The 20-Minute Masterpiece: How a Fantasy Football Sheet Changed Country Music
In the high-gloss world of the Nashville music industry, hits are often manufactured in sterile writing rooms by committees of five or six songwriters over the course of weeks. But for Toby Keith, one of the most era-defining songs in American history didn’t come from a boardroom—it came from a moment of raw, visceral emotion and a scrap of paper meant for a hobby.
A Nation in Mourning
In late 2001, the United States was still reeling from the September 11 attacks. Toby Keith was grieving on two fronts: the national tragedy and the personal loss of his father, H.K. Covel, a veteran who had been killed in a car accident just six months prior.
Keith had been watching the evening news, processing the reality of American troops heading into Afghanistan. He felt his father’s voice in his head, wondering how a man of that generation would have responded to the attack on American soil.
The “Lightning Bolt” Moment
The inspiration didn’t strike in a studio. It struck while Keith was sitting on his sofa, likely looking for a distraction. He had a fantasy football draft sheet in front of him—a grid of players, stats, and rankings.
Suddenly, the lyrics began to pour out. In what Keith later described as a “blur” of activity, he flipped the football sheet over and began to scrawl. He wasn’t thinking about radio play, demographics, or controversy; he was simply venting.
“It wasn’t a song I intended to write for the public,” Keith later told the press. “I wrote it for myself, as a way to process my own anger and my pride in my father’s service.”
Twenty minutes later, the draft sheet was covered in ink. The song was finished. It included the now-iconic (and divisive) line: “You’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A. / ‘Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way.”
Video
Lyrics
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
American girls and American guysWe’ll always stand up and saluteWe’ll always recognizeWhen we see Old Glory flyingThere’s a lot of men deadSo we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our headMy daddy served in the armyWhere he lost his right eye but he flew a flag out in our yard‘Til the day that he diedHe wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and meTo grow up and live happyIn the land of the freeNow this nation that I love has fallen under attackA mighty sucker punch came flyin’ in from somewhere in the backSoon as we could see clearlyThrough our big black eyeMan, we lit up your worldLike the fourth of JulyHey Uncle Sam, put your name at the top of his listAnd the Statue of Liberty started shakin’ her fistAnd the eagle will fly man, it’s gonna be hellWhen you hear mother freedom start ringin’ her bellAnd it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on youOh, brought to you courtesy of the red white and blueOh, and justice will be served and the battle will rageThis big dog will fight when you rattle his cageAnd you’ll be sorry that you messed withThe U.S. of A.‘Cause we’ll put a boot in your assIt’s the American wayHey Uncle Sam, put your name at the top of his listAnd the Statue of Liberty started shakin’ her fistAnd the eagle will fly it’s gonna be hellWhen you hear mother freedom start ringin’ her bellAnd it’ll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on youOh, brought to you courtesy of the red white and blueOh-oh, of the red, white and blueOh-oh, of my red, white and blue