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Comment by carols_kitchen on November 8, 2009 at 11:16pm

Eternal God
Please help our sailors who have drifted away remember that you are their strength. Please find that crack in their hearts and souls that makes them hunger for your word and your worship. Keep them enfolded in your arms and keep them safe as they return to you.
Amen

Comment by carols_kitchen on November 8, 2009 at 1:21pm

Berlin originally wrote the song in 1918 while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York, but decided that it did not fit in a revue called Yip Yip Yaphank, so he set it aside. The lyrics at that time included the line, "Make her victorious on land and foam, God bless America..." [1], as well as "Stand beside her and guide her, to the right with the light from above."

Music critic Jody Rosen comments that a 1906 Jewish dialect novelty song, "When Mose with His Nose Leads the Band", contains a six-note fragment that is "instantly recognizable as the opening strains of "God Bless America"". He interprets this as an example of Berlin's "habit of interpolating bits of half-remembered songs into his own numbers."[citation needed] Berlin, born Israel Baline, had himself written several Jewish-themed novelty tunes.

In 1938, with the rise of Hitler, Berlin, who was Jewish, and a first-generation European immigrant, felt it was time to revive it as a "peace song", and it was introduced on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938 sung by Kate Smith, on her radio show. [1] Berlin had made some minor changes; by this time, "to the right" might have been considered a call to the political right, so he substituted "through the night" instead. He also provided an introduction that is now rarely heard but which Smith always used: "While the storm clouds gather far across the sea / Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free / Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, / As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer."

More than just the dramatic words and melody, the arrangement for Kate Smith's performance was accompanied by full band, progressing into a grand march tempo, with trumpets triple re-inforcing the harmonies between stanzas: the dramatic build-up ends on the final exposed high note, which Kate Smith sang in the solo as a sustained a cappella note, with the band then joining for the finale.

The song was a hit; there was even a movement to make "God Bless America" the national anthem of the United States. In 1943, Smith's rendition was featured in the patriotic musical This Is the Army along with other Berlin songs. Manuscripts in the Library of Congress reveal the evolution of the song from victory to peace. Berlin gave the royalties of the song to the God Bless America Fund for redistribution to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the USA.

Woody Guthrie disliked the song, and wrote "This Land Is Your Land," originally titled "God Blessed America For Me", as a response to "God Bless America". "This Land Is Your Land" has also often been proposed as a United States national anthem[citation needed].

Later, from December 11, 1969,[1] through the early 1970s, the playing of Smith singing the song before many of home games of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers brought it renewed popularity (as well as a reputation for being a "good luck charm" to the Flyers),[1] long before it became a staple of nationwide sporting events.[1] The Flyers even brought Smith in to sing "live" before the final game of Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 19, 1974, and the Flyers won the Cup that day.[1]

To honor the start of the United States Bicentennial, Kate Smith sang "God Bless America" for a national television audience, accompanied by the UCLA Band at the 1976 Rose Bowl.

"God Bless America" is often sung at sporting events, recitals, and other public events where national anthems are sung, sometimes in place of "The Star-Spangled Banner". Two examples of this are at home games of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers and those of the Ottawa Senators in which the visiting team is from the United States. At Flyers' home games, Lauren Hart has sung "God Bless America" alternating lyrics with Kate Smith on a video screen. Kate Smith actually appeared in person to sing at select Flyers games, including their 1974 Stanley Cup clinching game against the Boston Bruins, to which she received a thunderous ovation from the infamously fickle Philadelphia fans. To this day, whenever the Flyers play the video of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America", the fans will not boo any play until well into the game. At some Ottawa Senators' home games, if the visiting team is from the U.S., Ontario Provincial Police Constable Lyndon Slewidge has sung "God Bless America" before singing the Canadian national anthem.

Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, "God Bless America" has commonly been sung during the seventh-inning stretch in Sunday (as well as Opening Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, All-Star Game, Labor Day, September 11 and all post-season) Major League Baseball games, except for those at the Canadian home fields of the Toronto Blue Jays and of the Montreal Expos prior to 2005, when they moved to Washington. Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium are currently the only Major League ballparks to play "God Bless America" in every game during the seventh-inning stretch. The Yankees' YES Network televises its performance during each game before going to a commercial.

On August 26, 2008, a fan at a Boston Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium, who had attempted to leave for the restroom during the playing of the song, was restrained and ejected by NYPD officers. As part of the settlement of a subsequent lawsuit, the New York Yankees announced that they would no longer restrict the movement of fans during the playing of the song.[2]

At Chicago's Wrigley Field, during the Vietnam War, the song was often played by the organist as part of his post-game playlist, while fans filed out of the stadium.[3]

On September 15, 2009, three high school teens filed a lawsuit against New Jersey's minor league Newark Bears for being ejected from Eagles Riverfront Stadium over their refusal to stand during the playing of "God Bless America" on June 29, 2009. Before being ejected, they were asked to leave the stadium by Bears' president and co-owner Thomas Cetnar.[4]
[edit] Notable versions
[edit] Traditional Lyrics

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Comment by carols_kitchen on November 7, 2009 at 11:33am

God
It's us again, asking for consolation in Florida. Please be with the families of the shooting there. Do not let the news be a tool for satan to spread bad deeds. Let us be your tools of love, empathy and caring as we reach out to all peoples.
Amen

Comment by carols_kitchen on November 6, 2009 at 5:01pm

Eternal God
Carry us through this disaster at Ft. Hood, TX. Comfort the families as they deal with the intense losses they are suffering. Hold us all in your arms as we tackle this question of confusion.
Amen

Comment by Janis on November 6, 2009 at 10:26am

Dear Lord, I pray for All our Troops and families, please protect them and comfort them. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen

Comment by carols_kitchen on November 5, 2009 at 6:14pm

More news has arrived about the shooting at Ft. Hood. There are 12 dead and 31 injured. They were shot in the Soldiers Readiness Facility as they prepared with final medical and dental evaluations, etc, to leave for battle.

Comment by carols_kitchen on November 5, 2009 at 5:13pm

Dearest Lord
Please be with all the soldiers at Ft Hood in Texas. There has been a major shooting there and at least 7 are dead and 30 injured. News is forthcoming.
Be with all the families who have loved ones there.
Amen

Comment by carols_kitchen on November 5, 2009 at 4:11pm

Oh my--such great words from so many of you. How blessed we are to have each other in God's company. Love you all.

Comment by Cheryl Proud to be Allen's Mom on November 4, 2009 at 7:47pm

Amen for that passage, doug's mom.

Comment by carols_kitchen on November 3, 2009 at 9:16pm

Three young female students from N. Dakota were found in their vehicle in a pond. Please be with their college friends, their families and all those who loved them. It is a suspected accident. Let us all hug those we love one extra time tonight.

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