Only in America (song)
Encyclopedia
"Only in America" is the title of a song recorded by the American country music
duo Brooks & Dunn
on their 2001 album Steers & Stripes
. Kix Brooks
, one-half of the duo, co-wrote the song with Don Cook
and Ronnie Rogers
, although it features Ronnie Dunn
on lead vocals. Released in mid-2001 as the second single from Steers & Stripes, "Only in America" was also the second of three consecutive Number One hits from that album, reaching its peak on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts for the week of October 27, 2001.
and F major
(the song transposes upward before the final chorus), accompanied largely by electric guitar
. Its lyrics outline the lives of various people across the United States — a school bus
driver and her bus full of children in the first verse, and a pair of newlyweds (a 'welder's son and a banker's daughter') in their limousine
in the second verse — before observing in the chorus that "only in America" do such people "get to dream as big as [they] want to".
. It features a shot of New York City
and the former World Trade Center
towers.
film World Trade Center
. Rolling Stone
reviewer Andrew Dansby described the song was an "advertisement waiting to happen". Chris Neal of Country Weekly
called the song a "flag-waving opener" to Steers & Stripes, but nonetheless made note of the song's "rock-solid riff"..
"Only in America" was used extensively during president George W. Bush
's successful 2004 re-election campaign. It has been used extensively on the Campaign trail, John Kerry
also had it played at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The song also played when Obama announced Joe Biden
as his vice president in Springfield, Illinois in 2008. It was also featured after Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
's acceptance speech in Denver
on August 28, 2008.
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...
duo Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
on their 2001 album Steers & Stripes
Steers & Stripes
Steers & Stripes is the seventh studio album, released in 2001, by country duo Brooks & Dunn on Arista Nashville. The album produced five singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, of which the first three were all Number Ones...
. Kix Brooks
Kix Brooks
Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks III , is an American country music artist, best known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn.-Early life:...
, one-half of the duo, co-wrote the song with Don Cook
Don Cook
Don Kirby Cook is an American record producer and songwriter whose work is mainly in the field of country music. Artists who recorded Cook's material include Barbara Mandrell, John Conlee, Mark Collie, Wade Hayes and Brooks & Dunn...
and Ronnie Rogers
Ronnie Rogers
Randall "Ronnie" Rogers is an American country music singer and songwriter. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Rogers charted eight singles on the Billboard country charts, including the top 40 hits "Gonna Take My Angel Out Tonight" and "My Love Belongs to You." He recorded for the Lifesong, Epic...
, although it features Ronnie Dunn
Ronnie Dunn
Ronnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...
on lead vocals. Released in mid-2001 as the second single from Steers & Stripes, "Only in America" was also the second of three consecutive Number One hits from that album, reaching its peak on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts for the week of October 27, 2001.
Content
"Only in America" is an up-tempo in the keys of EE major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
and F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
(the song transposes upward before the final chorus), accompanied largely by electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. Its lyrics outline the lives of various people across the United States — a school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
driver and her bus full of children in the first verse, and a pair of newlyweds (a 'welder's son and a banker's daughter') in their limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
in the second verse — before observing in the chorus that "only in America" do such people "get to dream as big as [they] want to".
Music video
The music video was filmed on June 12, 2001 and was directed by Michael Merriman. It was filmed in "The Gorge Amphitheatre" in Quincy, WashingtonQuincy, Washington
Quincy Washington Quincy is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,750 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. It features a shot of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and the former World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers.
Reception
Although the song was recorded and released several months before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Brooks feels that the song got grouped in with other, similarly patriotic songs which were released in response to the attacks. The song was also featured in the beginning of the Oliver StoneOliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
film World Trade Center
World Trade Center (film)
World Trade Center is a 2006 American disaster-drama film directed by Oliver Stone and based on the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. It stars Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Peña, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon. The film was shot from October 19, 2005 - February 10, 2006...
. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
reviewer Andrew Dansby described the song was an "advertisement waiting to happen". Chris Neal of Country Weekly
Country Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
called the song a "flag-waving opener" to Steers & Stripes, but nonetheless made note of the song's "rock-solid riff"..
"Only in America" was used extensively during president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's successful 2004 re-election campaign. It has been used extensively on the Campaign trail, John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
also had it played at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The song also played when Obama announced Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
as his vice president in Springfield, Illinois in 2008. It was also featured after Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's acceptance speech in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
on August 28, 2008.
Chart positions
"Only in America" debuted at #54 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of June 23, 2001.| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 33 |