It is said that Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best singer of her time, and he said that when he and a million other guys first heard her sing "God Bless America" on the radio, they all pretended to have dust in their eyes as they wiped away a tear or two. The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we'd have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans. This was the era just before TV when radio shows were huge and American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to their favorite entertainers and no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith. Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring. She had hope for America , and faith in her fellow Americans. She wanted to do something to cheer them up, so she went to the famous American songwriter Irving Berlin and asked him to write a song that would make Americans feel good again about their country. When she described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her. He went to his files and found a song that he had written but never published, 22 years before - in 1917. He gave it to her and she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving Berlin were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed they would not take any profits from God Bless America . Any profits would go to the Boy Scouts of America . Over the years, the Boy Scouts have received millions of dollars in royalties from this song. Back in 1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt whether she realized just how successful the results would be for her fellow Americans during those years of hardship and worry, as well as for many generations of Americans to follow. There is no question that over the years God has blessed America and we who are Americans should daily thank Him for that. However, I am concerned that as this country has drifted away from Him and has often turned its back on His teachings, that His blessing may no longer be on us as a country. And that is tragic and sad. I pray that somehow, as we drift from His foundation, that we may have a revival and return to Him before it is too late.
God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home
From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home
God bless America, my home sweet home
In 1976 we used this song in one of the Bible school series that our family presented in various churches and conferences. At that time we added another verse that we thought was profound and needed. Unfortunately, I don't know who penned these words.
God wake America, land that I love.
Start in me Lord, to be Lord,
One whose life proves that God lives above.
Bring salvation to our nation,
that each one will hear and heed,
God save America, I humbly plead.
God save America, I humbly plead!
Now here is the video of Kate Smith introducing this song for the first time on the radio. KATE SMITH
Here is another presentation of this song. LISTEN
1 comment:
It was Amy Hyde with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Miami that wrote those words. I got a song flash card of it in a box of old CEF/Good News Club materials at a yard sale. It had printed on it that the words were written by her
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