After watching beautiful driveway fireworks at my daughter’s, aerial fireworks on my way home & out my home window, & the lightning bugs’ microcosmic display in my yard, I was overcome with nostalgia last Friday night. Where did the America I grew up loving go? Was it ever there? Yes. I could sense it. But the gold always needed—& needs— wresting from the dross—with Divine assistance.
Hard labor is easier when accompanied by a song. I’ve always loved “America the Beautiful”—& you’ve supplied some verses that weren’t in my songbook. I know all the other songs you’ve mentioned, too, & will belt them out whenever I hear them. But the verse I texted to all my friends at the 11th hour on Independence Day was from “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”—the one that begins “Our fathers’ God, to Thee, Author of Liberty….”
There are so many deeply meaningful stanzas that still give me the chills in this anthem that happens to be my favorite national anthem. I thank you for researching and writing yet another great essay.
Thanks again Debra for excavating the full lyrics (poem) to our great anthem.
As I happen to be in the neighborhood of an example of a truly stirring song, here is regional Hymn of Valencia, which offers new glories to Spain, in Valencian (¡NOT Catalan!). Try and resist it. It’s the antidote to power hungry, linguistically chauvinist separatists who used all-American Noam Chomsky’s view of language in a 2006 law to hack at the unity of Spain. Tony might want have whack at that.
Wow! I will love it. I have been wanting to write about the phenomenon of learning the national anthems of OTHER lands in grade school... in that OTHER universe of my childhood. I missed this one. I have a comment about Chomsky.. but can't type with ease on the phone keypad. I''ll leave you with my short reply: Oy vey!
Thank you, Debra, for an excellent review and for this rendition.
I remember singing "America the Beautiful," at a ceremony decades ago in Fulton, MO, with my family in the Church of St. Mary, Aldermanbury, where two of my English ancestors were married in the 1600s before emigrating to America. This sounds geographically confusing, I know, but the church stood in London at that time. After WW II, Winston Churchill donated the church to Westminster College in Fulton, MO to commemorate his "Iron Curtain" speech in that town. It was moved over to the US stone by stone and reassembled according to the architect's (Sir Christopher Wren's) original plans. It's hard to describe my feelings standing in that church and singing this anthem.
I do want to make note of "Hail Columbia," as another unofficial national anthem that was cherished for a while, but quickly fell out of fashion after WW I. It was hampered by a kind of plodding melody and relegated to be the official song of the Vice President. But the lyrics are stirring. When a Confederate general, N.B. Forrest (I think), surrendered to his Union counterpart after the Civil War, the southerners and northerners sang Hail Columbia together as a sign of unity.
Churchill gave a church to a Missouri college, a church in which distant ancestors of yours were married. And you got to be in it, and to sing. Glory hallelujah!
A personal favorite is Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land".............Which, despite all his idiotic political posturing, is done quite wonderfully by Bruce Springstein...
After watching beautiful driveway fireworks at my daughter’s, aerial fireworks on my way home & out my home window, & the lightning bugs’ microcosmic display in my yard, I was overcome with nostalgia last Friday night. Where did the America I grew up loving go? Was it ever there? Yes. I could sense it. But the gold always needed—& needs— wresting from the dross—with Divine assistance.
Hard labor is easier when accompanied by a song. I’ve always loved “America the Beautiful”—& you’ve supplied some verses that weren’t in my songbook. I know all the other songs you’ve mentioned, too, & will belt them out whenever I hear them. But the verse I texted to all my friends at the 11th hour on Independence Day was from “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”—the one that begins “Our fathers’ God, to Thee, Author of Liberty….”
There are so many deeply meaningful stanzas that still give me the chills in this anthem that happens to be my favorite national anthem. I thank you for researching and writing yet another great essay.
Did not know there were more than two verses. Thank you.
I have always loved the "God mend thine every flaw" verse. Amen!
Me, too. Very much.
Thanks again Debra for excavating the full lyrics (poem) to our great anthem.
As I happen to be in the neighborhood of an example of a truly stirring song, here is regional Hymn of Valencia, which offers new glories to Spain, in Valencian (¡NOT Catalan!). Try and resist it. It’s the antidote to power hungry, linguistically chauvinist separatists who used all-American Noam Chomsky’s view of language in a 2006 law to hack at the unity of Spain. Tony might want have whack at that.
Enjoy it:
https://youtu.be/MeGO2MTjZ28?si=yOGYL8sbDjPUgxar
Wow! I will love it. I have been wanting to write about the phenomenon of learning the national anthems of OTHER lands in grade school... in that OTHER universe of my childhood. I missed this one. I have a comment about Chomsky.. but can't type with ease on the phone keypad. I''ll leave you with my short reply: Oy vey!
Is mir.
Thank you, Debra, for an excellent review and for this rendition.
I remember singing "America the Beautiful," at a ceremony decades ago in Fulton, MO, with my family in the Church of St. Mary, Aldermanbury, where two of my English ancestors were married in the 1600s before emigrating to America. This sounds geographically confusing, I know, but the church stood in London at that time. After WW II, Winston Churchill donated the church to Westminster College in Fulton, MO to commemorate his "Iron Curtain" speech in that town. It was moved over to the US stone by stone and reassembled according to the architect's (Sir Christopher Wren's) original plans. It's hard to describe my feelings standing in that church and singing this anthem.
I do want to make note of "Hail Columbia," as another unofficial national anthem that was cherished for a while, but quickly fell out of fashion after WW I. It was hampered by a kind of plodding melody and relegated to be the official song of the Vice President. But the lyrics are stirring. When a Confederate general, N.B. Forrest (I think), surrendered to his Union counterpart after the Civil War, the southerners and northerners sang Hail Columbia together as a sign of unity.
"Hail Columbia" is a fine anthem, indeed. And what a story you shared. And the soldiers singing together after the surrender! We need our anthems.
Churchill gave a church to a Missouri college, a church in which distant ancestors of yours were married. And you got to be in it, and to sing. Glory hallelujah!
Very informative, and a beautiful rendition! Here's a jazzy version by Ray Charles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZYH8v42a2w
Nice.........
A personal favorite is Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land".............Which, despite all his idiotic political posturing, is done quite wonderfully by Bruce Springstein...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cs2woIb2fY
EXCELLENT
AWESOME
OUTSTANDING
USA !!! 🇺🇸
USA !!! 🇺🇸
USA !!! 🇺🇸
Don Young
Columbus OH