American Tunes – Foot-Stompers, Shit-Kickers & Top-Poppers: A Playlist to Celebrate the 4th of July with
“Sing me back home with a song I used to hear…”
I haven’t celebrated a 4th of July in the States in six years. Yes, I have celebrated in Australia and this year I will celebrate in London…but its not the same. There’s no mad dash to the supermarket for BBQ fixin’s. There’s no parades down Main Street. There’s no big field under a clear blue summer sky filled with friends and family playing horseshoes. There’s no fireworks displays. There’s no dusk bonfires outside a New Hampshire lake house. Nope…none of that.
I miss all of that hoopla. I miss the tradition and camaraderie that is the celebrating of the Fourth of July. I don’t want to get all philosophical on a kick-back day like today, but just let me say, “you don’t miss your water, ’til your well runs dry“.
When I think of a 4th of July celebration, this is what I picture:
A wide open field, filled with closest friends and extended family. There is a stage where band will play. They will play a couple sets: one at noon and one at dusk. There’s summer spots being payed everywhere: horseshoes (my fave), whiffle ball and badminton. There is a Beer tent with plenty of ice cold kegs, tapped and at the ready (everyone has red and blue solo cups in hand). The food…oh, the food: burgers, hot dogs, chicken, corn, beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, lobsters, apple pies…all eaten off of paper plates.
The day turns to night. The bonfire is lit. Everyone who is still there huddles around it. Kids sleep at their parents feet. We can see the local fireworks display from across town light up the sky. The young’ins spark up their own display out in the field in front of us. The crowd calls out for the band to grab the acoustics and lead us towards midnight in group a sing-a-long…”Crossroads, seem to come and go, yeah….“
Yep…I’m hankering for a good ol’ fashion Americana celebration. While I can’t share a cold one or a hot dog with you, I can share some American sounds. When I’m feeling a little blue on a day when I can’t celebrate the the Red, White and Blue on American soil, I do what I always do: put the needle on the record and let the music play.
I have put together a playlist perfect for a day like the one I described. This playlist is full of old favorites, complete with a bit rock and roll, swinging blues and country twanginess. You’ll be stomping feet and slapping backs while you pop the tops off of your ice cold longnecks of Bud when you hear this collection of classics performed by citizens of our beloved country.
I have wrapped them up in a bow in this shared folder for you to download: American Tunes
I’ll be playing this set loud and proud as I fire up the grill and put on a couple burgers and dogs for me and the missus. Enjoy the day and and enjoy the people the you spend it with…where ever you are on this this big ol’ globe.
Happy 4th of July. Judd
p.s. the songs in the folder are not in the order that put them in. If you want to recreate that, check the sequence below
