American Songwriter

On This Day in 1969, Merle Haggard Released a Song That Arguably Was a Better Tribute to Oklahomans Than “Okie From Muskogee”

We make the case for why "Hungry Eyes" was a better tribute to Oklahomans than Merle Haggard's signature song, "Okie from Muskogee".
Smithsonian Magazine

‘Yankee Doodle’ Was One of America’s Earliest Protest Songs. But Its Origins Are Shrouded in Mystery

Historians have debunked many of the popular theories surrounding the tune's creation. Still, its legacy as a patriotic ...
American Songwriter

Johnny Cash Wrote This Half-Protest, Half-Patriotic Signature Song After Connecting With College Students in 1971

Johnny Cash wrote his half-protest, half-patriotic signature song, "Man in Black", after speaking with students from Vanderbilt University.