Non-Patriotic Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Born in the U.S.A.

The chorus might sound patriotic because it's in a major key. Look at the verses. "Born in a dead man's town." "End up like a dog that's been beat too much." "I had a brother at Khe Song fighting off the Viet Cong." If you just look at the lyrics, the intent of the song is clear.

"Born in the U.S.A." charted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the single went three times platinum in the U.S.A. It was also a huge hit in other countries and the album was very successful. However, the Boss was not completely happy with how the song was received. It was used at rallies for campaigns for presidents that he did not like, such as Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. It seems that much of the song's popularity is for the opposite reasons of what he intended.

Answer: Fortunate Son

"Some folks are born, made to wave the flag. Oooh, they're red white and blue." The song's opening line confused a lot of people, as did the song's title. The chorus is the key, here. John Fogerty says that he is not one of the fortunate ones. He says his parents are not rich or powerful. The point of the song is to let people know about the difference in the way people are treated in the United States. If you're in a rich family or if your parents are powerful politicians, you get a lot of privileges that other people do not get just because they were born in poor, non-powerful families.

The single has been certified eight times platinum in the U.S. and at least gold or platinum in seven other countries. It's Creedence Clearwater Revival's second-highest selling single ("Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is the highest-selling one) and they have a lot of hits.

The Foo Fighters covered it in 2013 and did a faster, more aggressive version of it. After that point, Fogerty and his band played the song just like that at live shows.

The song was used at rallies for Donald Trump until Fogerty had a cease and desist order to stop it.

Answer: Neil Young

The song is fun to listen to and to sing along with. The chorus, "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World," seems like a happy chorus. This misled a lot of people. This song was used at rallies for Donald Trump.

If you look at the verses, you get a different idea. "There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead." "Don't feel like Satan but I am to them." If you think that's bad, just look at the second verse. Yikes!

The song reached number 39 on the Canadian charts. Country singer Lucinda Williams closed some of her 2026 shows with this song. She also performed an original song called "The World's Gone Wrong," the title track off of her 2026 album. This means that she shared Neil Young's views and she did not misunderstand the song like so many other people did.

Answer: This Land is Your Land

American schools usually only teach the chorus, which seems patriotic. Sometimes they teach the first verse, which also seems patriotic. They usually omit these verses:

"As I went walking I saw a sign there,
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing.
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?"

Those verses give you a whole new view of the song. It is one of the most famous songs ever written, but Guthrie was probably not happy with what the song ultimately became in the hearts of most people.

Answer: Pink Houses

"Ain't that America, for you and me?" That line, and the happy-sounding way that it is performed, confused a lot of people into thinking it was a patriotic song. Republicans Ronald Reagan and John McCain used this song for presidential campaigns.

The first verse is the key to understanding the song. An African American man has a highway running through his yard. Imagine how noisy that must be. It also mentions an old woman who cleans the house all day and her husband reminds her of how old she is, which makes her feel bad. "Ain't that America For You and Me" was actually intended as sarcasm.

John Mellencamp says that this song was inspired by a time when he saw an African American man in his front yard of his pink house and there was a highway going through his front yard. That part of the song is a true story.

The song charted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: American Woman

During the 1999 Women's World Cup in the United States, this song was used in a commercial that frequently aired. The commercial showed stars like Mia Hamm scoring goals. Clearly, the intent was sell tickets for the Women's World Cup. Whoever chose that song for that commercial didn't read the lyrics.

"Stay away from me." "Mama let me be." "Don't want to see your face no more." I feel like that says it all. It's worth noting that the song is not sexist. They were just saying that they prefer the women in their home country (Canada). Despite all of that, this is clearly their most well-known song in the United States.

Answer: American Pie

The song starts off slow, then it gets fast. When it gets fast, it feels like a fun song about drinking whiskey and rye in the United States. There's more to it than that.

It's mostly about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richard Valens. That is "the day the music died." The other lyrics are left up to interpretation. McLean has refused to explain what the song is about. However, lyrics such as "A generation lost in space" and "the children screamed, the lovers cried, and the poets dreamed" don't song like a praise of the United States to me.

"American Pie" went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and the single went six times platinum in the U.S. It was also a hit in other countries.

Answer: Simon and Garfunkel

"I've gone to look for America." That line confused a lot of people. If you look at the rest of the lyrics, you realize that it's not about immigration at all. Garfunkel said it was about "Young lovers with their adventure and optimism." Towards the end of the song, their optimism turns into pessimism. The key line that proves that is "I'm empty and aching and I don't know why." It seems that the lovers are looking for the America that they've heard about: the wonderful place where everybody is free and happy. Gradually, they find out that the America that they are looking for does not exist.

"America" charted at number 46 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Tom Petty

The song is in a major key, so it sounds happy. The line "She was an American girl" made some people think that this song is about how good it is for a girl to be raised in the United States. Looking at the lyrics, you get a different picture. The song says she was "raised on promises," which suggests that the promises weren't kept. The song then says "She couldn't help but think there was more to life somewhere else." The end of the song says "God, it's so painful when something so close is still so far out of reach." That gives you a different idea of the song.

This is the last song that Tom Petty ever played in concert. It's not as well-known as "Free Fallin'" or "Running Down a Dream," but it is a favorite among hardcore Tom Petty fans.

Answer: Independence Day

The passion in which she says "Let Freedom Ring," coupled with the fact that line actually is in a patriotic song ("My Country, 'Tis of Thee") confused a lot of people. Actually, a lot of the lyrics are metaphorical. The song is sung from the point of view of a woman who watched her alcoholic father abuse her mother. One day, the mother burned down the house with both her and the father inside of it. The daughter was sent to a county home.

The song says that the events happened on the Fourth of July, but the title could also have a metaphorical meaning. It could represent the girl no longer being dependent on her abusive father. "Let freedom ring!" is actually the girl celebrating the freedom of being out of her abusive home rather than celebrating America's freedom from England.