"American Blood" is a song by Texan Red Dirt

Red Dirt (music)

Red Dirt Music is a music genre that gets its name from the color of soil found in Oklahoma. Although Stillwater, Oklahoma is considered to be the epicenter of Red Dirt music, there's a Texas Red Dirt sound as well. Outlaws Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson are associated with that distinctive...

 band Reckless Kelly

Reckless Kelly (band)

Reckless Kelly is an Austin, Texas based Americana/Texas Country band. The band was formed in Bend, Oregon, but moved to Austin in January 1997...

, for their fifth 2008 studio album, Bulletproof

Bulletproof (Reckless Kelly album)

Bulletproof is the fifth studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly. It was released on June 24, 2008. The album tracks critical of and reflecting on recent sociopolitical unfoldings, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.- Track listing :...

. It is "an anti-war anthem".

Meaning

When writing the song, lead singer Willy Braun "knew some people were not going to like it". He pleads, however, that people understand that "is not an attack on them or their sons and daughters in the military, but an attempt to shed light on the cold hard truth that not everything about this war makes sense". He also comments that "there are some people in Washington making a lot of money on this war at the expense of the 30,000+ American soldiers who have been killed or injured on the frontlines."

Reception

Nick Spitzer, host of the radio program American Routes

American Routes

American Routes is a weekly two-hour public radio program that presents the breadth and depth of the American musical and cultural landscape. Hosted by Nick Spitzer, American Routes is syndicated by 225 stations, with over half a million listeners. It is produced out of New Orleans and distributed...

, said "'American Blood' could be the song that legitimizes critiquing America while loving the country." About the song's meaning, Allmusic notes that "People end up endlessly disappointed and frustrated when encountering the paradox of who their nation says they are and what the nation is in and of itself". On "American Blood", CMT

CMT

- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...

 says "Reckless Kelly isn't afraid to speak out, however this may be taken. "American Blood" has such lyrics as 'Johnny can't drink 'cause Johnny ain't 21/But he's 18 and pretty handy with a gun.'"

Awards

"American Blood" received an honorable mention in the "Americana

Americana (music)

Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...

" section of the International Songwriting Competition

International Songwriting Competition

The International Songwriting Competition is an annual song contest based in Nashville, TN, whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of...

.