"American Child" is a song co-written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Phil Vassar Phillip George Vassar Jr. (born May 28, 1962) is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw ("For a Little While", ...

. It was released in April 2002 as the lead-off single and title track from the album of the same name. It peaked at number 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written by Vassar and

Craig Wiseman Craig Michael Wiseman is an American Country music songwriter and producer, and the owner/founder of the Big Loud enterprise. He has been writing since the late 1980s, and his songs have been recorded by Lorrie Morgan, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney ...

Content

The song is a personal saga of one American man's rise from "Nowhere,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

" to a life in the spotlight and satisfaction as a father.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of '' Billboard'' magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the track kicks off with a "beautiful trill of mandolin, then continues to build and swell." She goes on to say that by the time the song hits the chorus, the production has "escalated into a grand, sweeping backdrop that nicely complements the upbeat lyric." She concludes her review by saying that the song will "kindle pride in the hearts of all who are appreciative of the freedom Americans have to pursue our dreams."'' Billboard'', May 11, 2001

Music video

The music video was directed by

Shaun Silva Shaun Silva is a music video director who works primarily in the country music field. He has directed a number of music videos for many country music artists, including many of Kenny Chesney's music videos. His other clients include Jason Aldean, D ...

. It features Phil Vassar playing a piano and singing the song in the middle of a wheatfield. Scenes also show him and a girl (as mentioned below) with a camera filming and taking pictures. A squad of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

infantry, carrying a flag, appear from time to time, symbolizing the sacrifice of earlier generations, as does his then 3-year-old daughter Haley, who partially inspired the song. The video reached #1 on CMT's Top 20 Countdown.

Chart positions

"American Child" debuted at number 55 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of May 4, 2002. It peaked at number 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart on October 26, 2002 and number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 19, 2002.

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:American Child (Song) 2002 singles 2002 songs Phil Vassar songs Songs written by Craig Wiseman Songs written by Phil Vassar Song recordings produced by Byron Gallimore Music videos directed by Shaun Silva Arista Nashville singles