It’s impossible to celebrate America’s 250th birthday without acknowledging the importance of art, 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 performance you will see marks the first time anyone has heard these songs and the first time these songs have been performed by their respective writer-artists. Breitbart has teamed up with SiriusXM to create a special broadcast that will air around July 4 featuring all of these songs in succession. We’re proud to present our readers with what we call the American Soundtrack.
He drinks to forget the hell he’s in
man of the cloth
comes down from the cross
and meet him where he is
Just days away from America’s 250th anniversary, it’s undeniable how important a role the military has played in securing this great experiment. It is also undeniable the impact it can have on our servicemen and women who fought to secure it. Now, weave faith and salvation into the story and you’ll be onto something, especially if your father was one of those who fought. This is how a song is born.
Meet the rising country artist: Ohio-born Styles Howery, who has already scored a #1 award as a writer for Luke Bryan. on the country, and additional deductions for Craig Morgan, Shawn Austin, Craig Campbell and Jimmie Allen. He has also done shows with people like Darius Rucker, Brett Edelridge, Brantley Gilbert, and Jake Owen, among others.
Styles, along with Philbilly and Michael Dulany, two of Nashville’s most prolific and successful songwriters, went into the writers’ room to pursue a song for Breitbart’s American soundtrack. When they came out, they wrestled with it, leading to a poignant and yet unflinching exploration of some of the circumstances. birth of a soldier.
Styles Howery performs A Soldier’s Born Photo: Chase Lauer
Co-writer Philbilly, as he’s known in Nashville (his real name is Phil O’Donnell) has written a handful of #1 singles for the likes of George Strait, Blake Shelton, and Montgomery Gentry, and he has too many cuts with too many artists to mention…though 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 Howery and Dulaney had already sent him the idea, and he started thinking about it while cutting fence lines and mowing the grass. He told them a story about a man who put his Harvard education on hold after the towers fell on 9/11 and chose to fight instead. That story eventually became the first poem Birth of a soldier.
Co-author Philbilly Photo: Chase Lauer
But that wasn’t the only part of the song that was based on a true story. Hauri, a young father of three, explained that the second poem, which tells the story of a man faced with two futures: going to jail or going to war, was based on the story of his own father, who went into the Navy after a DUI when he was 17. Howry explained the role of faith in his father’s post-military experience, “The faith aspect has helped him a lot, and helped him navigate things that he’s struggling with.”
Co-author Michael Dulaney Courtesy of Michael Dulaney
The Grammy nominated Dulaney, who has written seven #1 songs and written for country music’s biggest artists including Jason Aldean, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts and Kenny Chesney. birth of a soldiertelling us, “As a songwriter it’s an honor to join this American soundtrack series. And it feels fitting to write a song inspired by our soldiers. They choose the hard path. And we all benefit from their choices. “A Soldier is Born” is an honest interpretation of the realities experienced by soldiers during and after their service to our wonderful country. And that’s why this country is still strong 250 years later.”
It’s safe to say that we at Breitbart are equally honored to have all of these amazingly talented songwriters share their gifts in celebration of America’s 250th.
Follow Styles Howery on Instagram and Spotify.
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“Birth of a Soldier”
Written by Michael Dulaney, Philbilly, Styles Howery
Presented by Styles Horry and Fibili
A doctor’s son, a silver spoon
The white collar walks the easy road in place of his father
‘By the morning of September 1, two towers collapsed’
Harvard was put on hold and a soldier was born.
bullets and bombs abroad
Empty shell of a man with PTSD sent back home
He drinks to forget the hell he’s in
A man of cloth descends from the cross
and meet him where he is
Turns his whiskey into holy water to wash away sin
thank god
a soldier is born again
The poor part of town across the tracks
A single mother raising a boy with her own hands
DUI on Friday night is a fork in the road for you
stay in jail for six months or fight
and a soldier was born
bullets and bombs abroad
Empty shell of a man with PTSD sent back home
He drinks to forget the hell he’s in
A man of cloth descends from the cross
and meet him where he is
Turns his whiskey into holy water to wash away sin
thank god
a soldier is born again
Turns his whiskey into holy water to wash away sin
may be torn
oh thank god
A soldier is born again.
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Philbilly and Styles Howery Photo: Chase Lauer
