Welcome to the blog hop. Today’s topic is Patriotic Music. I love patriotic songs. From our National Anthem to America the Beautiful to The Battle Hymn of the Republic. But my favorite is God Bless America by Irving Berlin, preferably the Kate Smith version.
However, there is one other rendition of that makes me giggle. My little niece learned this song in school a couple years back. When I took her out one afternoon she sang it over and over again from her car seat in the back of the car. Off key. Plus she switched the lines around and confused herself. It was adorable. Now she’s nine and singing God Bless America over and over is not on her list of favorite things to do with her aunt, but I think I might still be able to get one good performance out of her.
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
Here’s a YouTube video of Kate Smith’s First Radio Performance of God Bless America. Enjoy!
What about you? What’s your favorite patriot song? And do you know all the words? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a$15 iTunes gift card. Increase your chances of winning by following me on one or more social networks:
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Thank you to all our servicemen and women and God Bless the USA!
I have to say God Bless America too, I know most of the words.
Hi Donna. I didn’t know the first verse until recently. We only ever learned the second one, which even I get the order of the lines mixed up!
thank you for the giveaway
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the chance, I’m not a picky person I enjoy most music. like symphony overture #112 i think it is that the Boston Pops does every year with fireworks going off in the background reflected in the Charles River.
Hi Julie. Did you see that the esplanade was cleared last night due to the lightening? Crazy. We saw unbelievable lightening way in the distance. We thought it had to be fireworks because it was happening in one concentrated place. All that was missing was the overture to make it spectacular!
God Bless America and thanks for Sharing
reginamayross@gmail.com
Hi Regina. Thanks for coming by.
America the Beautiful and God Bless America are lovely (and I know most of the words). O Canada is good, too, though when I listen to it before hockey games on TV I can never predict when they switch to the French lyrics mid-verse. BTW, they say that only immigrants know the second verse to The Star-Spangled Banner; native-born people usually don’t know there’s a second verse! Interesting.
Hi Trix. I’ll have to admit I don’t know the second verse of The Star-Spangled Banner and I’m native-born. I have to say, if having to sing the the national anthem to gain citizenship had been a requirement for me, I might have been denied– and not just for not knowing the second verse. I think my voice might have gotten me a prison sentence!
I like God Bless America too, but I don’t know all of the words. Thank GOD that when we sing it in church the words are on the screen.
Thanks for the fab giveaway!
Hi Juana. A little divine intervention with the patriot singing– sounds perfect to me! Thanks for coming by.
I like My Country, Tis of Thee. I do know all the words
Thanks for the giveaway!
Hi Throuthehaze. I just ran through all the words to My Country ‘Tis of Thee and I remember them all, too! Thanks for coming by.
As a Philadelphia Flyers fan I know Kate Smith’s God Bless America very well!
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com
Hi Yvette. I’m tickled to hear from someone who knows Kate Smith. I also love her rendition of “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” But I think that gets us off to a different season!
God Bless America is my favorite.
Hi Suzanne. Thanks for coming by and weighing in.
I love God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood.
Hi Sue. It sounds like this is a popular one today! Thanks for coming by.
I love so many patriotic songs, but if we are choosing from the classics, I have to choose My Country ‘Tis of Thee. How cool that the US turned the national anthem for England to a patriotic song for ourselves. Kind of interesting way of claiming independence
Wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net
Hi Lisa. Whenever I think of My Country ‘Tis of Thee I remember grade school where we must have sung it over and over. I think we sang it after the pledge everyday one year. I didn’t know it came for England’s national anthem. Thanks for sharing.
My favorite song is God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood. I remember hearing that song after 9-11 and chills going down my arms. Thanks for the giveaway
Hi Kaylyn. That’s a great song, and anytime I hear it I think of 9-11, too. Thanks for coming by.
I grew up singing songs like Over There, Yankee Doodle Dandy and My Country Tis of Thee. My family is very musical and would sit around and play and sing all night.
Hi Debi. When I took piano lessons one of the songs I learned was Yankee Doodle Dandy. It sounds like there were lots of fun times at your house. those must be great memories. Jordan
My favorite patriotic song is God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood.
Hi Kim. Thanks for stopping by. That seems to be a favorite for many.
Thanks so much for the contest! I love the 4th of July!! I really like getting together with my family and watching the fireworks!!
forettarose@yahoo.com
Hi Foretta. I hope you had a great holiday and saw some wonderful fireworks with your family.
God Bless America. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi Joy. You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood is my favorite. I’m not sure if I could recite all the words off the top of my head, but if the song was playing I would probably get all or most of them.
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie. Thanks for coming by. I’m with you. I could get the words, with the tune, but on my own I wouldn’t be able to remember.
My favorite patriotic song is This Land Is Your Land. I loved it when we sang it in music class. I think I still know all the words. My son has asked me to stop trying to remember them right now.
patti1075@gmail.com
Hi Patti. Okay, now I’m humming it, too. And as soon as I read your comment I remembered practicing it in music class, too. keep singing it to your son. It’s a good one!
America by Ray Charles, it makes me cry every time.
Hi Hildie. Yes- I love that song, too. It’s beautiful.
We are very patriotic in my home. We actually started doing the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of all the soccer games we coached.
Hi imajicasnow. That’s great to hear. I remember as kid going to the movies on the base with my family. My dad was in the navy. They played the National Anthem before the movie and we all had to stand. At that time I could not understand it and thought it was silly. Boy, how perspectives change with age!
I guess God Bless America is my fav…. don’t know why I like it best, just do, lol.
Dottie
Hi Dottie. It’s an easy song to like. That’s for sure. Thanks for coming over.
I love God Bless the USA! I sang it in elementary school and still know the lyrics!
laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Lacey. Thanks for stopping by. That’s a great song to learn in school.
I like Your a Grand Old Flag. You can never go wrong with music.
hi Starryblue. I’d forgotten about that one. This is another one I learned to play on the piano. Of course, it’s playing non-stop in my head now!
I love our anthem The Star-Spangled Banner, Stars and Stripes Forever, America The Beautiful, God Bless the USA, My Country Tis of Thee, God Bless America. Unfortunately, I only know the first verse of the ones with extra verses.
Thanks for participating in the hop and for the giveaway opportunity.
Hi Sofia. I think that’s the case with most of us- first verse only!
Of course I love all the traditional songs but one of my favorite songs is Alan Jackson’s Where Were You? It speaks so much to my generation.
Hi Maria Pronounced Mariah. Thanks for adding a new song to our list. Love Alan Jackson and this is a great addition.
I love America, The Beautiful. Those lyrics make me tear up a bit. I’ve always thought that song should be our National Anthem because it is more meaningful to this country than our actual anthem.
Thanks for the giveaway.
kareninnc at gmail dot com
Hi Karen. Agreed- America, The Beautiful is a lovely song, not to mention much easier to sing! Thanks for coming by.
favorite is God Bless The USA and the 1812 Overture.
Hi there Cathy. Thanks for stopping by. Whenever I hear the 1812 Overture I always expect fireworks. It’s the perfect pairing!
Yankee Doodle Dandy
geishasmom73 at yahoo dot com
Hi Stacie. It’s a fun song. I always played it a bit too fast!
ty for the chance to win
skyoak69@gmail.com
Hi Scott. You’re welcome and thanks for coming by.
I love the Star Spangled Banner!
andieleah78@gmail.com
Hi Andie. Thanks for coming by. You can’t go wrong with the national anthem.
I love the song ‘God Bless the USA’ by Lee Greenwood.
Thanks for the chance to win an iTunes GC, I just got an iPhone and could really use it
malibu311 at gmail dot com
Hi Rachel. Thanks for coming by. I have an iPhone, too and love it. Good luck with the contest.
I think the best patriotic song is “Proud to Be an American”. It never fails to give me goose bumps. Especially when combined with fireworks.
Hi Jody. I love the pairing of patriotic songs with fireworks. The combo is always amazing.
Hmmmm….it’s a toss up between God Bless The USA by Lee Greenwood and Some Gave All by Billy Ray Cyrus.
Thanks for the giveaway
molly(@)reviewsbymolly(.)com
Hi Molly. I’d forgotten about that Billy Ray song. That’s a great one too. Thanks for stopping by.
I love God Bless America. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi Sherry. Thanks for coming by! Good luck with the contest.
I like America the Beautiful and yes I know the words :O) We were raised to be very patriotic in our house. I am raising my kids to love our country as well.
Carin mawmom(@)Gmail.com
Hi Carin. Thanks for coming by. It’s been great to hear how families still appreciate patriotism and how parents pass it down.
I loved Yankee Doodle! A classic!
Thanks for participating!
OceanAkers @ aol.com
Hi Juliana. Love that one.
Thanks for the giveaway.
mythic021@gmail.com
Hi Vanessa. You’re welcome!
God Bless America always brings tears to my eyes when it’s sang right. Proud to be an American by Lee Greenwood is another great song!
suz2(at)cox(dot)net
Phi Susan. I agree. Two great songs.
Proud to be an American is my favorite! Thanks for the chance to win
raynman1979 at yahoo dot com
Hi Larissa. Thanks for coming by and good luck!
Yankee Doodle Dandy. probably because it’s the only one I know all the words to.
acm05atjuno.com
Hi Anne. I love that song, too. I have a funny image of a man on a horse and spaghetti in my mind when I think of that song. I think we fooled around with the words when I was a kid!
God Bless America is one of my favorites. The main reason is that my now 9 year old would belt out God Bless America as a young toddler when going to bed. He was the kind of child that wanted to go to bed on his own and would sing himself to sleep. I miss hearing him sing, ” …the mountains white with foam.” He never did get that line right. But I loved hearing his version being sung at the top of his lungs.
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
Hi Mel! Thanks for coming by. It’s great to hear from you. I love your story. Just like mine– it’s the little voice singing God Bless America that makes it so sweet with all the mixed up words and do overs. There’s nothing quite as heartwarming as those performances.
My favorite song is God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood, I always get emotional when I hear it being sung,
Hi Susan. That’s a great song. And I think lots of Americans get teary-eyed with that one.
Thanks so much for the contest. There’s so many great but I love Proud to be an American.
donnasing777@yahoo.com
Hi Donna. You’re welcome and thanks for coming by.
I would probably have to go with “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood. My brother really loved it when he was little so we listened to it a lot.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Hi June. Great to see you here! Thanks for coming by.
I’d have to say God Bless the USA, and I do know the words. I actually sang it during a Regional Chorus festival when I was in High School. It was a last minute addition to our line up of songs though.
Thank you for the giveaway!
Hi Pam. I think I might be a little jealous. Sounds like you can carry a tune. I’ve always wished I could sing. Oh, well- it’s one of those things I’ll continue to do alone in the car.
Thanks for coming by.
Thank you for the contest!
evelynmoly@yahoo.com
Hi Evelyn. You’re welcome!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Hi Latanya. Thanks for stopping by!
America, the beautiful
I know the words.
Hi bn100. Thank you for coming by.
We spent the 4th together as a family, I have 8 kids so lets say it was LOUD! O ;pve s[emdomg the entire day just hanging out with the entire family. We always have a huge BBQ! Love the salads, BLT is my favorite!
Thanks for the contest
pademe_lee@yahoo.com
Hi Tammy. Wow! 8 kids. I’ll bet it’s loud. Thanks for coming by.