Made in America (Toby Keith song)

"Made in America" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Toby Keith. It was released in June 2011 as the first single from his 2011 album Clancy's Tavern.[1] The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 15, 2011. Keith wrote this song with Bobby Pinson and Scott Reeves.

"Made in America"
Single by Toby Keith
from the album Clancy's Tavern
ReleasedJune 13, 2011 (2011-06-13)
FormatMusic download
Recorded2011
GenreCountry
Length3:16
LabelShow Dog-Universal Music
Songwriter(s)Toby Keith
Bobby Pinson
Scott Reeves
Producer(s)Toby Keith
Toby Keith singles chronology
"Somewhere Else"
(2011)		 "Made in America"
(2011)		 "Red Solo Cup"
(2011)

Background and writing

Keith wrote the song with frequent collaborator Bobby Pinson and actor/singer Scott Reeves. Keith told Billboard magazine that they wrote the song in early 2010 and he almost left it off the album because of the number of other patriotic songs he has recorded.[2] Pinson told Taste of Country that he and Reeves started talking about buying American-made merchandise to support the country. After writing part of the song, they thought it sounded like something Keith would record, so Pinson took what he had finished to Keith, who helped him complete the song.[3]To date, this is Keith's last song to reach number one on the charts.

Content

The song is an uptempo, in which an older farmer (Keith's own father, according to the song), a retired United States Marine, and his schoolteacher wife, who will only buy American products, are disgusted by the influx of foreign goods, from cars to cotton. The song features still photos of Toby Keith's father showing his “Semper Fidelis tattoo” and talking about how he "Won't buy nothing that he can't fix / With WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench".[4] The veracity of these lyrics should be questioned, however. The United States is actually the second largest exporter of cotton in the world. Foreign purchases of cotton are a significant resource for the American cotton farmer.[5] According to Forbes magazine, foreign motor vehicle manufacturers are now making more cars and trucks in the United States than General Motors, Ford and all other U.S. companies combined.[6] A Cars.com assessment in 2016 determined that the Toyota Camry, assembled at plants in Kentucky and Indiana, is the most made-in-the-U.S. car you can buy. The Honda Accord was a close second. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, United States petroleum product exports exceeded imports in 2011, the year this song was written. Energy exports for the United States continue to increase to the point that the U.S. should become a net energy exporter in 2020. Many Craftsman tools, including wrenches, are manufactured in China.[7]

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three stars out of five. He thought that Keith "sings with plenty of passion", but criticized the lyrics by saying, "While the song doesn’t feel like a remake of his previous anthems, it doesn’t live up to their high watermark, either."[8] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock rated it four stars out of five, saying that while it is a 'list song', it had "strongly constructed lyrics".[9] Former UFC fighter Dan Henderson used the song as his entrance music.

Music video

Keith filmed the video in Cedarburg, Wisconsin during an Independence Day parade and in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during his performance at Summerfest.[10] It was directed by Michael Salomon.

Chart performance
Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 40

Year-end charts
Chart (2011) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[13] 15

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14] Gold 867,000[15]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "Toby Keith's New Album, Clancy's Tavern, Arrives in October". Country Music Television. July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  2. Graff, Gary (September 21, 2011). "Toby Keith Almost Left Latest No. 1, 'Made in America,' Off New Album". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  3. Conaway, Alanna (June 30, 2011). ""Made in America" — Lyrics Uncovered". Taste of Country. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  4. McKinley Jr., James C. (October 25, 2011). "Q. and A. With Toby Keith". New York Times. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  5. "Cotton Exports by Country".
  6. "Insult To Injury: Foreign Manufacturers Now Making More Cars In U.S. Than U.S. Companies".
  7. "Are Craftsman Tools Made in the USA?".
  8. Dukes, Billy (June 9, 2011). "Toby Keith, "Made in America" — Single Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  9. Bjorke, Matt (June 12, 2011). "Toby Keith — "Made in America"". Roughstock. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  10. Sciarretto, Amy (July 8, 2011). "Toby Keith films new "Made in America" video". Taste of Country. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  11. "Toby Keith Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  12. "Toby Keith Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  13. "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  14. "American single certifications – Toby Keith – Made In America". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 February 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  15. "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 7/6/2017" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2017.
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