Singing "America the Beautiful" in these horrible times

[Spectral]

First I have to say that I love my country. It's my home and if anyone ever attacked it, I would defend it to the best of my ability.

But yesterday, I had to sing "America the Beautiful" at church. I am in the choir and the song was already picked by the director. I usually love that song. I like it better than the Star Spangled Banner because it is not as warlike and it really is about loving your country.

But yesterday, it was like a whole different song to me. When I had to sing "America, America, God shed his grace on thee", it wasn't like God had already done that (which is how we usually sing the song.) It felt more like a plea--like, God get DOWN here and shed your grace and get rid of these torturers and killers who have taken over our government. I saw something like Judgement Day in my head, with * being taken out by God.

Then "And crown thy good with brotherhood". I thought to myself, "only the good, not these hijackers of the government." I really honestly thought, "Not the PNACers. They have no brotherhood with anybody."

The second verse was even harder. "America, America, God mend thine every flaw." I thought to myself that the person who wrote that had a much more positive view of America. I kept thinking that there were so many flaws at this point, that God couldn't possibly mend them all. I just wanted to cry.

Then: "Confirm thy soul in self control, Thy liberty in law." How could I sing about self control when this administration seems to have lost it all? Preemptive war is NOT self control. And the law no longer seems to be about liberty, but about destroying it. I thought about * "spreading democracy" in Iraq and the Abu Ghraib photos. And the PATRIOT act.

I used to love this song. Now, it just breaks my heart. It seems so naive. I guess all patriotism is a lie.

But I still love my country, even if I completely disrespect the actions of its current government.

[wtmusic]

1. Doesn't that suck?

I get the same feeling when I see fighters fly overhead. I used to be proud...now I just feel disgusted at seeing them used to evil purpose.

[Dissenting_Prole]

2. How about "America the finished"?

n/t

[Spectral]

3. God, I hope not.

We have to take back our country from these torturers

[fooj]

4. These are certainly tough times...

welcome to DU! Peace.

[carpetbagger]

5. As intercessionary prayer goes, it's actually quite good.

What would Jesus pray for if he were preaching at a patriotic service? Yeah, it's silly, but if Jesus were one of the Romans instead of one of the Jews, how would he pray?

I'd argue that Jesus got offed by the Romans precisely for the same reason that America the Beautiful, taking away the pretty phrases and music, would cause a riot if the prayer were given before a Texas high school football game. Leaving the prose intact, but cutting away all but the supplications, you have:


God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood...

God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law...

May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine...

God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air...

God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought...

God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free...

God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee.


You just try talking about selfish gain and ignoble men staining America in certain circles. You'll get the stare of death.

[Spectral]

8. Wow, I never sang that many verses

"God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free..."

Man oh man, this hits the spot.

(I guess the freepers haven't sung it that far either, or else they would call it the socialist national anthem.)

[Hailtothechimp]

6. Listen to the Ray Charles version.

All other versions suck by comparison. It hits just the right note (literally and figuratively).

[Spectral]

7. I like the Ray Charles version too

I wonder what he thinks about when he sings it

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

9. Ray Charles

died last year.

[sarcasmo]

10. Nothing like Brain Washing the church goers on Sunday with

America the beautiful. The TheoFascits don't want you to question the song they just want you to sing it.

[BigBearJohn]

11. Before giving up on America or this song, PLEASE read this story

When I was a young man and the Vietnam war was on everyone's mind
I fell in love with the music of John Denver. One warm August evening
a friend surprised me on my birthday with 2 tickets to see John Denver live at
an open air theatre called "The Greek Theater" in Los Angeles.

The opening act for John Denver was a comedian/activist named Dick Gregory.
He fired up the crowd of about 4,000 people with talk about how evil
the goverment was, what a waste of precious life the Vietnam war was.
He had the 4000 or so teenagers and young adults pissed and angry.
Stomping on the stadium floor. Angry, pissed. You could feel the
tension.

Then the curtains are closed and 5 minutes later they open again.
This time the stage is a mountain scene, replete with campfire,
and John Denver with guitar. He took us through a soothing number
of songs like "Sunshine on my Shoulder," "Rocky Mountain High,"
"Poem's Prayers and Promises."

Well, soon the whole auditorium started swaying side-to-side, arms
around each others shoulders in unity. The love in the air was palpable.
The audience absolutely refused to let him off the stage. Well,
they closed the curtains, then reopened them. There was one solitary
spot light on John Denver, sitting on small stool in the middle of
the stage with only a small 6-string acoustic guitar.

He assured the audience, "With all the disappointment, ruined dreams,
hate and anger expressed about America, it's hard to find anything to
feel grateful about. Ok. We have some very rotten bad apples in this
government of ours. But step back. Take a look at this beautiful
land of ours. The mountains, the streams, the prairies, the golden fields of grain.
It can be great again. It just takes people standing together in unity...
just as you are right now."

In a deep, sincere voice, he says, "You know... when I was 5 years
old, I heard a song that I thought was the most beautiful song in
the world... and I still do. If you'll let me, I'd like to sing it for you."

In a trembling, beautiful tone, he sings out... "Oh beautiful for
spacious skies, for amber waves of grain. For purple mountain's majesty,
above the fruited plain. America, America, God shed his grace on thee."

He then pleads with the audience, "Please, sing it with me."

And there stood 4,000 young Americans, who just two hours earlier
were ready to tear down the stadium, now on their feet, singing at
the tops of their lungs with sincerity, "America the Beautiful."
I was so choked up with tears I could barely mutter a word.

I learned an awful lot that day. I hope you found some comfort
in this story. To this day, it still gives me hope.

[quaoar]

12. Ask your choir director to include this song next time

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
words and music by Woody Guthrie

Chorus:
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me

As I was walking a ribbon of highway
I saw above me an endless skyway
I saw below me a golden valley
This land was made for you and me

Chorus

I've roamed and rambled and I've followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me

Chorus

The sun comes shining as I was strolling
The wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
The fog was lifting a voice come chanting
This land was made for you and me

Chorus

As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said - no tress passin'
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

Chorus

In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

[dad]

13. That song is a little too god-heavy for me

We need an atheist-friendly song. Plus at baseball games, I'm tired of the fucking God songs taking the spot of Take Me Out To the Ballgame. But of course, someone gave us a picture book with the words to the GBA song in it, and now I wind up singing it to my boy before bedtime quite often - haha

[quaoar]

14. Well, imagine a stadium full of people

singing the chorus to "This Land Is Your Land" during the seventh-inning stretch.