Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs

Front Cover
Harper Collins, Jan 9, 2009 - History - 248 pages

Throughout our nation's history, patriotic songs have lifted our spirits during hard times and brought us closer to our heritage and to each other. Behind these "songs sung red, white, and blue" are unforgettable stories that will enrich your appreciation of their unique power.

It's hard to imagine a single American who hasn't been touched deeply at one time or another by the songs in these pages. From the soaring chorus of "God Bless America" to the quiet poetry of "America the Beautiful," historian Ace Collins takes you inside the creation of thirty-two classic songs spanning two centuries. Military anthems like "The Marine's Hymn" and "Anchors Aweigh" share pages with other songs of war, such as the War of 1812's "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the Civil War's "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Popular tunes dating back to the earliest days of our nation, such as "Yankee Doodle," are included alongside contemporary hits like "God Bless the U.S.A." Other favorites like "This Land Is Your Land" and "This Is My Country" reflect on our nation in times of peace.

You'll meet a surprising and diverse cast of behind-the-scenes characters, which includes both everyday Americans -- teachers, preachers, and soldiers -- as well as celebrated songwriters like Irving Berlin and George M. Cohan. Here are songs that are as close to our hearts as any ever written -- songs that form a rousing soundtrack to America's story.

From inside the book

Contents

Chapter 1 Abraham Martin and John
1
Chapter 2 The Air Force Song
9
Chapter 3 America the Beautiful
13
Chapter 4 An American Trilogy
22
Chapter 5 Anchors Aweigh
28
Chapter 6 The Army Song
34
Chapter 7 The Ballad of the Green Berets
38
Chapter 8 Battle Cry of Freedom
46
Chapter 16 Hail to the Chief
105
Chapter 17 Im a Yankee Doodle Dandy
112
Chapter 18 The Marines Hymn
121
Chapter 19 My Country Tis of Thee America
128
Chapter 20 Over There
138
Chapter 21 Semper Paratus Always Ready
146
Chapter 23 The StarSpangled Banner
158
Chapter 24 Taps
166

Chapter 9 Battle Hymn of the Republic
54
Chapter 10 The Battle of New Orleans
62
Chapter 11 Columbia the Gem of the Ocean
71
Chapter 12 The Fightin Side of
75
Chapter 13 God Bless America
82
Chapter 14 God Bless the U S
91
Chapter 15 Hail Columbia
98
Chapter
173
Chapter
179
Chapter 28 The Washington Post March
191
Chapter 30 Yankee Doodle
203
Chapter 31 The Yellow Rose of Texas
210
Chapter 32 Youre a Grand Old Flag
218
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 17 - 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...
Page 58 - He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat: Oh, be swift, my soul to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on.
Page 58 - In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea. With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free. While God is marching on.
Page 50 - The Union forever, hurrah! boys, hurrah! Down with the traitor, up with the star, While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
Page 17 - 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!
Page 58 - He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on. I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps; They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps: His day is marching on.
Page 50 - YES, we'll rally round the flag, boys, We'll rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom, We will rally from the hillside. We'll gather from the plain, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
Page 17 - 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!

References to this book

About the author (2009)

Ace Collins is the award-winning author of Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Turn Your Radio On, Lassie: A Dog's Life, and many other nonfiction books. He has appeared on CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Entertainment Tonight. He lives in Texas.

Bibliographic information