American Anthem: or, as the Commandments Say, Do Not Steal

What are your favorite songs about America? Do you have any?

Did you know "My Country Tis of Thee" used to be sung by schoolchildren every day?

The first time I heard that song, my little songwriter's heart was not pleased. The words a little saccharine; and the melody required very high notes and for an alto, it was hard to sing.


THEN I heard it performed by the band Queen, and could instantly see how cool it sounded. But let's back up a little and look at the history:

Sources tell me that  the lyrics for "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The melody used is the same as that of the one of "God Save the Queen," arranged by the celebrated British composer Thomas Arne.

I say "arranged" because there are several other composers (including Handl) who may have had a hand in creating the melody. It's a little complicated, as they say on Facebook, but I do know that the song was primarily a British one and "God Save the Queen" became Britain's national anthem, some time after it was "arranged" in 1745.

Meanwhile, Smith was a writer and lyricist in the 1800s and while studying in a theological seminary in Germany, he got excited around the idea that German schoolchildren started their day by singing hymns. He wrote "My Country Tis of Thee" for America's schoolchildren to sing in the same way. Not being a composer, I guess, he cribbed the melody from "God Save the Queen," embarrassing American songwriters for all time.

(Yet somehow he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame???)

Dr. Smith. Really? Couldn't you have found an American composer to write a new melody? You HAD to steal one from the British, making us look like talentless dorks? Weren't we trying to show them we could make it on our own? And then you made us look like we couldn't even write our own tunes?

Moving on to "Star Spangled Banner," I have to say that singing that tune at any age made me have to get waaaaaay up my toes to reach the high notes and always scared me voiceless halfway through. Not a song for the masses. Not even close. (And the melody isn't particularly inspiring, either, and it SHOULD be patriotic to say so.

Because we need a better song.

It took a Jewish immigrant, Irving Berlin (aka Israel Beilin) to write "God Bless America," a song that most everyone can sing, even altos. The next time someone bugs you about immigration, in fact, you can let them know who wrote that song. (Berlin also wrote "White Christmas," which is another Jewish legend, in its own way).

"This Land is Your Land" came next, by Woody Guthrie, who is said to have been irritated by hearing "God Bless America" all the time. (Not a bad reason to write a song, but then, there IS no bad reason to write one).

I think of all of these, "This Land is Your Land" is my favorite -- with "God Bless America" as a close runner-up. I wish one of these could replace the "Star Spangled Banner," which could certainly be thanked for its service and retired gracefully. Don't you think?

Because anthems should have really GREAT melodies, not good ones. 

And if there's someone out there who wants to write a new one... a composer, say -- let me know? I'd love to try writing the lyrics and I promise you -- I won't steal a thing.


Photo of children singing: Jeff Sandquist


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