America the Beautiful

“The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key (1814)

The American national anthem, Key wrote this song during the War of 1812 after watching the British Royal Navy bombard Fort McHenry. While the song did not become the national anthem until 1931, it enjoyed popular success with the military and was well-known throughout the country for over 100 years before becoming the official anthem.

The song recounts the battle throughout the night at Fort McHenry and the eventual triumph of soldiers raising the flag after rockets and bombs threatened to overthrow them. Key wrote the song while captive on a British ship that was part of the bombardment.

Today, people typically only sing the first verse, and the song is notorious for being difficult to sing.

“God Bless America” by Irving Berlin (1918, 1938)

Written in 1918 but popularized in 1938, this prayer song is similar to “America the Beautiful” in its invocation of God to guide and protect America. Berlin, a Jewish immigrant, wrote the song during the build-up to World War I, but he introduced it to the public as World War II was on the horizon and as Berlin watched Adolf Hitler rise to power.

“This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie (1940, 1944)

Another song about America, this one is a little bit more complicated than the two glorifying tunes above. Guthrie’s song includes lyrics critical of the United States, referencing income inequality that was central to Guthrie’s politics as a child of the Great Depression. Similar to “America the Beautiful,” “This Land Is Your Land” does not imagine a perfect country; instead, it notes the country’s faults and pines for a better future. Noteworthy, however, is that when this song is performed at public gatherings, most singers choose to omit the verses that are critical of America. This is similar to the way “America the Beautiful” has been appropriated as a song that glorifies America as opposed to one that honestly assesses the country.