It’s Independence Day weekend, and I am thrilled and proud to have the opportunity to sing some of my favorite patriotic tunes as a part of the worship team at my church. While the past few years have not been easy for me, I am proud to be an American and my patriotism haven’t diminished. I’m grateful I wasn’t raised to fear America or question its inherent goodness. Despite the tactics of this government’s administration to reflect otherwise, America and its founding are inherently good and have given me and my family much to be grateful for.
Let’s start with a collection of songs. My Country ‘Tis of Thee, America the Beautiful, God Bless America, The Battle Hymn of the RepublicAnd The Star-Spangled Banner. Since I was young, I’ve loved these songs and have always sang them with joy. They are not only a joy to sing, but also because they have a great lyrical quality.
These songs are a testimony to my love for America and gratitude that America was founded on Constitutional freedoms and free from any form of tyranny.
As a writer and songwriter myself, I am always fascinated by a song’s origin, and these powerful tunes bear the weight of not only heritage, but homage to God. Every song also incorporates a proclamation, a petition, and plea for God’s help in living up to and maintaining this republic.
My Country ‘Tis of TheeSamuel Smith was a pastor who wrote the poem titled “Your Name” in 1831.
This patriotic hymn, which is also known as “America,” became the first American National Anthem in 1831 before the adoption of The Star Spangled Banner. The words were written by Baptist clergyman Samuel Francis Smith (1808-1895), and for the melody he used the music of the British national anthem God Save the King. Smith claimed to have written the verses in 1832, but his memory must have been amiss as they are known to have been printed a year earlier for a children’s Fourth of July celebration in Boston.
Marian Anderson, a world-famous contralto who is renowned for her singing talent, chose this song to perform at the Lincoln Memorial after the Daughters of the American Revolution wouldn’t allow it. Anderson courageously chose to lead the fight against discrimination and unjust standards in an era when racism was a real problem in America.
“The essential point about wanting to appear in the hall was that. . . That was my right as an artist. It was clear to me that I had little significance in this whole affair. I had become, whether I liked it or not, a symbol, representing my people.”—Marian Anderson in her autobiography, It’s a beautiful morning, My Lord.
“The Queen,” Aretha Franklin also sang the song at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. While this former president is shameful in his hatred of America and continues to cause untold damage to our country, Aretha Franklin’s powerful voice and her own love of country cannot be denied.
Franklin sang the second and final verses. This song changed over time, as abolitionists added verses for the Washington Centennial.
Our fathers’ God to Thee,
The author of liberty
To Thee, we sing.
Our land may shine long,
With freedom’s holy light,
Our safety is yours.
Our King is a great God.
America the BeautifulThis song captures the spirit of petition, proclamation, and plea that is part of our patriotic music. Katharine Lee Bates originally wrote it as an essay after she was inspired by the breathtaking view of Pikes Peak, Colorado.
“America the Beautiful” was inspired by the view from the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. Katharine Lee Beates, a poet, was teaching English in Colorado Springs, Colorado, during the summer 1893. Later, she was able to recall:
“One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. The prairie wagon we hired was available for hire. At the top, we were forced to abandon the wagon and walk the remaining distance on mules. My legs were tired. However, when I saw this view I was overcome with joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.”
The poem “Pikes Peak” was first published in a church periodical, Congregationalist. Although many music pieces were included to complement the words, this hymn was composed in 1882 by Samuel A. Ward, who was both a church organist, and choralmaster, made the hymn that stuck. It was first published in 1910, and it became known as the America the BeautifulThat is what we now know.
The end to each stanza is a distinctive plea for God’s hand in our country’s life and affairs.
…God gave his grace upon you.
…God can heal all your flaws.
…God bless you with your gold.
Ray Charles is the best performer of this patriotic song. He sang it around the globe as an example of what America can be and represents. Charles has distinguished the song by starting with the third verse, which speaks about our brave soldiers who shed their blood for our liberty, and a prayer for America’s continual refining.
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
The country they loved was more important than themselves.
Mercy is more important than life.America! America!
God, may thy gold be refined
All success must be noble,
And ev’ry gain divine.
Originally published in 1918 as a part of one of Irving Berlin’s musicals, God Bless AmericaHe put the song on hold until 1938 when he revised it for Kate Smith. Berlin wanted the song to convey a stronger message.
Below is what the 1918 version looked like:
God bless America! I love this land.
Be beside her
She will be her guide
To the right, the light comes from above
Land and foam: Make her triumphant
God bless America, my sweet home.Berlin understood that he needed to shift the line From the left with the light coming from above. “The Right” in politics had come to mean conservative political groups. He wanted to create a song that united Americans, and not divided them. And he changed Make her victorious…since it suggested military conquest, rather than the “peace song” he was shooting for.
Berlin was successful and the song became a hit. The song also has a prelude verse. While everyone knows the chorus of the song, this verse elevates it to an entirely new level. It also incorporates that plea and proclamation found in these songs.
As the storm clouds gather over the ocean,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,
All of us should be so grateful that this land is fair.
We raise our voices to God in solemn prayers
Whitney Houston sang a beautiful and powerful rendition of the song with the prelude verse:
It Battle Hymn of the RepublicJulia Ward Howe wrote the hymn “The Lord is my Shepherd” in 1861. Each of the verses were a favorite. Ward Howe, an abolitionist, and activist, felt heartbroken when she saw a parade of troops going off to war, singing “Song for the People”. John Brown’s Body. This was the inspiration for the poem, which was then set to music. The poem was eventually published in The Atlantic MonthlyIn 1862.
When the east was gray the next day, my mother awoke very early to find that poems were emerging in her brain.
“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord ” — She lay quite still, and the words went on, grouping themselves into lines, the lines flowing on into verses. The whole poem became complete in her head. Then she said to herself, ” I shall lose this if I don’t write it down immediately!” She rose at once, found a sheet of paper and an old stump of a pen which she had had the night before, and began to write down the lines almost without looking, as she had often done while watching by us children in our sleep.
“Having completed this,” she says, “I lay down again and fell asleep, but not without feeling that something of importance had happened to me.”
Ward Howe is important, but so is the rest of America.
I recently discovered this gem from Dinesh D’Souza’s Death of a Nation. This is a powerful version of The Battle Hymn of the Republic Angela Primm featured in the movie.
Written in 1814 during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key’s The Star-Spangled BannerAfter the American forces had prevented Fort McHenry being taken by Britain, the following was written. Key saw the fighting between British and American forces while on board a ship at Baltimore Harbor.
And the rockets’ red glare
Bombs explode in the air
All night, they provided proof
Our flag is still up
This is what has kept me captivated by it: The sheer terror at being in a war zone and the relief of seeing the flag wave in the breeze, while we were still feigning victory.
Key awoke to an American flag and the symbol of their determination to continue fighting. Key wrote notes about the events that day and began to write. Later that week, he finished the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” On September 20, the Baltimore Patriot published “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Francis Scott Key’s brother-in-law set the poem to music, and the combined poem and music were published under the name “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
While everyone is usually fixated (and rightly so—it is a stellar one) on Whitney Houston’s rendition of The Star-Spangled BannerThis gorgeous, subtle, but powerful rendition is my favourite, particularly in these times.
Victory Boyd had been scheduled to sing at the NFL’s 2021 opening game the National Anthem. They cancelled Victory Boyd’s performance at the opening game of the NFL 2021 because she wasn’t vaccinated. She refused to alter her status.
Boyd shared this statement via her YouTube Video:
Sep 9, 2021 After my immunization status prevented me from singing the Anthem for the NFL’s season opener game, I decided to continue to sing. But this time, I was not singing for the entertainment of the NFL.. but for America. To remind her who she is… the land of the free and the home of the brave. This message is for anyone who has taken a stand in support of freedom. Your cause is mine.
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
For the former to be maintained, we need the latter.
It was brave of them to look at the Constitution, and see themselves in it. Despite what was going on around them, they gazed deeply, took it in, and said, “This is for me!”
Then they made it their life’s work to ensure it was fulfilled.
That is Frederick Douglass’ story, Marian Anderson’s story, Thomas Sowell’s story, Justice Clarence Thomas’ story…
This is my story.
Happy Independence Day weekend. Enjoy our music as a reminder of the reasons we must fight for liberty and America.
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