This 1970 tune was a mega-hit for the Hag. It references the “working man” and the “countrymen,” and is a patriotic song that condemns those for ridiculing the country and the wars we fought. Toby Keith publically stated that the song was the “original Angry American song,” in reference to his own song “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)." Just like the hit before it, “Okie from Muskogee,” “The Fightin’ Side of Me” gained huge popularity upon its release and remained in the No. 1 slot on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Singles chart for three weeks. Unlike the song “Okie from Muskogee,” there is nothing debatable about the sincerity Merle has in this country tune. It was truly written out of his respect for the patriotic, hardworking Joe, who will always stand up for America and its values.