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The song describes a typical American family. The first verse of the song describes a husband, who worked in a rail yard and is nearing retirement, and his loving wife. The second verse tells how the wife waited for her husband while he fought in World War II and how their son fought in the Vietnam War. It also describes two other children, a son who is a lawyer in Los Angeles, and a daughter who married and stayed in her hometown.
According to Rex Rutkoski of the North Hills News Record, the Oak Ridge Boys were inspired to record the song after having attended the inauguration of George H. W. Bush as President of the United States and wanted to record a song with an uplifting and patriotic message. Group member Joe Bonsall stated that the song had been offered to them several years prior, but they did not record it at the time. He included on a tape which he presented to other members, which contained a mix of songs they had recently been offered by other songwriters and older songs they had previously rejected. "An American Family" was the last song on the tape, and the group chose to record it after member Richard Sterban expressed interest in it. [2]
The Oak Ridge Boys re-recorded the song for their patriotic album "Colors" in 2003. This version included a new bridge and chorus at the end of the song which referenced the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The additions shift the focus of the song from a single family to America as a country, and say that all Americans are part of an American family that pulls together during hard times. The 2003 version was recorded with William Lee Golden, while Steve Sanders sang baritone on the original version.
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