10 Country Songs Perfect for Thanksgiving

No matter what your Thanksgiving plans are this year, music can still be a part of them, and if you’re a fan of country music, there are plenty of songs to get you in the mood to express gratitude.

It’s all too easy to get caught up in thoughts of what we don’t have or are missing out on, but these country songs are all about remembering to be thankful for the little things in your life like good food or a sunny day, along with the big things, like the people you love. Scroll through for a few country songs to add to your Thanksgiving playlist.

‘Thanksgiving Prayer,’ Johnny Cash

Also known as “I’m Thanking the Lord He Made You,” Cash delivered this performance on the Nov. 19, 1994 episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The song lists off a number of things its narrator is thankful for, including his partner, children’s laughter and the weather. “This year when I count my blessings / I’m thanking the Lord He made you,” Cash sings.

‘Unanswered Prayers,’ Garth Brooks

This love song from Brooks’ album No Fences, which is now a staple in Brooks’ live shows, will help you see the positives in where you’ve been and feel hopeful about where you’re going. It follows a man who ran into his high school girlfriend who he thought he would be with forever, until he met his now-wife. “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers,” Brooks declares.

‘Thank God for Hometowns,’ Carrie Underwood

While we might not all be at home this Thanksgiving, you can be there in spirit with his sentimental track in which Underwood thanks God for hometowns “and all the love that makes them go around.” A deep cut from her album Blown Away, the title alone makes this a perfect Thanksgiving addition, and its where-you-came-from-centered lyrics complete the message.

‘But for the Grace of God,’ Keith Urban

Urban scored his first No. 1 with this 2000 hit, which he penned with Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s. The song finds Urban examining the turbulent and material world around him, reflecting on how lucky he is to have the love of his partner. According to Rolling Stone Country, Urban initially thought that the song wasn’t the right fit for him, but recorded it after he couldn’t find anyone else to cut it.

‘Thanking the Good Lord,’ Merle Haggard

Along with thanking God for his partner, Haggard makes a few other requests in this 1987 release, from Haggard’s album Chill Factor. “Let the power that made you,” he sings. “Help me to prosper and be fair in all things that I do / The love I’ve been needin’ I just found in your heart / And I’m thanking the good Lord for you.”

‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy,’ John Denver

Featured on Denver’s 1974 album Back Home Again, this ode to country living is a joyous and upbeat list of all the simple pleasures in its narrator’s life. In between going to work and spending time with his family, Denver sings about finding a few moments with his fiddle, which the narrator learned to play from his father. The song went to No. 1 on both the pop and country charts.

‘Lucky Man,’ Montgomery Gentry

Reaching the No. 1 spot on the charts in 2007, Montgomery Gentry’s hit starts with Eddie Montgomery lamenting his job, his town and his football team losing before remembering just how lucky he is. The song was released as the second single from the Montgomery Gentry’s 2006 album Some People Change and gave the duo its first Grammy nomination.

‘Thank God for Kids,’ Oak Ridge Boys

If your Thanksgiving plans include kids, listen to this song by the Oak Ridge Boys, which is all about loving the little ones in your life, even when they’re spilling “Kool-Aid on the couch.” Writer Eddy Raven has said that he wrote the track after his son told him he wanted to help his dad write a song about Mickey Mouse or Big Bird.

‘Thank You for a Life,’ Kris Kristofferson

Kristofferson’s “Thank You for a Life” is a thank-you note to either his partner or God or both, but either way, the sentiment is a touching one. “Thank you for a life that I’d call happy / Overlooking all that we’ve been through,” he sings. “When it comes to loving I’ve been lucky / Everything I am, I owe to you.”

‘Blessed,’ Martina McBride

Written by Brett James, Troy Verges, and Hillary Lindsey and released as the second single from McBride’s Greatest Hits album, “Blessed” is another entry into the canon of songs thanking the Lord for the life you have. The song was McBride’s fifth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and serves as a beautifully-delivered reminder to appreciate all your blessings, from large to small.