Work Songs
This famous work song about rivers was used as a code along the Underground Railroad.
What is "Wade in the Water"?
A Francis Scott Key tune based on a famous poem that is the U.S. national anthem.
What is "The Star Spangled Banner"?
With references to a popular construction tool and a famous monument in Philadelphia, this is a song about fighting for freedom and what it would be like to achieve it.
What is "If I Had a Hammer"?
A song technically in opposition to it's predecessors, this is a 1940's Woodie Guthrie song that celebrates the U.S. being for everyone.
What is "This Land in Your Land"?
A popular tune about a local river of ours.
What is "Oh, Shenandoah"?
This is a song about being so deep in a companies work force that your life doesn't feel like it belongs to you anymore.
What is "16 tons"?
This tune is one of the U.S.'s most famous patriotic songs. Composed based on a poem by Katharine Lee Bates, it was also sang by Brandi Carlile at the 2026 Super Bowl.
What is "America the Beautiful"?
A famous 1960's Sam Cook Civil rights song about his own experiences with discrimination, and how he hoped to change things.
What is "A Change is Gonna Come"?
A very famous John Denver song about returning home to the place/state that one loves most. It is even more popular in our area because it is inspired by our neighbors in the west, and also talks about a river that a nearby college was named after.
What is "Take Me Home (Country Roads)"?
A Bruce Springsteen song about being born here in this country.
What is "Born in the U.S.A."?
This song tells the story of a famous individual who used his man-power to compete against a steam-engine who was attempting to complete the same task of mining through a mountain.
What/who was "John Henry"?
Another one of the U.S.'s most famous patriotic tunes, this song was written by Irving Berlin to share his love for the country after he migrated to America. Woody Guthrie later wrote a popular ditty that was known to be a counter-response.
What is "God Bless America"?
Inspired by early 20th-century African-American hymns & Work Songs, this tune was considered a main anthem for the civil rights movement.
What is "We Shall Overcome"?
A (The) Mamas & Papas song where the singer expresses their longing to leave the cold northern state they are currently in, and return to the warmer one in the west where they once resided.
What is "California Dreaming"?
A song actually written by someone in the U.K., this tune tells the story of a U.S. revolutionary traveling to war on this small ridable animal.
What is "Yankee Doodle"?
A song by Loretta Lynn describing what it was like to be the DAUGHTER of this type of worker.
What is "Coal Miners Daughter"?
A factual anthem with new words written by a Baptist student in just 30 minutes, this patriotic song famously shares a tune with the British ditty "God Save the King". The purpose of the re-write was to outline the changes the U.S. wanted to make without monarchy.
What is "My Country Tis of Thee"?
Using a weather metaphor, this famous folk song was written by Bob Dylan with the help of Peter, Paul & Mary. It acted as a large representation of the Civil Rights Movement.
What is "Blowing in the Wind"?
A Simon & Garfunkel song where they travel across this country trying to find the most genuine aspects of it.
What is "America"?
A Pete Seeger song sung by Peter, Paul Mary that tells the circle of war expirience through this category of blooms.
What is "Where Have all the Flowers Gone"?
Hitting the top of the charts in the year 1960, this song tells the story of the real-life group of prisoner highway workers.
What is "Chain Gang"?
The official National MARCH of America, this is another tune by the famous John Philip Souza who composed many of the U.S.'s most influential songs.
What is "The Stars & Stripes Forever"?
A song describing what it is like to march forward in a civil rights parade, this is a Ralph Abernathy tune that was adapted in the 70's from earlier inspirations.
What is "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around"?
The official anthem of Kansas specifically, this song about Deer & Antelope playing is often associated with living in the U.S. as a whole.
What is "Home on the Range"?
A Credence Clearwater Revival song about supporting a very important war, but not wanting to be the one to go off to fight in it.
What is "Fortunate Son"?