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.
He drinks to forget the hell he’s in
A man of the cloth
comes off the cross
And meets him where he is
With America’s 250th only days away, it is undeniable what an important role the military has played in securing this great experiment. What’s also undeniable is the toll it can take on our servicemen and women who fought and fight to secure it. Now, weave faith and redemption into the story and you’re onto something, particularly if your father was one those who did the fighting. That’s how a song’s born.
Meet a country artist on the rise: Ohio-born Styles Haury, who has already procured a #1 as a writer for Luke Bryan with the smash Country On, and additional cuts for Craig Morgan, Shawn Austin, Craig Campbell, and Jimmie Allen. He’s also played shows with the likes of Darius Rucker, Brett Edleridge, Brantley Gilbert, and Jake Owen amongst others.
Styles, along with two of Nashville’s most prolific and successful songwriters, Philbilly and Michael Dulaney, went into a writers’ room to chase down a song for Breitbart’s American Soundtrack. When they came out, they had wrestled it, creating a poignant and yet unflinching exploration into some of the circumstances by which A Soldier’s Born.
Styles Haury performs A Soldier’s Born Photo: Chase Lauer
Co-writer Philbilly, as he is known around Nashville (his given name is Phil O’Donnell) has written a handful of #1 singles for the likes of George Straight, Blake Shelton, and Montgomery Gentry, and has way too many cuts with way too many artists to mention….although we’ll mention a few: Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan and Darius Rucker. He gave Breitbart News some insight into his writing process telling us that Haury and Dulaney sent him the idea in advance, and he went off to think about it, while trimming fence lines and mowing grass. They had told him a story about someone who deferred a Harvard education after the towers fell on 9/11, choosing to fight instead. That story ultimately became the first verse of A Soldier’s Born.
Co-writer Philbilly Photo: Chase Lauer
But that wasn’t the only part of the song that was based on a true story. Haury, a young father of three, explained that the 2nd verse which tells the story of a man faced with two futures: go to jail or go to war, was based on his own father’s story, who at 17, went into the Navy after a DUI.Haury went on to explain the role faith played in his father’s post military experience, “having the faith aspect, has helped him a lot, and helped him navigate the things he’s battling.”
Co-writer Michael Dulaney Courtesy of Michael Dulaney
The grammy nominated Dulaney, who’s penned seven #1 songs and has written for the biggest artists in country music including Jason Aldean, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, and Kenny Chesney, reflected on A Soldier’s Born, telling us, “It is such an honor as a songwriter to be included in this American Soundtrack series. And to write a song inspired by our soldiers only seemed fitting. They choose the hard road. And all of us benefit from their choice. “A Soldier’s Born” is an honest interpretation of the realities soldiers experience before during and after their service to our amazing country. And they are why this nation still stands strong 250 years later.”
It’s safe to say that we at Breitbart are equally honored to have all these amazingly talented songwriters share their gifts in celebration of America’s 250th.
Follow Styles Haury on Instagram and Spotify.
Follow Michael Dulaney on Instagram
Follow Philbilly on Instagram
“A Soldier’s Born”
Written by Michael Dulaney, Philbilly, Styles Haury
Performed by Styles Haury and Phibilly
A Doctor’s son, a silver spoon
White Collar walk down easy street in his father’s shoes
‘Til two towers fell one September mornin’
Harvard gets put on hold and a soldier’s born.
Bullets and bombs overseas
An empty shell of a man shipped back home with PTSD
He drinks to forget the hell he’s in
A man of the cloth comes off the cross
And meets him where he is
Turns his whiskey to holy water to wash away the sin
Thank the lord
A soldier’s born again
Across the tracks poor part of town
A single mom raisin’ a hell raisin’ boy hand to mouth
A Friday night D.U.I a fork in the road boy you decide
Serve six months in jail or go to war
And a soldier’s born
Bullets and bombs overseas
An empty shell of a man shipped back home with PTSD
He drinks to forget the hell he’s in
A man of the cloth comes off the cross
And meets him where he is
Turns his whiskey to holy water to wash away the sin
Thank the lord
A soldier’s born again
Turns his whiskey to holy water to wash away the sin
Might be tattered and torn
Oh thank the lord
A soldier’s born again.
Philbilly and Styles Haury Photo: Chase Lauer