Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” has graduated to Fourth of July fireworks status.

Watching fireworks with my family on the bank over looking Poway High School, I was fist-pumping along to Lee Greenwood’s patriotic classic, “God Bless the USA” (apparently written by a guy who also wrote a knock off for our northern neighbor called “God Bless Canada”… truth according to Wikipedia) when all of a sudden Journey popped on the radio to the next set of big bangs.

I knew it had to be coming. The song has infiltrated our karaoke bars and  sports games, with the next logical stop being American icon status. But I find my self saddened by this discovery. I understand that patriotic songs are limited and no one really wants to hear the full 9 minute version of Don McLean’s “American Pie,” but seriously “Don’t Stop Believing” needs to stay in the bars with the drunk girls. I really don’t want my Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the USA” to be tainted by patriotism of the wasted masses of America. All I’m asking is please don’t call me a traitor for not singing along.