Nothing stirs the heart of a patriot in the United States like fireworks accompanied by a rousing rendition of God Bless America. The top songs of America are some of the most easily recognized pieces of music in the Western world. “America the Beautiful,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America” are well-known and well-loved songs. They all have histories as rich and colorful as the nation they praise.

The words for “America the Beautiful” were written in 1893 by an English professor from Wellesley College named Katharine Lee Bates on a train trip to Colorado Springs. She was inspired by the sights outside her window, and she put her thoughts down on paper. It was published two years later in commemoration of the Fourth of July. The poem caught the public’s attention, and the words were adapted to a tune from composer Samuel A. Ward, which was written in 1882. The song attained great popularity during the first two decades of the 20th century.

The tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was written in approximately 1855 by William Steffe. The lyrics were different, and it was used as a campfire spiritual. An early version of the lyrics were written by Thomas Bishop around 1860, and they were used as a walking song entitled “John Brown’s Body” by the Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War. Julia Ward Howe heard the song and changed the lyrics to the ones widely known today. It was originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862.

“God Bless America” was written by Irving Berlin in 1918. Berlin revised the song in 1938, and it then became a signature song of vocalist Kate Smith. He revived the song as World War II loomed on the horizon in the hopes of building national morale. Berlin wrote the song while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in New York. The song inspired Woody Guthrie to write another classic American anthem, “This Land is Your Land,” in 1940.

Many other patriotic songs are popular, but “The Star Spangled Banner” is the official national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics were written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key as Royal Navy ships bombed Fort McHenry in Maryland during the War of 1812. The tune comes from a popular British drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” It was composed by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a popular social club in London. It was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889. “Hail, Columbia” and various other songs previously served as the national anthem over the years, but they all paled in comparison to this moving tune. The song was officially designated as the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931, which was then signed by President Herbert Hoover. It is often sung at the beginning of sporting event, holidays and official state events.

Patriotic songs are as much a part of the rich tapestry of America as apple pie and baseball games. In fact, they often go hand in hand.

Nothing stirs the heart of a patriot in the United States like fireworks accompanied by a rousing rendition of God Bless America. The top songs of America are some of the most easily recognized pieces of music in the Western world. “America the Beautiful,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America” are well-known and well-loved songs. They all have histories as rich and colorful as the nation they praise.

The words for “America the Beautiful” were written in 1893 by an English professor from Wellesley College named Katharine Lee Bates on a train trip to Colorado Springs. She was inspired by the sights outside her window, and she put her thoughts down on paper. It was published two years later in commemoration of the Fourth of July. The poem caught the public’s attention, and the words were adapted to a tune from composer Samuel A. Ward, which was written in 1882. The song attained great popularity during the first two decades of the 20th century.

The tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was written in approximately 1855 by William Steffe. The lyrics were different, and it was used as a campfire spiritual. An early version of the lyrics were written by Thomas Bishop around 1860, and they were used as a walking song entitled “John Brown’s Body” by the Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War. Julia Ward Howe heard the song and changed the lyrics to the ones widely known today. It was originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862.

“God Bless America” was written by Irving Berlin in 1918. Berlin revised the song in 1938, and it then became a signature song of vocalist Kate Smith. He revived the song as World War II loomed on the horizon in the hopes of building national morale. Berlin wrote the song while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in New York. The song inspired Woody Guthrie to write another classic American anthem, “This Land is Your Land,” in 1940.

Many other patriotic songs are popular, but “The Star Spangled Banner” is the official national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics were written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key as Royal Navy ships bombed Fort McHenry in Maryland during the War of 1812. The tune comes from a popular British drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” It was composed by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a popular social club in London. It was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889. “Hail, Columbia” and various other songs previously served as the national anthem over the years, but they all paled in comparison to this moving tune. The song was officially designated as the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931, which was then signed by President Herbert Hoover. It is often sung at the beginning of sporting event, holidays and official state events.

Patriotic songs are as much a part of the rich tapestry of America as apple pie and baseball games. In fact, they often go hand in hand.

In 1940, Woody Guthrie sat down and wrote his personal response to the song ‘God Bless America.’ He felt a different story of America needed telling. This story would celebrate the beauty of the American expanse. At the same time, it would also celebrate the average working citizen who labored across the land. The result of his creativity was ‘This Land is Your Land,’ a song that is still taught in school music classes.

Woody Guthrie felt ‘God Bless America’ ignored the inequities in the capitalist system. He felt it was an unrealistic view of America. He held the view that too many citizens had too little. He believed that too small a segment of the population owned the greatest proportion of wealth.

This was evident in versions that never made it into print or onto records. These versions espoused more of his political views about the state of America. Over the years, he often changed the lyrics to the song, giving different performances of it.

One of the published versions of his lyrics includes this verse:

In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumblin’ and some are wonderin’
If this land’s still made for you and me.

The original title of this song by Guthrie was ‘God Blessed America for Me.’ He eventually changed the line to ‘This land was made for you and me.’ The song received its first recording in 1944 with Guthrie and folk singer Cisco Houston. First published in 1951, it was included in a book with nine other songs.

Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma. He experienced life during the Great Depression and witnessed its effects on the average blue-collar worker. He saw first-hand the trek by workers to find work on the West Coast.

By 1936, Guthrie landed in Los Angeles, like so many from other parts of the country. In the spring of 1938, he spent time going from place to place singing for the migrant workers.

He ended up with the moniker ‘Dust Bowl Troubadour’ as he followed the paths of these workers. As they traveled from Oklahoma to California Guthrie wrote songs about their lives and trials.

He developed his own views of the world around him and these became manifest in his songwriting. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s exposed him to the racism and class struggles that these workers faced.

His wandering lifestyle across America instilled in him a great compassion for everyday Americans. He came to appreciate the variety of races and cultures that made up the country. Along with Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie was responsible for the folk revival of the 1930s and 1940s.

In 1940, he ended up in New York City, a move that propelled his career forward. He wrote and recorded here, wrote ‘This Land is Your Land,’ did radio, and generally made a decent living.

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home” is a song from the Civil War era that expresses the yearning by loved ones for their solders — their sons and husbands — to come marching home safely. It has endured now for over 150 years, and shows no signs of disappearing any time soon.

Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore wrote a song during the Civil War that continues to march its way through the years. This song, a yearning for loved ones to return safely from war, is “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”. Today this song endures, and it is part of many players’ piano repertoires of American Classics.

Gilmore was a Union Army Bandmaster and an excellent soloist on the cornet. He came to the United States in 1849 from Ireland, arriving in Boston. In 1861, his own ‘Patrick Gilmore’s Band’ enlisted in the Union Army. They were part of the 24th Massachusetts Infantry.

As the cruelties of war would have it, this band of musicians had dual roles. They performed as stretcher-bearers during the Civil War in places like Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, and others.

Not too many years later, Gilmore promoted peace after seeing so much war - with his Peace Jubilees. One, called the National Peace Jubilee (1869), consisted of over 1,000 instrumentalists and 10,000 singers.

Another, called the World Peace Jubilee (1872) consisted of 2,000 instrumentalists and 20,000 singers. These were impressive stagings on par with today’s modern musical and entertainment extravaganzas.

In fact, the 1872 World event had none other than Johann Strauss with orchestra as featured performers. Of course, this was at a cost of $100,000 and it was Strauss’s only visit to the United States.

Still inspired by his hope for peace and for soldiers to come home from war to a life they once knew, Gilmore wrote When Johnny Comes Marching Home in 1863 in New Orleans. At the time, he was Grand Master of the Union Army. He had the task of reorganizing the State of Louisiana’s military bands. During his tenure, the song made it from Gilmore’s creative mind onto music paper. It began a fantastic journey for this piece of music, one that continues to this day.

Some feel the song is similar to the Irish tune “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye”. This song tells the story of a soldier returning from war with crippling injuries. Gilmore stated that he adapted the song from an African American spiritual song. He wrote the song for his sister, Annie Gilmore, as a cry to her true love, John O’Rourke. A Union Army soldier, O’Rourke was the future brother-in-law of Patrick Gilmore.

When completed the song grew in popularity. It did indeed inspire hope in war-weary listeners, becoming popular in the North as well as the South.
It became a published piece of sheet music in 1863 when Henry Tolman and Company of Boston printed it. Dedicated to the Union’s Army and Navy, it really was a tribute to brave soldiers. It is interesting that Gilmore published it under another name, Louis Lambert, although a reference to his band was included. Some of Gilmore’s other works were, Good News from Home and 22nd Regiment March, among others.
You can hear When Johnny Comes Marching Home in films like ‘Stalag 17’ and ‘How the West was Won.’ The song plays as background music in a ‘Gone with the Wind’ scene.

In his life, Patrick Gilmore created Gilmore’s Concert Garden, which was to become the very first Madison Square Garden. He was also Music Director in 1876 in Philadelphia for the U.S. Centennial celebrations.
He received the honor of the name ‘Father of the American Band’ from John Philip Sousa. Sousa had the honor of the name ‘The March King’. Gilmore laid groundwork for composers like Sousa.

Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, born on Christmas day in 1829 in Ballygar, Ireland, died in St. Louis in 1892. His legacy as a master bandleader, musician, and composer marches on.

Playing & Arranging American Patriotic Songs