September 11
“God Bless America”
by Irving Berlin
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
History
America’s unofficial national
anthem was composed by an immigrant who left his
home in Siberia for America when he was only five
years old. The original version of “God Bless
America” was written by Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
during the summer of 1918 at Camp Upton, located
in Yaphank, Long Island, for his Ziegfeld-style
revue, Yip, Yip, Yaphank. “Make her victorious
on land and foam, God Bless America…” ran
the original lyric. However, Berlin decided that
the solemn tone of “God Bless America”
was somewhat out of keeping with the more comedic
elements of the show and the song was laid aside.
In the fall of 1938, as war was again threatening
Europe, Berlin decided to write a “peace”
song. He recalled his “God Bless America”
from twenty years earlier and made some alterations
to reflect the different state of the world. Singer
Kate Smith introduced the revised “God Bless
America” during her radio broadcast on Armistice
Day, 1938. The song was an immediate sensation;
the sheet music was in great demand. Berlin soon
established the God Bless America Fund, dedicating
the royalties to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.