Earlier this year, Tim McGraw released a book that he co-wrote with historian Jon Meacham, called Songs of America: Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation. The book is described as a celebration of American history through the music that helped to shape a nation. For his part, Tim researched a ton of patriotic songs, as far back as the 1700s. Based on everything he learned, we asked Tim if he had a favorite patriotic song, in honor of the 4th of July, and he said, “I think the very first song that we did, and one of the very first songs that I dug into and tried to figure out how to make into music, it’s called ‘The Liberty Song.’ And it’s like, (sung) ‘Come join hand in hand brave Americans all.’”
Tim says he was inspired by the vision and the forethought that the writers had to have, well before the American Revolution, about the kind of nation they dreamed of. “This was written, gosh, in the 1760’s, early on. And when you see what they thought this country could be – just in the lyrics of that song – what they thought this country could be, who they thought they were, what they thought it was worth, I mean, that really moved me. And I think that that song I always go back to when I think about the sacrifices made and how this country got here.”
While America will celebrate its 244th birthday this 4th of July, Tim is celebrating the fact that his new song, “I Called Mama,” is already a top 20 hit, just a few weeks after it was released to radio.
Tim McGraw – 4th of July :47
“Oh my gosh, there’s so many, and you know what, I learned so many too, going back and researching for this book. And I think the very first song that we did, and one of the very first songs that I dug into and tried to figure out how to make into music, it’s called ‘The Liberty Song.’ And it’s like, (sung) ‘Come join hand in hand brave Americans all.’ When you hear the prescient view that so many people had to have for this song to be written – and this was well before the American Revolution. This was written, gosh, in the 1760’s, early on. And when you see what they thought this country could be – just in the lyrics of that song – what they thought this country could be, who they thought they were, what they thought it was worth, I mean, that really moved me. And I think that that song I always go back to when I think about the sacrifices made and how this country got here.”