Revision to Analysis of The Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue Tim Howard

Many different people have their views about why we should go into this war against Terrorism. Some tell us what they believe through politics, reviews, and even through musical songs. Toby Keith, a country singer, shows his support of the war in his song called “The Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.” Toby Keith relies strongly on pathos in order for his song to have great success in convincing his audience to become pro war. He also makes a controversial comment to anyone who believes they can mess with the United States of America. Keith’s main idea is to communicate his message
through pathos. The emotions that Keith deals with are being loyal, serving your country, and you don’t want to mess with the USA.
It is easy to see that Toby Keith is relying on pathos, or his audience’s emotions, in this particular song. This is shown when Keith sings,
“We’ll always stand up and salute, we'll always recognize,
When we see Old Glory Flying, there's a lot of men dead,
So we can sleep in peace at night, when we lay down our head.”
Keith uses the word “we’ll” to communicate a connection with his audience saying everybody will stand up for our country when it is being attacked. The emotions that Keith deals with I this particular phrase is the emotions of being loyal to your country when it is I need.
Another way Toby Keith’s song shows that his song is relying on ethos is when he talks about his father. In this song he talks about how his father served in battle and how he lost his right eye so his children and everyone else would have freedom. Also in Keith’s song he says this,
“My daddy served in the army, where he lost his right eye, but he flew a flag out in our yard, until the day that he died, He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me, to grow up and live happy in the land of the free.”
This part of the song is the persona Keith, talking to the audience and allowing them to connect with each other through what his dad because his father has fought in a war before and he had lost an eye for his country. This allows the persona, Keith, to connect with audience through his father. This is because most likely someone in his audience will have someone going into war. Keith to his audiences becomes like a friend because he is telling them look I know what you are going through, but we must go and fight these people. Keith talking about his father and what he has done allows him to comfort his audience and allows them both to be on the same page because of this connection between his father and the audience’s family who is in the military.
The persona, Toby Keith, moves on to the second phrase why he decides to write this song. Keith says in his next phrase what has happened to his country. Keith says,
“Now this nation that I love, has fallen under attack, A mighty sucker punch
came flyin' in from somewhere in the back, Soon as we could see clearly,
Through our big black eye, Man, we lit up your world, Like the 4th of July.”
Keith shows through the first line that were he is living someone has attacked his country. He also uses the metaphor “A mighty sucker punch came flyin' in, from somewhere in the back,” to show that the attack was unknown and came out of nowhere. Keith responds though by saying in his next phrase “Soon as we could see clearly, through our big black eye, Man, we lit up your world, like the 4th of July.” This tells the audience that even though having been attacked, they will prevail. This also can be taken as ethos as Keith talking to his enemies about how they attacked him and now he telling them what he is about to do or more so is his country. Yet at the same time it is logos because it is a cause and an effect. These enemies attacked Keith, is the cause. Now Keith is responding and telling them he’s going to attack back, being the effect.
As this song goes into the chorus Keith uses even more metaphors to convince is audience that going to war is the right thing to do. Keith then says “Hey Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list, and the Statue of Liberty started shaking' her fist, and the eagle will fly Man, it's going to be hell, When you hear Mother Freedom Start ringing' her bell, and it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on you,Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue.” Keith uses these metaphors to allow his audience to get visuals in there head. Allowing them to think something that represents peace such as The Statue of Liberty even shaking her fist allows the audience to ponder and maybe even believe they should go to war. This phrase also uses ethos as he tries to use his metaphors to allow them to mess with your emotions and get you to believe war is the right thing to do.
The next phrase, the bridge, Keith says, “Justice will be served and the battle will rage, This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage, and you'll be sorry that you messed with The U.S. of A. 'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass. It's the American way!” Keith takes into a slower effect in to this song but still drives his point saying “This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage, and you'll be sorry that you messed with The U.S. of A.” Keith prolongs off one of his major ideas saying that if you mess with America we will attack. Keith then says “'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass. It's the American way!” This is without a doubt one of the most controversial statements through the whole song. This is because he says the American way is to kick everyone’s tail. This statement is directly pathos because it something Toby Keith believes. Though very controversial, it allows him to play more with their emotions to rile his audience up to becoming pro-war.
“The Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” is a song that will be remembered. Just like the 60’s song “WAR” dealing with the emotions of people not wanting war because their husband’s, sons, brothers, were dying in war. This song has the opposite affect as it is trying to move people to become pro-war. It will, just like “WAR,” will be remembered for many years to come. The reason is because Keith’s songs deals with being loyal and serve your country. Also, the song is very controversial, because of the statement “'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass. It's the American way!” This will allow it to be interesting to peoples ears for many years to come