Toby Keith Gave His Greatest Tip Of The Hat To Our Troops in “American Soldier”

Everyone knows just how much country singer-songwriter Toby Keith supports America’s military. He’s a very patriotic man and has never been afraid to show that in his music, just like what he did with “American Soldier.” 

Released in 2003 as the second single from his album Shock’n Y’all, the song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart, keeping the top spot for four weeks.

There’s No Shortage Of Patriotic Music In Toby Keith’S Collection

Toby Keith penned “American Soldier” with Nashville songwriter Chuck Cannon. It tells the tale of an American soldier who is headed off to war, at the same time, looked into every soldier’s individual bravery. The song is meant to celebrate the men and women who made such a sacrifice of leaving their hometowns and families for the same sense of duty that’s driven soldiers for generations.

“I’m an American soldier, an American. Besides 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,” the song goes.

Keith explained that the song is “written for all the times that I get to meet the troops on these USO tours.” In 2003, Keith met troops on USO Tours and witnessed the widespread impact of Alan Jackson’s sentimental song, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” This shaped Keith’s other musical response to the war on terror.

“Since ‘Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue (The Angry American),’ the P.O.W.s and the families and stuff that have come and brought me back my old CD covers and stuff that they had and shown how much support they had, and this is my support for the American fighting men and women,” Keith said.

“American Soldier” is absolutely a patriotic anthem perfect for any day of the week, but holidays like Veteran’s Day or Independence Day make the song even more poignant. You can watch one of Keith’s incredible performances of the song in the video below – it’s incredibly moving and a true testament to those who have sacrificed so much for our great nation. Indeed, this powerful single is one of the greatest tips of the hat to our troops.