"American Boy" was a song written and recorded by Country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist Eddie Rabbitt

Eddie Rabbitt

Edward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974...

. It was released in 1990 from his album Jersey Boy

Jersey Boy

Jersey Boy was the twelfth studio album of Country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in 1990 under the Capitol Records label. The album produced five singles including "On Second Thought", the final number one country hit of Rabbitt's career, and "American Boy", which became a popular...

, it reached number 11 on country charts, and was his final song to reach the top 40 on the chart.

The song was popular among United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 servicemen and their families during the 1991 Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

  and was used by Senator

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 Bob Dole

Bob Dole

Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...

 during his 1996 campaign for President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

. A re-recorded version of the song was later released on Rabbitt's 1997 album Beatin' the Odds

Beatin' the Odds (album)

Beatin' the Odds was the fourteenth studio album of Country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in 1997 under the Intersound Records label. The album was recorded by Rabbitt after undergoing chemotherapy and having had a part of his lung removed to combat cancer. It was released eight...

Content

In the song, Rabbitt expresses his desire to "live in a place where they name their kids Billy", "hear [his] man Willie

Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...

" on the radio, cheer at Football games on Friday Night

Friday Night Football

Friday Night Football may refer to:* Friday Night Football * CFL on TSN: Friday Night Football * Sports Centre: Friday Night Football...

, and "go where [he] want[s] to." He states that he is a free man at this place. He then goes on to explain that he is an "American Boy" who drives a chevy

Chevrolet

Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

, whose "older brother is a G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...

, whose "little brother watched Saturday morning cartoons" and who goes to the beach to look at "pretty women." During the song, Rabbitt states:

I'm an American boy I buy American.

I'm an American boy yes I am.

I'm an American boy I'll die an American.

The song features speeches from Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong

Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....

 and John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

, which are placed at certain points during the course of the song.

Campaign song

In October 1996, Bob Dole asked Rabbitt to use the song at political rallies for his campaign for presidency, according to Rabbitt he stated "I'm really a big fan and I really enjoy your music and I really like your song." Rabbitt answered Dole's request by stating "With my pleasure, you can use my song." "American Boy" replaced "Dole Man" (a rework of the 1967 song Soul Man

Soul Man (song)

"Soul Man" is a 1967 song written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, first successful as a #2 hit single by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave.-Song history and background:...

) and "Born in the USA" as the campaign song of Bob Dole's run against incumbent president Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

.

Chart positions

Chart (1990)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	11