title track from Cash's 47th album. The entire album tackles political and ethical issues. "Ragged Old Flag" is a spoken word track about patriotism following the Watergate scandal.

Standout Lyric:

You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,

writing "Say Can You See"

It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson

tugging at its seams.

and It almost fell at the Alamo

beside the Texas flag,

But she waved on though.

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,

And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.

There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,

And the south wind blew hard on

That Ragged Old Flag

4. Simon & Garfunkel "America

The song "America," according to Wikipedia, was inspired by a 1964 road trip that Paul Simon and his girlfriend, Kathy Chitty took. It talks about a young couple hitchhiking their way across the U.S. in search of the literally and figurative "America."

Standout Lyric:

So we bought a pack of cigarettes,

And Mrs. Wagner's pies,

And walked off

To look for America.

"Kathy", I said,

As we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh,

Michigan seems like a dream to me now.

5. Springsteen, "Born in the U.S.A."

This song was written by The Boss partly in tribute to his friends who were in the Vietnam War, some of whom did not come back. The song also looks at the protests many Vietnam veterans faced when they returned home.

Standout Lyric:                                                                 I had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong

They're still there; he's all gone

He had a woman he loved in Saigon

I got a picture of him in her arms now

6. Neil Diamond, "America"

The song was written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond on the history of immigration to the U.S. during the early 1900s and today.

Standout Lyric:

Everywhere around the world

They're coming to America

Every time that flag's unfurled

They're coming to America

7. Kanye + Jay Z, "Made in America"

This song came from Kanye and Jay Z's first collaborative effort. Some have described the song as "understated soft-pop" with "influence from Michael Jackson and his 1985 charity sing 'We Are the World.'" The song looks at the heroes of the civil rights movement and reflects on how Jay Z and Kanye have achieved the American Dream. Note: Song contains NSFW language.

Standout Lyric:

Sweet King Martin

Sweet Queen Coretta

Sweet Brother Malcolm

Sweet Queen Betty

Sweet Mother Mary

Sweet Father Joseph,

Sweet Jesus

We made it in America

Sweet baby Jesus, ooh

Oh sweet baby Jesus

We made it in America

Sweet baby Jesus, ooh

Oh, sweet baby Jesus,

We made it in America

8. John Mellencamp, "Pink Houses"

Mellencamp was inspired to write "Pink Houses" while he was driving along an overpass on the way from Bloomington, IN to the Indianapolis airport. Mellencamp told Rolling Stone that he passed "an old black man sitting outside his little pink shotgun house with his cat in his arms, completely unperturbed by the traffic speeding along the highway in his front yard. "He waved, and I waved back."

Standout Lyric:

There's a black man with a black cat

Living in a black neighborhood

He's got an interstate running' through his front yard

You know, he thinks, he's got it so good

And there's a woman in the kitchen cleaning' up evening slop

And he looks at her and says:

"Hey darling, I can remember when you could stop a clock"

9. Don McLean, "American Pie"

Many interpretations surrounded the song for years. Some say it was McLean describing the first time he learned of the death of Buddy Holly, some also said the song contains numerous references to post-WWII American events. In April of 2015, after the original manuscript of the song sold at auction for $1.2 million, McLean revealed the meaning of the song was about life becoming less idyllic.

Standout Lyric:

I started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

Singin' this will be the day that I die

This'll be the day that I die

10. Miley Cyrus, "Party in the U.S.A."

While this song doesn't make you reflect on much more than a Britney song, it is a catchy little song. The song talks about Miley's move from Nashville to Hollywood and how she feels homesick and intimidated. Toward the end of the song, she starts gaining confidence from hearing some of her favorite songs.

Standout Lyric:

I hopped off the plane at L.A.X.

With a dream and my cardigan

Welcome to the land of fame excess (whoa),

Am I gonna fit in?

11. Green Day, "American Idiot"

"American Idiot" is one of two political songs on the 2005 Grammy Record of the Year Nominee album. The song suggests mass media has created paranoia and idiocy among the public. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day felt the American media crossed a line during the Iraq War by showing the violence. Note: Song contains NSFW language.

Standout Lyric:

Don't want to be an American idiot.

One nation controlled by the media.

Information age of hysteria.

It's calling out to idiot America.

12. Brad Paisley, "American Saturday Night"

The song mentions foreign things, like "a German car, The Beatles, Canadian bacon" to illustrate cultural diversity in the U.S.

Standout Lyric:

She's got Brazilian leather boots on the pedal of her German car

Listen to the Beatles singing back in the USSR

Yeah she's goin around the world tonight

But she ain't leavin here

She's just going to meet her boyfriend down at the street fair

It's a french kiss, Italian ice

Spanish moss in the moonlight

Just another American Saturday night

13. Toby Keith, "Courtsey of the Red, White, & Blue"

Toby Keith holds down two spots. "Courtsey of the Red, White & Blue" was written in response to two major events in 2001. The first being the death of Toby's dad in a car accident in March 2001, and then the September 11th attacks later that year. Toby says he wanted a song about his father's patriotism and faith in the United States. It took Toby 20 minutes to write the song.

Standout Lyric:

American Girls and American Guys

We'll always stand up and salute

We'll always recognize

When we see Old Glory Flying

There's a lot of men dead

So we can sleep in peace at night

When we lay down our head

14. Toby Keith, "American Soldier"

Toby co-wrote "American Soldier" for the troops he was able to visit during USO tours. He says he was his way of showing support for the American fighting men and women.

Standout Lyric:

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

15. Brooks & Dunn, "Only in America"

"Only in America" was released in June of 2001. It received a lot of airplay following the September 11th attacks and was grouped into the songs that were released in response to those attacks. "Only in America" follows the lives of different people across the U.S.

Standout Lyric:

Sun coming' up over New York City

School bus driver in a traffic jam

Staring out at the faces in a rear view mirror

Lookin' at the promise of the Promised Land

One kid dreams of fame and fortune

One kid helps pay the rent

One could end up going to prison

One just might be president