Today is Monday, May 30th, 2016; Karen's Korner #3321

Like many churches yesterday, I am sure, we sang several meaningful patriotic songs at worship.

One was "America the Beautiful". So I did a bit of research this morning on the tune penned by Katharine Lee Bates in 1904, with music written by Samuel A. Ward.

Our hymnal had three verses. One version I found had eight!

I am including the words with four verses:

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 they good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!


O beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stern impassioned stress,

A thoroughfare of 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!

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