I probably should have done my Independence Day post last week but I was inspired by my Kiwi houseguest. Anyway, here are some songs to listen to as you nurse your patriotic hangover.

Yes “America” (Simon And Garfunkle)
Yes is everything that was terrible about corporate rock music in the 70s. Album after album of pompous, bloated arena rock. And apparently every song they touched ended up like that.

The Butthole Surfers “American Woman” (The Guess Who)
A corrosive, almost unlistenable take on the great Canadian song about America. Take that Lenny Kravitz!

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes “Coming To America” (Neil Diamond)
The Gimme Gimmes are always the easy choice when you’re looking for a cover, but this is the only cover I could find of this little slice of flag-waving bombast.

Willie Nelson “America The Beautiful” (Traditional)
This really should be the American national anthem. Anybody can sing it and it talks about the wondrous beauty of our country. Willie does a great job with it.

Marvin Gaye “The Star Spangled Banner” (Traditional)
The Star Spangled Banner is a very difficult song to sing but it’s truly beautiful when sung well. This version was recorded before an NBA all-star game.