Republicans don’t have to like Bad Bunny. But let’s ditch Lee Greenwood | Opinion
Conservatives, patriots: We need to have a difficult conversation.
It’s time to let go of Lee Greenwood and “God Bless the USA.”
It’s enough to hear it at every single Trump rally or Republican event. But House Speaker Mike Johnson has taken it way too far. The Republican leader, asked about the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime performance, said the Puerto Rican pop star is “not someone who appeals to a broader audience.”
Who does, in Johnson’s view? He named Greenwood, who hasn’t had a song on Billboard’s “Hot Country Singles” list in more than 30 years — before Bad Bunny was even a kit (Google it).
Johnson may very well have been trolling, given that the selection of Bad Bunny drew predictable culture-war outrage. He mostly performs in Spanish, and he’s vowed to keep mainland U.S. stops off his tour for fear of ICE raids.
Puerto Ricans, by the way, are born U.S. citizens with all the rights and privileges thereof. So, if that’s the source of your anger, try something that makes you look a little smarter.
‘God Bless the USA’ dates back to the first President Bush
Look, I like “God Bless the USA.” It stirs patriotic sentiment in me, too — or at least it did the first 28,000 times I heard it.
But it’s been the GOP go-to for far too long. Greenwood debuted the song in 1984, and it gained traction partly because he performed it at events for George H.W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign.
Bush, by the way, famously referred to “Nitty Ditty Nitty Gritty Great Bird” instead of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. So, maybe not the best source for discerning taste in country music.
Still, “God Bless the USA” — that’s the title, not “Proud to Be an American,” as many think — is in its fifth decade of political exposure. Like Greenwood, it needs to retire.
The song is emotional, but the lyrics are not exactly poetry. It’s always bugged me that Greenwood sings, “I’m proud to be an American / where at least I know I’m free.” “American” is an adjective, not a place.
That’s a quibble, to be sure. After that, though, the song is just a list of places, like “Route 66” or the end of Huey Lewis’ “The Heart of Rock & Roll.” Yawn.
There are better patriotic songs, especially in country music
There are plenty of better paeans to our great nation. Waylon Jennings’ “America” paints a beautiful picture of American forgiveness and unity. If you want something grittier, Charlie Daniels’ “In America” has notes of tough-times defiance. Reach beyond country music, and nothing will ever top Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
I would love to include James Brown’s “Living in America” because, hey, it’s James Brown. But if you listen closely, that song, from the “Rocky IV” soundtrack, is mostly a brag on our superior transportation network.
As for Greenwood at the Super Bowl — please. He scored seven No. 1 country singles, which is admittedly seven more than I have. But “God Bless the USA” isn’t even one of them. If not for that song being on endless Republican repeat, Greenwood would be relegated to the territory of forgotten country greats like Vern Gosdin.
T.G. Sheppard managed 22 No. 1s; Earl Thomas Conley had 18! When someone can say of an artist, “Well, he’s no Earl Thomas Conley,” do we really need to hear him every time the president is on a stage?
Johnson is just a few years older than me. If he wanted to pick a big country name, George Strait or Garth Brooks should have been in his wheelhouse.
The speaker hails from Louisiana, yet he overlooked fellow Pelican Staters such as Tim McGraw, Lainey Wilson, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste and even Britney Spears. Hank Williams Jr. was born in Shreveport, and he’s got a strong history with NFL football.
I, for one, couldn’t care less if the Super Bowl halftime performer is Roger Rabbit, let alone Bad Bunny. I’ve never understood the obsession. If you really like artists, is it that great to watch them lip sync small chunks of their biggest hits?
I’m sure Bad Bunny will be fine, but I’ll probably be in the kitchen reheating the queso.
And if Lee Greenwood should happen to come on, I’m changing the channel.
This story was originally published October 11, 2025 at 4:43 AM.
