9/11 happened. No, really, that’s when it got swapped out at Yankee Stadium. Then other places followed suit.
Oh, Flyer? Jimi says ‘fuck you, I’m making art here.’
Actually, it was Asimov in one of his Union Club mysteries, in which Griswold, the former spy regales the reader with a self-congratulatory tale of how his sharp mind solved a pressing spy-related mystery and saved the Republic.
The stories would usually be in two parts: the set-up and apprehension of the villain, with the obligatory How did Griswold solve the problem? at the end; then (after the centerfold*) the dénouement, where Griswold tells us.
Perhaps in a hundred years, after Kate Smith’s belt-y voice has vanished from human memory, God Bless America will one day be a listenable song; for now, I avoid it like the plague.
ETA: The story discussed here, in fact.
*The stories often appeared in Oui Magazine.
Never even heard of this song, let alone have any idea how to sing it.
Ahem. I was taught just one unofficial anthem in kindergarten (P.S. 41, Manhattan, 1980): “This Land is Your Land”. It’s simple, it’s inspirational, it can be sung by a 5-year-old, and it was written as a response to “God Bless America”.
I was taught “America” (“My Country 'Tis of Thee”) and “This Land is Your Land” in first grade. It wasn’t until much, much later I knew the political history behind “This Land is Your Land.”
Here’s the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing it.
To be a completist, here’s Hail, Columbia, which was our unofficial anthem for a while, and is now the Vice President’s anthem.
Not to be confused with “This Town Is Our Town”. Totally different sentiment.
I recognize the melody of the first, can’t say as I’ve ever heard the lyrics. Is it possible the melody was a rip off of something else? Don’t know why, but on hearing it I was reminded of the British navy.
The Vice President has his own anthem? And it’s not Send in the Clowns?
Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean.
He does, as does the president, obviously (Hail to the Chief), the generals and admirals, and the Speaker of the House, governors, the Chief Justice, and members of the Cabinet.
I have no quarrel with the Song “God Bless America” or the saying of it, but I wonder what it means…It is not a prayer or request, it can be an order, or a doubt that God has Blessed America. If God has Blessed America why do people have to constantly say it? What does the word mean?Apparently something good, but what?And why would a loving God with hold blessings from any of his children. I don’t hear People of other countries saying “God Bless” their particular country, do they know they are blessed or don’t think they need it? To me, it is like a child whose father just fed it, and then someone coming up and saying to the father ,“feed your child”.
How often do you look up the words to other peoples’ national anthems?
[QUOTE=Albania]
For the Lord Himself has said that nations vanish from the earth, but Albania shall live on. [English translation]
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Nigeria]
O God of creation, direct our noble cause, guide thou our leaders right…
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=India]
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
Thou dispenser of India’s destiny. [English translation]
[/QUOTE]
Look up the British national anthem.
Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! If I become a general or an admiral do I get to choose my [del]theme song[/del] anthem and have a band follow me around playing it? Pleeeeeeze!?
As to GBA, I stand and take off my hat to be polite, but after reading this thread, I think I’m going to start timing my trip to the beer stand a little bit better.
If I know I’m going to be at an event where it will be performed, would it be out of place to hold up a sign saying, “Fuck the Flyers”?
Is that God save the Queen?
It is in word to their national anthem not an every day, or every speech reminder to people that they trust in God(even though many do not really trust) or find it necessary to tell God to bless others..who may be already blessed!I wouldn’t want some one to ask( or tell) me to take care of my children when they are already taken care of with love.
She ain’t no human being!
Yes, though technically it’s the anthem of the United Kingdom. It’s the de facto anthem of Britain and England.
It’s a request for God to continue blessing America. The phrase “God bless” has carried this meaning for a while, really. It’s why you say Bless you when you sneeze–it’s not as if you’re saying God wasn’t blessing you before.
The implication is that, if not for God continuing the blessing, it would stop.It’s therefore more akin to the child asking the father to feed him again after he’s been fed, something that happens often.
It’s still a shitty song.