It’s impossible to celebrate America’s 250th birthday without acknowledging the importance of the arts, culture and storytelling. As part of Breitbart’s special coverage for the 250, we reached out to some of Nashville’s most talented songwriters and artists and asked them to write original songs that reflect how they feel about America. The acoustic performances you will see mark the first time these songs have been heard by anyone and the first time these songs have been performed by their respective writers-artists. Breitbart has teamed up with SiriusXM to create a special broadcast that will air as we approach July 4th that will showcase all these songs consecutively. We are proud to present our readers with what we are calling American Soundtrack.
About 5 years ago, Breitbart COO and the singer-songwriter behind the Trump anthem “Fighter,” Jon Kahn, was heading to Nashville for a writing trip to chase down some songs as they say. The night before his first writing session, the publisher emailed him and said the other writer’s truck broke down in Texas and he wouldn’t be able to make the session….but then the publisher added “but why don’t you write with Michael Farren?” Done. The next day, the two songwriters met for the first time and they didn’t even pick up their guitars for a couple hours. They just talked….about life, faith, the human condition….and they wrote their first song together.
Since then, they’ve become close friends and collaborators, having written about a dozen songs, and Farren was one of three singer-songwriters for Breitbart’s inaugural American Songwriter special, where he performed a poignant rendition of a song he co-wrote for country star Lee Brice, called Checking in.
Their musical relationship and friendship, in a lot of ways, parallels the song they contributed to Breitbart’s B 250 American Soundtrack. Farren comes from Texas. Kahn from L.A. Farren, the son of a preacher. Kahn the son of a doctor. Farren’s musical roots are grounded in worship, and he’s won multiple Dove awards, and has been nominated for a Grammy for Lauren Daigle’s now-platinum single Trust in You. He also wrote Reba McEntire’s Grammy-winning album title track Sing it Now, as well as the global worship anthem Let it Rain, which appeared on Michael W. Smith’s RIAA certified double platinum album “Worship.”
Kahn’s musical journey began in film. As a writer-director in Hollywood, his songs found their way in to many films, TV shows and commercials. Coming from the 90’s rock world, he has worked with members of The Wallflowers, Creed, and the Foo Fighters.
Co-writers and Friends: Michael Farren, Jon Kahn Photo: Chase Lauer
Different backgrounds. Different musical roots. Different styles but when they get in a room to write music together, as the lyric states in The United Saints of America…. “somehow it works.”
That’s what their song is about. It’s about the beauty and diversity of the people who make up this country — the ones who make it great, not despite our differences, but because of them and the two writers cover a lot of ground in the song:
“I’ll admit we’ve got scoundrelsOutlaws and clownsWe got Cowboys and PreachersWho love one horse townsWe got big city white collars bright lights and big shiny cars
We got farmers on tractor who keep us all fedThe north and southThe blue and the redBut it built something beautifulYeah these colors are beautiful”
Farren told Kahn, who’s also the host of the American Soundtrack, that he had been stewing on the title “The United Saints of America” for some time. “What makes it [America] work is not the aesthetic,” he said, “it’s the people in it. So I thought is there a way to wrangle what it means to be somebody who loves the county, loves this beautiful republic, enough to go ‘I may disagree with you wildly and it’s okay. I can still walk with you as a brother and love you.’”
Michael Farren performs The United Saints of America Photo: Chase Lauer
Co-writer Jon Kahn Photo: Chase Lauer
Farren and Kahn certainly did wrangle it in and created something beautiful and something hopeful. In fact, they were so excited about the song, they went into the studio and recorded it together, featuring both their voices. That version of The United Saints of America will be out next week and we will feature it here on Breitbart.com.
COMING SOON
“United Saints of America”
Written by Michael Farren and Jon KahnPerformed by Michael Farren
It ain’t the purple mountains majestyIt ain’t the fruited plainIt ain’t some shimmering sunsetCross amber waves of grain
It’s the shoulders of peoplefrom a thousand landsWho showed up with nothingBut dreams in their handsAnd built something beautifulThey still make it beautiful
You can say what you wantYou can throw stonesBut on her worst dayIt’s still home sweet homeYou can’t steal the idea that put its roots deep down in dust and bloodBeen whole lotta bendingBut you can’t make ot breakHell or high waterThat flag’s gonna waveIf you wanna know what keeps holding this crazy thing standing upIt’s the United Saints of America
I’ll admit we’ve got scoundrelsOutlaws and clownsWe got Cowboys and PreachersWho love one horse townsWe got big city white collars bright lights and big shiny cars
We got farmers on tractor who keep us all fedThe north and southThe blue and the redBut it built something beautifulYeah these colors are beautiful
You can say what you wantYou can throw stonesBut on her worst dayIt’s still home sweet homeYou can’t steal the idea that put its roots deep down in dust and bloodBeen whole lotta bendingBut you can’t make her breakHell or high waterThe flag’s gonna waveIf you wanna know what keeps holding this crazy thing upIt’s the United Saints of America
From the bible belt buckleTo the street with no churchIt’s hard to explainBut somehow it worksAnd I dare you to find me a soldier more braveThan the ones who salute stars and stripes every day
You can say what you wantYou can throw stonesBut on her worst dayIt’s still home sweet homeYou can’t steal the idea that put its roots deep down in dust and bloodDone a whole lotta bendingBut you can’t make her breakHell or high waterThe flag’s gonna waveIf you wanna know what keeps holding this crazy thing upYeah If you wanna know what keeps holding this crazy thing upIt’s the United Saints of America
Jerome Hudson is Breitbart News Entertainment Editor and author of the book 50 Things They Don’t Want You to Know About Trump. Order your copy today. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter and instagram@jeromeehudson
