Happy July 4th
Today, don’t think about the president, or the election. Just look around you, and feel these words.
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea! Overlaid pictures representing America
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassion’d stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.O beautiful for heroes prov’d
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
Lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates;
music composed by Samuel A. Ward
Just an fyi, This song was originaly sung to “Auld Lang Syne,” two years after it was written in 1893. “Materna,” the tune we know today, did not appear until 1910, and a lot of people didn’t like it. In fact, no one even knows if Ms. Bates liked “Materna,” as she never publicly said before her death. More, here.
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Wow- how interesting! Thanks, Susie for the info. Have a great time up at the cabin! I’ll be leaving shortly too for a little time away!
xo
Happy 4th of July to you too! See some fireworks for me, since I know there won’t be any in London tonight!
You dig up the neatest tidbits. Happy Fourth of July!