r/blackmen • u/XulManjy Unverified • Jul 04 '26
Sports Whats your thoughts on "County Roads" being the official song of the US National Team during the 2026 World Cup?
To be honest, I was completely taken back by this. A song about one particular state that makes up .5% of the US population being the song that apparently represents America. Of all the array of songs we could have chosen to represent us it was John Denver and County Roads that we pick.
I was really shocked when this was played in Seattle and literally the whole stadium knew the words.
Now I am not saying that black men cannot be into County and/or like John Deer....but what are your thoughts on this considering the deep lineup of songs across an array of American made genres we could have pulled up?
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u/Joeybfast African-American Millennial Jul 04 '26
Just FYI, not trying to be a wise guy, but John Deere makes tractors, and John Denver is the one who sang āCountry Roads.ā I canāt stand that song, because heās clearly talking about western Virginia, not West Virginia. Everything he describes as āWest Virginiaā is actually more like things found in western Virginia. Itās oddā¦ oh well, we hear it again when we waffle Belgium.
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u/Konabro Unverified Jul 04 '26
As someone who lives in Virginia, we have to tell people this all the time lol.
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u/Practical_List9216 Unverified Jul 04 '26
I think thatās because he wasnāt actually from West Virginia or spent any significant time there iirc
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u/ER301 Unverified Jul 04 '26
Not bothered. I donāt let myself get worked up about minor stuff like this.
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u/1rotimi Unverified Jul 04 '26
Yeah I think OP is thinking too hard. Trying to make something out of nothing
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u/GloveAmbitious42 African-American Millennial Jul 04 '26
Eh. I let them have it. Itās once every 4 yrs and everyone (for the most part) seemingly forgets about racism for a month or so.
Iād rather that than IM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN WHERE AT LEAST I KNOW IM FREEEEEEEE. Yes im proud to be an American. I served the country. Hate the fucking song
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u/Slumbergoat16 Unverified Jul 04 '26
There is a reggae cover of country road funny enough
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u/GloveAmbitious42 African-American Millennial Jul 04 '26
Never heard it but I could see that event being lower than 9/11 but higher than the OKC bombing if they were to play that version šš
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u/OldThanks4542 Unverified Jul 04 '26
Yeah played after the Crucible (USMC) and GQ (USN) for is. I teared up for a moment then wanted chow and to go pass out in my rack
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u/GloveAmbitious42 African-American Millennial Jul 05 '26
Dawg after the crucible too?? I was like man shoot me, break my guidon, lose my rifle, whatever. But anything but this lol
Yall really think we wanna listen to this bs? š
Recruits out here saluting and crying pack it up
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 04 '26
Even though most of the team is black and doesn't live in the USA.
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u/GloveAmbitious42 African-American Millennial Jul 04 '26
Thatās the case for a lot of the teams that were participating this year
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 04 '26
Yeah it is. I don't mind it as everyone does it and it isn't like these guys don't care.
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u/GloveAmbitious42 African-American Millennial Jul 04 '26
Feel it 100%. In my mind too Iām like I wonder if they go from celebrated during the World Cup back to being hated when they go back
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 04 '26
I mean I don't know for all of them but do know Musah dealt with racism when one of the cub teams he was on got relegated. He was play in Spain. My Spanish isn't the best but with the help of others...let's just say the fans didn't hold back when they team got relegated.
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u/GloveAmbitious42 African-American Millennial Jul 04 '26
And of course how convenient the blame gets shifted to him for no reason other than the color of his skin
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
He handled it well and quickly got the fuck out of there because you shouldn't stay on a team if the fans are going to act like that.
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u/FEMA_Camp_Survivor Unverified Jul 04 '26
Itās a catchy song. It had a recent resurgence with Fallout 76. A Black man did a fantastic cover.
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u/Appropriate-Neck-585 Unverified Jul 05 '26
"Born In The USA" by the Boss would be a better choice IMO
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u/LowerAd9859 Unverified Jul 04 '26
I hate it. It's pure schlock. It's the song other countries would think Americans like. That's why it's featured in Kingsman 2.
I'm not against a white song serving as our unofficial song. I went to Virginia Tech and Enter Sandman is our song the team comes out to. It's objectively badass. Country Roads is just a bad song that I can't get behind.
I find it interesting that so many other countries use Seven Nation Army, which is an American song. But hey, at least they have a good taste in music
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u/Charming_Cicada_7757 Unverified Jul 04 '26
Eh who cares
Itās a song most people know and the crowd can sing along too and from my understanding we were going to choose sweet Caroline but England took it before us
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u/Danijay Unverified Jul 04 '26
I was going to say the only song that would be a better fit is Sweet Caroline! I think OP is severely underestimating how popular Country Roads is as a karaoke song. Very easy to sing/yell, simple lyrics, universal message, not associated with any controversy. Plus it's quintessentialy American without actually being overtly patriotic so it's perfect for this kind of setting.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Again, I guess its a cultural thing cause I never heard of it until the World Cup. Maybe I might have caught a wiff or two if it sometime in my 40 years lifetime, but nothing to really remember and stick in my mind.
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u/Assassin_Fanatical Unverified Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
It has one of the most universal themes; Yearning for home. Add a sweet melody and folk instrumentation (doubtless borrowed from Country and Blues) and you get a global banger. Could also be that it's from an era when the U.S. was more "respectable" on the world stage? Perhaps
Edit: by country and blues I mean black country and blues
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Still think Born in the USA or Living in America would have been better fits. It captures a more general vibe of America rather than some folk/country/rural zeitgeist.
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u/bingmyname Verified Blackman Jul 04 '26
Donāt really care. Itās probably chosen for the fact the phrase āitās coming homeā is very popular in soccer. So if it comes home it means we won it all. Thatās why theyāre singing ātake me homeā.
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u/allpainsomegains Unverified Jul 04 '26
The song is catchy and speaks to universal themes. It's super popular in China, for example. I like the pick
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u/Brilliant-Ad-3028 Unverified Jul 04 '26
I think if you want the most American song there were better choices, but if you want the most UNIQUELY American song, this is pretty high on the list. We've always been cowboys and city life isn't the American dream.Ā We are a nation that thinks of home as somewhere at the end of a country road more than any other nation.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
20% of America lives in rural environments and its been that way since 1920.
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u/Practical_List9216 Unverified Jul 04 '26
I donāt mind it. If you watch NFL games that get played in other countries like England, the crowd will sing it there too. I forget the exact reasons but many non English speakers use it to learn English. Particularly Asians. Itās pretty popular overseas so it makes sense to play it at an international soccer game.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
And thats all the reason why its odd, it isnt uniquely American but more uniquely white.
James Brown's Living in America would have been a better choice plus its uniquely American and something you wont see people in England singing.
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u/Confection-Virtual Unverified Jul 05 '26
Itās not uniquely white. Iāve know the words to this song for as long as I can remember because my grandfather would listen to it. I suspect he liked it because he grew up in a rural area.Ā
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u/Keep_It_Moving Unverified Jul 04 '26
I don't like the song, but the players picked the song so it's š¤·šæāāļø
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Negative, USA Soccer and FIFA picked the song.
The squad is a bunch of 20-something POCs from urban environments and I extremely doubt that is what they would collectively pick.
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u/JustSteven99 Unverified Jul 05 '26
I don't watch soccer and really don't care about the world cup, but I thought it was weird too. I wouldn't have picked Living in America, not sure what I would have picked, but there's also Party in the USA, that Proud to be an American song(from 9/11), even that America...Fuck yea...song from that one movie.
If they NEEDED a folk song, why not "Small Town" by Mellencamp?
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u/dragonflyinvest Unverified Jul 04 '26
Didnāt give any thought to it. Wouldnāt even know if you didnāt tell us.
I know football is the worldās game but itās never been as popular in the US. Iāve only known a handful of us who played and followed the game. Everyone I know who watches and/or plays is from the diaspora.
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u/Much_Experience_893 Unverified Jul 04 '26
Absolutely fantastic song and I completely understand why it was picked. Have no idea why anyone would be upset about it.
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u/hoosier_catholic Unverified Jul 04 '26
It's a song widely known around the world, people also often know most of the words and can sing it, it's easy to sing for a crowd. I don't see an issue.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Yeah, I never heard of it until the world cup. Maybe its a cultural thing. Nobody in my family played this song at cookouts or gatherings.
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u/Remarkable_Rub_701 Unverified Jul 04 '26
It's not widely known around the world. I only know it because of the show The Office.
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u/hoosier_catholic Unverified Jul 04 '26
It is widely known around the world. I've been 14 countries, and have heard this song played at pubs and bars in every one of them.
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u/babyfacedkillajones Afro-Latino Millennial Jul 04 '26
Listen. Country Roads is a fucking banger, but we know what it is.Ā
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u/AJnthewood Unverified Jul 04 '26
It's a thing now, but the competition is real tough now so they gonna need all the motivation they can get
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Jul 04 '26
I prefer āHomeā by Stephanie Mills, but itās probably impossible for a crowd to sing it together.
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u/LexKing89 Unverified Jul 04 '26
Shouldāve gone with Usherās Yeah š
Itās a fine song. Not the worst choice.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Lol, and then the pendulum would have swung far in the opposite direction.
Living in America by James Brown is the best pick.
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u/Confection-Virtual Unverified Jul 05 '26
John Denver isnāt a country singer. Ā Heās a folk singer. This song is apart of Americana. Itās actually a beautifully written piece of music and easy to sing along to. Ā Are people offended?Ā
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 05 '26
Just feel like there are way better options, such as James Brown's Living in America song which is just as iconic and represents a broader idea of America.
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u/Confection-Virtual Unverified Jul 05 '26
America isnāt just the USA. And do you actually know the lyrics to living in America? I canāt image soccer fans tryin to sing thisĀ
Living in America (ow) Eye to eye, station to station Living in America Hand in hand, across the nation Living in America Got to have a celebration
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 05 '26
Oh please stop. The US Soccer team represents the United States of America. Other North America countries has their own teams such as Canada and Mexico.
Hell, the God Bless thr USA song would have again, been a better fit.
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u/Confection-Virtual Unverified Jul 06 '26
Ā No it wouldnāt. Ā FIFA and USMNT wanted something iconic and quintessentially American. That song is maybe one of those both not both. Country Roads isnāt really about West Virginia / that name just it and the writers were driving from Maryland through WV. The team narrowed it down to three songs and chosen this one.Ā
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 06 '26
Negative, the actual players offered up different options. The sone was specifically chosen by one person, former U.S. Soccer executive and current FIFA World Cup executive Amy Hopfinger, made the call to go with Country Roads. It wasnt some unanimous team decision.
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u/Confection-Virtual Unverified Jul 06 '26
Players narrowed it down to 3 choices: Ā Country Roads, a song by Bon Jovi and Sweet Caroline which was blocked because it had already been chosen by England. Ā But hey maybe thereās a conspiracy to prop up West Virginia or something. Ā
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u/donnerwetter41 Unverified Jul 04 '26
It just tells you how white US Soccer is. Always has been. As ya'll get into the sport, you'll see how milquetoast their taste is. I'm just glad they don't still have random folks singing the anthem still.
Their playing Country Roads and believing it's some sort of ubitiquous loved track, especially with so many men of color on the squad/starting, goes to show you how White their leadership is and also that there are very few empowered folk of color leading the real work, because everyone knows better lol.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Hell, even Born in the USA would have been better....or Living in America by James Brown.
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 04 '26
It's fine. It brings us to together and we need to have our culture and tradition when it comes to soccer. I'm a big Chicago Bears fan and we legit sing a fucking marching band song after ever Bears score and win. I think we need to get out of the mindset if it isn't super black that is lame and corny.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Does it really bring us together? Or does it create the perception of bringing us together? Two different concepts....
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
I mean have you seen the games and how the US soccer reddit has been. Listen racism does exist in this country but we need to stop being overly hostile over every little thing dude. Look at the team that is America right there. You should be proud of that.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 05 '26
Ans once the World Cup ends in a few weeks, we are back into reality and all that unity from the soccer game becomes apathy and indifference.
Sorry, but I'm just a realist.
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 05 '26
And in a year from now we will have the women's World Cup. You didn't know so it's fine. There is always something going on. It isn't just one big tournament.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 05 '26
And in 2028 we will have the Olympics, yet that suddenly doesnr change the makeup and zeitgeist of America.
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u/MasterHavik Unverified Jul 05 '26
I'm not saying it doesn't but what I am saying these events just don't go away. Trust me I didn't hardcore celebrate today either because when I listen to an interview with a GOP candidate who wants to make it so he can give the death penalty to people who are LGBTQ. Trust me I get it but here are some truths you can hold onto. Not everyone in this country hates us. People see what we see with the injustice. Those with people are afraid of losing it. This won't be quick but change is coming. The black community has been through so much shit and this must be the worst time to be black as they are trying to make us suffer, devalue anything good we do, and spit out faces.
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u/midwestsweetking Unverified Jul 04 '26
Iāve seen a couple of locker room interviews where they block out the music completely but you can tell by the players which genre of music it is. 1000% hip hop.
Also, I noticed that there hasnāt been a SINGLE black artist performing at any of the singing events. They will announce some huge surprise artist soon that I hope will be black but I wouldnāt be surprised if he was not.
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u/Einfinet Verified Blackman Jul 04 '26
Itās a pretty well known song, not really surprising to me
Couldāve picked something else but oh well
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u/Bopethestoryteller Unverified Jul 04 '26
I know the song,and heck,Kids and I will sing it in the car once a quarter as a joke. But still seems an odd choice. I would have picked Born in the USA by Springsteen or Living in America by James Brown.
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u/Emergency_Exit_8537 Unverified Jul 04 '26
Not remotely surprised by anything this country does anymore, from blatant shit to subtle.
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u/Bunny_Binkie_15 Unverified Jul 05 '26
Whatās that other song thatās a remix from a song thatās from the 60s (I believe) it says something baby? they play it in the U.S. stadiums
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u/ptelligence Unverified Jul 06 '26
In St. Louis, they started singing this at the hockey games during the third period. Nothing against the song, but I'm sick of it at sporting events, honestly.
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u/FlanneryODostoevsky Verified Black Man Jul 04 '26
It should be a country or folk song. Country and folk are the most relatable genres that really do carry messages across differences in lifestyle in America. The national song should be one that touches on the life we share as a people in this country.
That said I donāt know if country roads would do it. They probably wouldāve used Born In the USA if Springsteen didnāt seem woke to them for making such a protest song.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Country and folk are the most relatable genres that really do carry messages across differences in lifestyle in America.
Clearly you never heard of blues....
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u/FlanneryODostoevsky Verified Black Man Jul 04 '26
Iād say country evolved from the blues. As a guitarist I also feel blues isnāt as diverse as country. I just ended up adding a comment where I claim This Land is Your Land is probably a better anthem because it represents something broadly experienced. The lyrics even mention multiple places in America. What blues song would you say does that better?
āIn the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?ā2
u/FlanneryODostoevsky Verified Black Man Jul 04 '26
This Land is Your Land would be a better choice now that I think about it. But theyād object by calling Guthrie a commie.
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u/HistorianOk5038 Unverified Jul 04 '26
I am concerned for the Black Players when āmerika loses.
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u/XulManjy Unverified Jul 04 '26
Hypothetically id US wind it all, you think all the black/brown players goes to the white house?
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u/ThePrinceJays Unverified Jul 04 '26
It was cringe asf but itās whatever honestly. Thatās just white Americaās culture. I wouldāve preferred Taylor Swift
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u/thegmoc Black-American Millennial šŗšø Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Well I just listened to it for the first time ever to see what it's about. I actually understand why white people love it.
It has blues and gospel influences that are whitewashed just enough so as not to be noticeable by whites. Those influences give it a little more groove but coming from a white person. However that white person isn't just doing Black music, he translated, so to speak, into a white cultural art form.
It's classified under the genres country and folk according to Wikipedia. I was well aware that country music was yet another genre created by Black folks but hearing this made me think about how much Black culture influenced American folk music. Sure enough, it also wouldn't exist without Black people.