July 4th songs that tell the tale of America’s past and present.

Here is the history behind your favorite fourth of July traditions

As the Fourth of July approaches, here are some songs about the United States. A handful are patriotic classics, while others provide insight on how certain people understand America in the twenty-first century.

Spotify’s collection also includes a comprehensive selection of contemporary songs concerning this country. Our music-loving journalists in Florida share a few of their own.

This is not a complete or “best of” list, but it does include a variety of genres and eras.

‘My Shot,’ Lin-Manuel Miranda

The narrative of founding father Alexander Hamilton has seen a Broadway comeback in the previous decade.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s production “Hamilton: An American Musical” stars Miranda as Hamilton and the song “My Shot,” which encapsulates the spirit of freedom.

It features lines like “I’m just like my country, I’m young, scrappy, and hungry, and I’m not wasting my chance.” Later, the line, “Rise up.” When you’re on your knees, you get up. Tell your brother that he must get up. Tell your sister that she needs to rise up.” — Dave Osborn, Naples Daily News and The News-Press, Fort Myers.

‘Party in the U.S.A,’ Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus’ 2009 single “Party in the U.S.A.” is ideal for Fourth of July gatherings and picnics due to its energetic, happy attitude that encourages people to sing and dance. — Dave Osborn, Naples Daily News and The News-Press, Fort Myers

‘America,’ Neil Diamond

This Neil Diamond song is arguably more relevant than ever. This 1981 song focuses on how immigrants, many of whom are our ancestors, were “coming to America” for a fresh start “on the boats and planes.”

A lovely string opening creates the right tone for the song, followed by an uptempo beat that leads into Diamond singing, “Far, we’ve been traveling far, without a home, but not without a star.”

For me, “America” (also known as “Coming To America” and “They’re Coming To America”) embodies the more current classic patriotic anthem. This Thanksgiving, turn it up and celebrate our liberties while remembering that, despite our differences, we are still a melting pot whose variety is our strength. — Dave Osborn, Naples Daily News and The News-Press, Fort Myers.

‘This is America,’ Childish Gambino

Consider this a modern-day version of Woody Guthrie’s 1940s sardonic smash “This Land if Your Land,” hip-hop musician Childish Gambino (real name Donald Glover) released “This Is America” in 2018.

The son has resonated with an entire generation, becoming an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, with lyrics that address systemic racism, racial brutality, law enforcement in the United States, mass shootings, and more.

The “This Is America” video, which depicts two horrifically violent crimes, has over 920 million views on YouTube.

“I think most people would recognize it as a video that protests police brutality,” said Lori Brooks, Ph.D., an adjunct assistant professor with Barnard College at Columbia University, describing the song during a “Inside Edition” segment.

However, she stated that the video enables Black people “to express anger in a way that will be understood by the broader community and not caricatured or demeaned.” — Dave Osborn, Naples Daily News and The News-Press, Fort Myers.

‘U.S. Blues,’ the Grateful Dead

Wave that flag wide and high. The Grateful Dead were one of America’s finest counterculture bands, and this is their peak performance, particularly on the live version of the song. — Tom Szaroleta, The Florida Times-Union.

‘Red, White and Blue,’ Lynyrd Skynyrd

This is a later-era Lynyrd Skynyrd song, published long after the band’s recovery from a catastrophic 1977 plane crash. “My hair’s turnin’ white, my neck’s always been red, my collar’s still blue” is a sincere message addressed directly to the band’s following. — Tom Szaroleta, The Florida Times-Union.

‘Back in the U.S.A.’, Chuck Berry

You cannot celebrate American music without including at least one Chuck Berry tune. This one, about an overseas visitor who can’t wait to return home, fits the bill. “Did I miss the buildings or the lengthy freeway? From the California coast to the Delaware Bay shoreline. You bet your life I did, until I returned to the United States of America.” – Tom Szaroleta/The Florida Times-Union.

‘Independence Day,’ Martina McBride

Martina McBride, a country artist, published “Independence Day” in 1994, and it has since become a holiday staple.

The song grows with an optimistic speed until the dramatic chorus to “let freedom ring, let the white dove sing,” which she sings near the end.

Let the weak be powerful and the right be wrong.Roll away the stone; let the guilty pay.It’s independence day.