Hold your horses and circle the wagons as we reveal the lyrics to, and some of the history behind, the hugely popular patriotic song ‘America the Beautiful’.
What are the lyrics to ‘America The Beautiful’?
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!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes
Proved 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 every 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!
When was the song ‘America The Beautiful’ written and composed?
American professor and author Katharine Lee Bates wrote the lyrics for ‘America The Beautiful’ in 1895 as a poem for the church periodical The Congregationalist. Eight years later, in 1903, the lyrics were paired with the tune ‘Materna’ which had been composed by Samuel A. Ward for the hymn ‘O Mother dear, Jerusalem’ in 1882.
Today it is one of America’s most popular patriotic songs and there has even been calls for it to replace The Star-Spangled Banner as the USA national anthem.
‘America The Beautiful’ is often sung at the Super Bowl and has been performed by many top artists including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles. Beyoncé also performed it at Barack Obama’s inaugural concert in 2008.
You can find lyrics to more famous songs here
Pic: Getty Images