Election Night

While walking the dog around the neighborhood, I realized how I would sum up my political theory on this, our election night:


My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

My native country thee, land of the noble free, thy name I love.
I love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills like that above.

Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees, sweet freedom's song.
Let mortal tongues awake, let all that breathe partake,
Let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our father's God, to thee, Author of liberty, to thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King.


Although, of course, this is set to the tune of 'God Save the King', written in 1744 by some English dude, (from what it says in my hymnal) the words here, written by Mr. Samuel Francis Smith in the mid-1800's resound for me today.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Jp

[except for these other songs... (11/5/08)]

1913, Katherine Lee Bates:

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!
(followed by 3 extremely idealistic verses)

1983, Lee Greenwood: (my year!!!)

I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston, and New York to L.A.
There's pride in every American heart, and its time we stand and say.

1938, Irving Berlin: (which I especially love since Washington has mountains, prairies and oceans with white foam...)

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
Through 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.

1944, Woody Guthrie:

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 went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me.

I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
While all around me a voice was sounding
Saying this land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
A voice was chanting, As the fog was lifting,
This land was made for you and me.

:)