Get the latest gossip
Why Merle Haggard Wrote ‘America First,’ the Song Suddenly Getting a Revival as JD Vance’s Campaign Theme
The GOP VP pick has revived a political song by Merle Haggard, who once explained to a Variety writer why he wrote the anti-Iraq war, anti-Bush tune.
Country legend Merle Haggard has been brought into the national spotlight again, thanks to vice presidential candidate JD Vance repeatedly using one of the late singer’s anthems as his walk-up music during the Republican convention this week. “America First” stood out at the GOP gathering as a song that is legitimately political, unlike the litany of mostly rock oldies being performed live by a house band from Nashville called Sixwire (including Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” — yes, the Bill Clinton convention anthem — that the group played as Vance’s walk-off number). Of course, when not in Muskogee, Haggard was a legendary toker, and went on to cut less conservative tracks like “It’s All Gone to Pot,” a duet with Willie Nelson — along with “Hillary,” yet another Hag song the Vance camp probably won’t want to add to the campaign’s Spotify playlist.
Or read this on Variety