Country music and football are two of America’s favorite pastimes. One is America’s favorite music, and the other is America’s favorite sport. So it’s only fitting that there should be some great country football songs.
From tunes that were directly involved with pro football to songs that champion the spirit of the game, and even a track about a pivotal “what if” moment, we celebrate America’s biggest game with a list of the top country songs about football.
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“The Ball”
James Otto used football as a metaphor for some of the unexpected twists and turns in life in this track from his 2003 debut album, Days of Our Lives. The narrator, who missed a key catch in a high school football game, is telling his son he wouldn’t change his path, which led to meeting his wife: “No I wouldn’t be the man I am at all / If I hadn’t dropped the ball.”
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“Friday Night”
Brantley Gilbert celebrated the spirit of football and the fading values of small-town American life with this song from his 2009 debut album, Modern Day Prodigal Son. The lyrics present football as the last thing giving hope to a dying town: “This city’s looking like a ghost town / All the stores downtown they’ve been closing down / Yeah, the only lights that shine for miles / Are lighting up the sky above Memorial Drive.”
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“Waiting All Day for Sunday Night”
Faith Hill opened up Sunday Night Football for six years with this song, which is actually based musically around the Joan Jett classic “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” Pop singer Pink originated the song in 2006, and Carrie Underwood took over in 2013, but Hill’s is still the defining version.
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“Are You Ready for Some Football?”
Hank Williams Jr., was practically synonymous with Monday Night Football for two decades, opening every game with the ubiquitous rallying cry, “Are you ready for some football?” Williams was dropped in 2011 after some controversial comments he made about President Obama, but the song remains popular with football and country fans everywhere … and, beginning in 2017, it’ll be heard a lot more often once again.
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“The Boys of Fall”
Kenny Chesney is one of football’s staunchest supporters in country music. He played ball in high school, and he has made more than one documentary film devoted to the sport, which he has said he uses as a map for how he conducts his life and career. “The Boys of Fall” celebrates the teamwork and camaraderie of the game: “You mess with one man, you got us all / The boys of fall.”
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.TheBoot.com
