"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song originally written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. It is sometimes considered an unofficial national anthem of the United States.^[1] It also served as the inspiration for another anthem, Woodie Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land", which was written in response to it. A song is a relatively short musical composition. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This is an incomplete list. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ... This is an incomplete list. ... Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912 - October 3, 1967), known almost universally as Woody, was a folk singer and raconteur who wrote some of Americas best-loved songs. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: This Land Is Your Land This Land Is Your Land is one of the United States most famous folk songs. ...

"God Bless America" is similar in format and lyrics to many other contemporary national anthems, and is popular as a "modern" national anthem because of its memorable words and tune, as opposed to the rather complex music and abstract (and war-oriented) lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner. The Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Key wrote the lyrics while watching the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland. The poem expresses Key's exhiliration that the "Star Spangled Banner," a poetic rendition for the United States flag, remained flying throughout the bombardment. The poem was extremely popular, and was set to the music of "To Anacreon in Heaven," which had been a British drinking song. The music covers a wide range and is very difficult to sing. "God Bless America," on the other hand, is in the form of a prayer for God's blessing and peace for the nation ("...stand beside her and guide her through the night...").^{[citation needed]} The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the U.S.A., with lyrics written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key. ... The Anacreontic Song was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, a club of amateur musicians in London who gathered regularly to perform concerts. ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ...

History

Berlin originally wrote the song in 1918 while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York, but decided that it did not fit in a revue called Yip Yip Yaphank, so he set it aside. The lyrics at that time included the line, "Make her victorious on land and foam, God bless America..."^{[citation needed]} The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The area of central Suffolk County, New York presently occupied by Brookhaven National Laboratory once served the nation in a different manner. ... Yaphank is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in Suffolk County, New York. ... Yip Yip Yaphank was the name of musical revue composed and produced by Irving Berlin during World War I in 1917 while he was a recruit in the United States Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York. ...

Music critic Jody Rosen comments that a 1906 Jewish dialect novelty song, "When Mose With His Nose Leads the Band," contains a six-note fragment that is "instantly recognizable as the opening strains of 'God Bless America.'" He interprets this as an example of Berlin's "habit of interpolating bits of half-remembered songs into his own numbers." [1] Berlin, born Israel Baline, had himself written several Jewish-themed novelty tunes.

In 1938, with the rise of Hitler, Berlin, who was a Jewish immigrant from Siberia, felt it was time to revive it as a "peace song" and it was introduced on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938 sung by Kate Smith. The song was a hit; there was even a movement to make "God Bless America" the national anthem of the United States. In 1943, Smith's rendition was featured in the patriotic musical This Is the Army along with other Berlin songs. Manuscripts in the Library of Congress reveal the evolution of the song from victory to peace. Berlin gave the royalties of the song to the God Bless America Fund for redistribution to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the USA. Hitler redirects here. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Armistice Day Celebrations in Toronto, Canada - 1918 Armistice Day is the anniversary of the official end of World War I, November 11, 1918. ... Kate Smith on the cover of a posthumous 1991 collection 16 Most Requested Songs Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was a Washington, D.C.-born singer best known for her rendition of Irving Berlins God Bless America. She greeted audiences with Hello, everybody! and signed... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This Is the Army is a 1943 American motion picture produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner, and directed by Michael Curtiz. ... The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. ... The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a United States Scouting organization, with some presence in other countries. ... The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. ...

Woody Guthrie disliked the song, and wrote "This Land Is Your Land", originally titled "God Blessed America For Me", as a response to "God Bless America". "This Land Is Your Land" has also often been proposed as an American national anthem. Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912–October 3, 1967) was a prolific American folk musician. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: This Land Is Your Land This Land Is Your Land is one of the United States most famous folk songs. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: This Land Is Your Land This Land Is Your Land is one of the United States most famous folk songs. ...

Later, from 1969 through the early 1970s, Smith's recording of the song before many of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers professional ice hockey home games brought it renewed popularity (as well as an apparent "good luck charm" to the Flyers), long before it became a nationwide sporting event staple. The Flyers even brought Smith in to sing "live" before the final game of Stanley Cup Playoffs in the spring of 1974, and the Flyers won the cup that day. For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... “NHL” redirects here. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. ...

The song was sung by the main characters, to a chilling ironic effect, in Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter. Regarding the song in the film, Roger Ebert says in his 1978 review: "It [the film] ends on a curious note: The singing of 'God Bless America'. I won't tell you how it arrives at that particular moment... but I do want to observe that the lyrics of 'God Bless America' have never before seemed to me to contain such an infinity of possible meanings, some tragic, some unspeakeably sad, some few still defiantly hopeful, and some uneffeciently portrayed." It is also prominently featured in the film Once Upon a Time in America, as it is played during a murder in the beginning of the picture. Michael Cimino (born February 3, 1939, New York City) is an American film director. ... For the noise rock band, see Deerhunter. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Once Upon a Time in America (Italian title Cera una volta in America) (1984) is the last film by director Sergio Leone, and features Robert De Niro and James Woods as Jewish ghetto youths who rise to prominence in New York Citys world of organized crime. ...

"God Bless America" is often sung at sporting events, recitals, and other public events where national anthems are sung, sometimes in place of "The Star-Spangled Banner". The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the U.S.A., with lyrics written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key. ...

At Wrigley Field, during the Vietnam War, the song was often played by the organist as part of his post-game playlist, while fans filed out of the stadium. Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

Céline Dion version (following 9/11 terrorist attacks)

"God Bless America"
Single by Céline Dion
from the album God Bless America
Released	September 24, 2001
Format	CD single
Genre	Pop
Length	3:47
Label	Columbia, Epic
Writer(s)	Irving Berlin
Producer(s)	David Foster
Peak chart positions
#14 (U.S. Adult Contemporary)
Céline Dion singles chronology
"Don't Save It All for Christmas Day" (2000) "God Bless America" (2001) "Sous le Vent" (2001)

Dion performing "God Bless America" during the TV special America: A Tribute to Heroes.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Canadian pop star Céline Dion performed the song on the TV special America: A Tribute to Heroes. Shortly afterwards on October 16, Sony Music Entertainment released a benefit album called God Bless America, which featured Dion singing the song. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became the first charity album to reach the top since USA for Africa's "We Are the World" in 1985. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Céline Marie Claudette Dion Angélil, OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian pop singer and occasional songwriter. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Epic Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... David Foster, OC, OBC, LL.D. (born November 1, 1949 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a 14-time Grammy Award winning musician, producer, composer and arranger. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... The Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart (formerly known as Adult Contemporary Singles and only Adult Contemporary) lists the most popular songs weekly calculated by airplay and occasionally sales. ... Céline Marie Claudette Dion Angélil, OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian pop singer and occasional songwriter. ... Dont Save It All for Christmas Day is the third and last single from Céline Dions These Are Special Times album. ... Sous Le Vent a perfume fragrance made by Jacques Guerlain in 1933. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert organized in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and United States television networks. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Céline Marie Claudette Dion Angélil, OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian pop singer and occasional songwriter. ... America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert organized in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and United States television networks. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... Sony Music Entertainment is a major global record label controlled by the Sony Corporation. ... The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa), was the name under which forty-five U.S. artists, led by Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single We Are the World in 1985. ... We Are the World is a 1985 song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, produced and conducted by Quincy Jones and recorded by a supergroup of popular musicians billed as USA for Africa. ...

Céline Dion's version also received enough radio airplay to reach #14 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart (formerly known as Adult Contemporary Singles and only Adult Contemporary) lists the most popular songs weekly calculated by airplay and occasionally sales. ...

The music video was made and aired in September 2001.

Dion performed the song also few times during 2002, including the Super Bowl. She sang it on July 4, 2004 in her A New Day... show as well. The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Starting on March 25, 2003, Céline Dions A New Day. ...

"God Bless America" performed by Dion exists in two versions, live and studio, both included on collections to gather funds for the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and their families. Live: located on America: A Tribute to Heroes, that’s the live recording from the telethon event of the same name that took place on September 21, 2001. Studio: located on the God Bless America album, a patriotic songs CD. It was recorded on September 20, 2001, just the day before the American telethon. They recorded that version, to provide something to the telethon in case something happened and Dion couldn’t go to the telethon. September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

Formats and track listings

Promotional 1-Track CD-Single - (U.S.)

1. "God Bless America" 3:47

Charts

The song was also recorded by New York City's "singing cop," Daniel Rodriguez, and charted for one week at #99 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a single. Before the 2001 versions, the last time "God Bless America" had been a Billboard chart hit was in 1959, when Connie Francis reached #36 with her version (the B-side of her Top 10 hit "Among My Souvenirs"). Daniel Rodriguez (born 1964-05-24; Brooklyn, New York) is an operatic tenor from New York City. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Connie Francis (born December 12, 1938 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American pop singer best known for international hit songs such as Whos Sorry Now?, Where The Boys Are, and Everybodys Somebodys Fool. ...

Since the attacks, "God Bless America" has commonly been sung during the seventh-inning stretch in Sunday Major League Baseball games, except for the Toronto Blue Jays and prior to 2005, when they moved to Washington, the Montreal Expos. Yankee Stadium is the only Major League ballpark to play "God Bless America" every game during the seventh-inning stretch. The team's YES Network televises its performance during each game before going to commercial. Interestingly, some claim this offers a competitive advantage to the Yankees. This is due to the fact that at Yankee Stadium, Ronan Tynan sings an especially long version of the song at select (including all playoff) games, during which time the opposing pitcher is unable to warm up. Some pitchers have complained that this affects their rhythm. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ... The Montreal Expos (French: Les Expos de Montréal) were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1969 until 2004. ... This is about the stadium the New York Yankees currently play in. ... The Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network is a New York City regional cable TV channel dedicated to broadcasting baseball games of the New York Yankees, and basketball games of the New Jersey Nets. ... Dr. Ronan Tynan, M.D. (born 1960) is a popular tenor, singing in the classical Irish style. ...

An irreverent version of the lyrics was printed in the book The MAD World of William M. Gaines, by Frank Jacobs (1972). The magazine's veteran art editor, John Putnam, had prepared some copy and sent it to the printers; the word "America" was divided, with a hyphen, at the end of one line. The copy was returned to Putnam by the typesetting foreman, who explained that his union had a rule forbidding the splitting of that word. Putnam obliged, and rewrote the copy, and sent it back with this enclosure: Céline Marie Claudette Dion Angélil, OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian pop singer and occasional songwriter. ... This page includes the albums discography of Celine Dion. ... This page lists the singles discography of Céline Dion. ... This page includes the videography of Céline Dion. ... Category: ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... William Maxwell Gaines (March 1, 1922–June 3, 1992), or Bill Gaines as he was called, was the founder of MAD Magazine but he was also noted for his efforts to create comic books of sufficient artistic quality and interest to appeal to adults. ... Frank Jacobs is MAD Magazines longest-tenured writer, having appeared in its pages for 50 years. ... The word America has several meanings: Geographical and political The Americas: North, Central, and South America. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers...

DON'T BREAK "AMERICA"

Don't break "America";
Land we extol;
Don't deface it;
Upper-case it;
Keep it clean, keep it pure, keep it whole;
In Bodoni, in Futura,
In Old English, in Cabell--
Don't break "America"--
Or we'll--raise--hell!
Bodoni is a typeface designed by Giambattista Bodoni (February 16, 1740 in Saluzzo – November 29, 1813 in Parma), an Italian engraver, publisher, printer and typographer of high repute. ... Futura is both the name of an airline, a typeface and an SF magazine. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon[1], Old English: ) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ...

"God Bless America!"

An earlier and much more obscure song called "God Bless America!" was written by Robert Montgomery Bird and published in 1834. Sheet music for this version is available online from the Library of Congress. The lyrics begin: Robert Montgomery Bird (1803 - 1854) was an American novelist, playwright, and physician who wrote three tragedies—The Gladiator, Oraloosa, and The Broker of Bogota—and several novels, including Calavar, The Infidel, The Hawks of Hawk Hollow, Peter Pilgrim, and Nick of the Woods, in the first two of which he... See also: 1833 in music, other events of 1834, 1835 in music, and the list of years in music. // Events Statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau is erected in his birthplace of Geneva. ... The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. ...

God bless the land that gave us birth!
No pray'r but this know we.
God bless the land, of all the earth,
The happy and the free.
And where's the land like ours can brave
The splendor of the day.
And find no son of hers a slave?
God bless America!
God bless the land, the land beloved
Forever and for aye!
God bless the land that gave us birth.
God bless America!

External links

• Library of Congress page with more information, pictures of manuscript, etc.
• A songs site with a page about "God Bless America".

A manuscript (Latin manu scriptus, written by hand), strictly speaking, is any written document that is put down by hand, in contrast to being printed or reproduced some other way. ...

References

1. ^ God Bless America history on Geocities website, The unofficial national anthem of the United States - Retrieved on 2007-06-10