# 7/4 is around the corner. Do you like patriotic songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820 "2020-06-30T17:44:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820/22 "2020-07-03T14:56:27Z")
I generally don’t mind patriotic songs – I love my country and don’t think there’s anything wrong with a little rose-colored pride – but lyrics are important to me, and so is the separation of church and state. I don’t like songs about America that include religion; patriotic songs that don’t mention God are few and far between. My favorite is the first 75% of “The Star-Spangled Banner”: it’s more about our flag and stomping our enemies than it is about the nation (ironically), and God isn’t mentioned until the fourth verse. I’ll admit that I can get a little teary-eyed at ballgames while singing “the flag was still there” – but I also grew up near Baltimore, and visited [Fort McHenry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McHenry) several times as a kid (and young adult). My second favorite is the first 75% of “America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee)”: again, God doesn’t come into it until the fourth verse. I used to struggle with “land of the pilgrim’s pride,” but I don’t believe the songwriter intended to glorify the occupation of Native American land so I grant the poetic license. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820/23 "2020-07-03T16:14:51Z")
I’ll also add “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820/24 "2020-07-03T16:50:15Z")
I don’t much like patriotism. The idea of that seems to be that my country is better than other countries, even if I can’t point to any real reason except that I am a citizen of it. Fighting for my country is a different issue, and that’s another thread. But just everyday, ordinary peacetime patriotism I don’t like. It doesn’t matter what country, it’s not just “I don’t feel patriotic about the US” but that I don’t see value in the concept of patriotism as such. Therefore, to make my way around to the OP, I am not a fan of patriotic songs. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820/25 "2020-07-03T19:53:27Z")
I despise them. I don’t like patriotism in general, I like American patriotism even less, and most American patriotic songs aren’t even good. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820/26 "2020-07-04T05:56:02Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > As said, the Sousa marches are fun, particularly when played by a good marching band. But some of the songs, particularly God Bless the U.S.A. (aka Proud to Be an American), are _really_ awful. The older ones, like Battle Hymn of the Republic and When Johnny Comes Marching Home are OK but kind of dated. Yeah, it’s pretty much this. I love me some Sousa (I use it to get other earworms out of my head, that stuff is catchy). But if you’re going to write a patriotic song, at least try to make it halfway good. That Lee Greenwood piece of crap was cringeworthy from the get-go - it’s a bunch of tell, don’t show. That it’s glurgishly patriotic and stereotypically produced are just additional reasons to roll your eyes at it. Other songs like “Pink Houses” are at least halfway well written, even if I don’t want to personally hear them ever again. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820/27 "2020-07-04T06:06:07Z")
I watch 1776 every year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-4-is-around-the-corner-do-you-like-patriotic-songs/913820.md?page=1)