Toby Keith, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

In the ninth edition of Controversial Songs (2025), we explore the controversy behind the “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” by Toby Keith.

Bring on the controversy! Controversial Songs is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows, stirred the pot, or were banned. The more censorship censor$hit, the better! The records that grace Controversial Songs are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  In the ninth edition of Controversial Songs (2025), we explore the controversy behind the “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” by Toby Keith.

“And 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.” ‘Merica! The late great Toby Keith (1961 – 2024) equally unified and courted controversy with “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”.  Why was Toby an angry American back in 2002? The horrific September 11 attacks by terrorists. After the attacks, there was a strong sense of unity for Americans.  This included strong job approval for then-President George W. Bush and ensuring retribution on the terrorists who killed nearly 3,000 people. “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” commences his 2002 album, Unleashed.

The musicality of “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” is impressive. Toby Keith sounds fantastic, singing authentically and patriotically, with tremendous sincerity. Tempo changes help make “Red, White, and Blue” engaging. It begins with a slow, dramatic introduction which sets the tone (“When we see Old Glory flyin’, there’s a lot of men dead / So, we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head”). Keith becomes assertive during the first verse, remembering his daddy’s service in the army, and his sacrifice.   In the second verse, he mentions the infamous terrorist attacks:

“Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack

A mighty sucker punch came flyin’ in from somewhere in the back

Soon as we could see it clearly through our big black eye

Man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July.”

The chorus roars, with “The Statue of Liberty… shakin’ her fist / And the eagle will fly and it’s gonna be hell.” Hell yeah! Beyond the dynamic chorus, the bridge, excerpted earlier, earns plenty of attention, particularly that “boot in your ass.” The violence touted by Keith contributed to the controversy of the song. It’s not the only source of controversy. You could argue Keith to be a Bush bootlicker.  During the 00s and his lifetime, his right-wing politics drew ire. Keith criticized Natalie Maines of The Chicks for her comments regarding President Bush.  The Chicks took heat as a collective, though they made a massive comeback in 2006 with Taking the Long Way, which won Album of the Year at the 49^th Annual Grammy Awards. By then, Bush’s popularity had taken a substantial nosedive. Focusing on the song at hand, ultimately, “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” speaks to the fight and resilience of the U.S.A. following adversity.  Sure, it’s the “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” mentality, but Keith’s heart was coming from the right place.  Unifying controversy? Perhaps. Admittedly, that “Boot in your ass” lyric kicks ass!

Toby Keith // Unleashed // SKG Music Nashville LLC / Dreamworks Nashville // 2002

Toby Keith, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American): Controversial Songs No. 9 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; SKG Music Nashville LLC / Dreamworks Nashville; Andrea Mosti from Pexels; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay; christian buehner on Unsplash]