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The story of America

America

Words: Rev Samuel F. Smith, 1832
Tune: British national anthem, and German song

The following shows the five verses as written by Smith. The only variation is a small transposition of two lines in the fourth verse, and the crossing out of the third verse in an early autograph copy.

  
My country 'tis of thee
Sweet land of liberty;
    Of thee I sing,
Land where my fathers died
Land of the pilgrims' pride
From every mountain side
    Let freedom ring.
 
My native country, - thee,
Land of the noble free 
    Thy name I love;
I love thy - rocks & rills
Thy woods and templed hills
My heart with rapture thrills
    Like that above.
 
No more shall tyrants here      This verse was removed by Smith
With haughty steps appear
    And soldier bands
No more shall tyrants dread 
Above the patriot dead
No more our blood be shed
    By alien hands.
 
Let music swell the breeze
And ring from all the trees
    Sweet freedom's song
Let all that breathes partake      These two lines appear
Let mortal tongues awake          transposed in one of Smith's copies
Let rocks their silence break 
    The sound prolong.
 
Our fathers' God to Thee
Author of liberty
    To Thee we sing
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light
Protect us by Thy might
Our God our King
  
A further four stanzas appeared in Poems of American Patriotism, and the following was written to celebrate the Centennial of the Washington Inauguration
  
Our joyful hearts to-day,
Their grateful tribute pay,
    Happy and free.
After our toils and fears,
After our blood and tears,
Strong with our hundred years
    O God, to thee.
  

Last update: 22-Mar-00  ©1996-2004 Mike Todd