# Proud to be an American? (the song) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837 "2004-10-12T16:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/1 "2004-10-12T16:53:07Z")
I recently attended an elementary school event, where they give out those little “My kid is Student of the Month at xxxxx Elementary School”. Before the actual ceremony started, we were treated to the all of the kids in the school singing Lee Greenwood’s _God Bless the USA_. I was a little uncomfortable with this, but couldn’t really put my finger on why. Maybe it was because I’m not much of a fan of country music. Maybe it was because it wasn’t really a traditional song (I remember singing _The Star Spangled Banner_, _My Country Tis of Thee_, _God Bless America_ and _This Land is Your Land_ when I was in school). Maybe it was because of the “God bless” part. Maybe it’s the undercurrent of nationalism that song seems to evoke. Anyway, I’m looking for other folks’ take on this: Should this song bother me? Should it bother me when it’s sung by kids at school (so obviously the school has them practice this; I think that they might sing it every morning right after the Pledge of Allegiance)? Am I being overly sensitive? Here’s the first verse and chorus and a [link to the complete lyrics](http://www.usdreams.com/Greenwood79.html), for anyone who might not know what song I’m talking about: > [@](#): > > If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life, > And I had to start again with just my children and my wife. > I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today, > ‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away. > > And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. > And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. > And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. > ‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/2 "2004-10-12T17:17:12Z")
I don’t see anything wrong with the song. Some people might not like the mention of God but I don’t see how the term “God bless America” is any more controversial than “One nation under God”. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/3 "2004-10-12T17:17:38Z")
**Shibb** , if it were me, I’d be pretty PO’d. For me, it’s the undercurrent of nationalism you mention that pushes my buttons - I think it’s inappropriate for school. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/4 "2004-10-12T17:19:42Z")
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the song either. I don’t think it is anything other than a statement that the writer is proud of where he lives and the freedoms that he has. There is nothing wrong with that IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![igloorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@igloorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igloorex)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/5 "2004-10-12T17:30:07Z")
I don’t think there’s anything _politically_ wrong with the song. OK, maybe it’s a little on the jingo-istic side, but not much worse than, say, “My country 'tis of the” or any of the other patriotic songs. My problem with it is that it’s just such a bad song. It’s maudlin and sappy, from the cheesy lyrics to the sweeping string arrangements. And, like many other things that get wrapped in the flag, it seems somehow immune to criticism. When I was in the military, I heard this song all the time. It makes my skin crawl. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/6 "2004-10-12T17:33:13Z")
> [@igloorex](#): > > My problem with it is that it’s just such a bad song. It’s maudlin and sappy, from the cheesy lyrics to the sweeping string arrangements. And, like many other things that get wrapped in the flag, it seems somehow immune to criticism. When I was in the military, I heard this song all the time. It makes my skin crawl. This might be what really bothers me. The song itself really does absolutely nothing for me. And it sounds really awful being sung by a bunch of elementary school kids, particularly the first stanza. (Og bless their little hearts) ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/7 "2004-10-12T17:47:07Z")
When my sister and I went to Newport News to visit our brother, we went with him and some of his navy buddies and their girlfriends to a bar. Later in the evening, the bar played that song, and every person in the place except me and my sister was singing at the top of their lungs. When the two marines in their dress whites came up on stage and saluted for the entire song, my sister and I just rolled our eyes and later agreed that you would just NEVER EVER see that in California. Weird, weird, weird. Of course this was October 2001, mind you. I agree that its a bad song, and very jingoistic. That said, other “patriotic” songs are not any better. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/8 "2004-10-12T17:50:07Z")
One thing that bothers me is it uses the word “ain’t”. And “'cause”. Maybe it’s really okay, but it bugs me. I don’t want my child to use “ain’t”. I would rather they learn to say “is not” or “isn’t”. I don’t care that it’s in the dictionary now. It makes me cringe when I hear it, and if I hear children not just saying it, but singing it in a song about national pride… I’d just die a little inside. No, I’m not an American yet, but I’m living here, and I chose to live here, and so I take pride in where I live. No one forced me to come here. But there is something about that song I can’t put my finger on, and it bugs me a little, too. Maybe I’m like the OP… it’s a little bit of everything. ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/9 "2004-10-12T18:13:49Z")
Maybe it is because when we go to a school function for our children we have this _way out_ notion that it should be about education and learning. Not that singing songs of national pride are all bad…it’s just not necessarily why you show up at school functions. (plus it is a kind of mawdling song, esp. if you don’t like country music) ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/10 "2004-10-12T18:20:13Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > **Shibb** , if it were me, I’d be pretty PO’d. For me, it’s the undercurrent of nationalism you mention that pushes my buttons - I think it’s inappropriate for school. In a public school I don’t see anything wrong with a little bit of nationalism. I can see where the “God Bless” could bother some people and “ain’t” would bother others, but I don’t see where this song differs significantly with _America the Beautiful_ or _My Country Tis of Thee_, which no one objected to when we sang them in our school. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/11 "2004-10-12T18:26:45Z")
I am strongly unfond of that song. Getting into the reasons for it probably belongs in another forum, and I have no burning desire to Pit it, so there you go. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/12 "2004-10-12T18:33:53Z")
> [@WVmom](#): > > In a public school I don’t see anything wrong with a little bit of nationalism. I can see where the “God Bless” could bother some people and “ain’t” would bother others, but I don’t see where this song differs significantly with _America the Beautiful_ or _My Country Tis of Thee_, which no one objected to when we sang them in our school. I should point out that I was in third grade in 1972. Watergate was going on, there were riots occasionally not far from my house (we lived in the DC Suburbs) and I was in Catholic school, reciting Hail Marys, Our Fathers, the Apostle’s Creed and attending mass at least once a week during school hours. It was certainly not in my background to object (you’d be damning yourself to hell! :eek:) I’d just met my first Jewish kid. I did not know _any_ Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, etc. I doubt that I knew what atheism was (and if I did it was those “godless Commies” that were trying to kill our troops over in 'Nam"). Times are different now. The old songs I find quaint. I’m not anti-religious, but I’m no longer religious, either. I tell my kids about Christianity, Judaism and Islam as part of their bedtime stories, or during long car rides. I also tell them about the Lord Buddha, _bodhisattva_, the Crusades, and how people have killed each other over religious and nationalist disputes over the years. I try and inform them about these things as fairly as I can, so that they can decide what they want to believe. I’m not sure I want the Florida public school system influencing this decision, and I cannot afford to put them into private school (money) or homeschool them (time). ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/13 "2004-10-12T18:40:18Z")
> [@igloorex](#): > > I don’t think there’s anything _politically_ wrong with the song. OK, maybe it’s a little on the jingo-istic side, but not much worse than, say, “My country 'tis of the” or any of the other patriotic songs. > > My problem with it is that it’s just such a bad song. It’s maudlin and sappy, from the cheesy lyrics to the sweeping string arrangements. And, like many other things that get wrapped in the flag, it seems somehow immune to criticism. When I was in the military, I heard this song all the time. It makes my skin crawl. Yes! I’ve been hating this song a long time, yet zombie-like it goes on and on. It sucks, and if that makes me unpatriotic, it still sucks. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/14 "2004-10-12T18:50:57Z")
> [@igloorex](#): > > I don’t think there’s anything _politically_ wrong with the song. OK, maybe it’s a little on the jingo-istic side, but not much worse than, say, “My country 'tis of the” or any of the other patriotic songs. > > My problem with it is that it’s just such a bad song. It’s maudlin and sappy, from the cheesy lyrics to the sweeping string arrangements. And, like many other things that get wrapped in the flag, it seems somehow immune to criticism. When I was in the military, I heard this song all the time. It makes my skin crawl. It’s also nearly unsingable, especially by kids. The tune meanders and has absolutely no hooks other than the final seven notes. I saw people trying to sing it after 9/11 and they just couldn’t remember the tune – which is about as forgettable as a song can be. They sort of mumbled along the entire time until they came to “God Bless the USA.” Personally, I’d pick “America, the Beautiful” which is everything a patriotic song should be. And also “This Land is Your Land,” to remind people. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/15 "2004-10-12T19:01:54Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Personally, I’d pick “America, the Beautiful” which is everything a patriotic song should be. And also “This Land is Your Land,” to remind people. I agree that it’s not the best song in the world, but how is it worse, in terms of controversy, than America the Beautiful? _America, America God shed his grace on thee And crowned thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea_. I guess it’s better grammatically, you still have the references to God. _This Land is Your Land_ is pretty inoffensive, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/16 "2004-10-12T19:23:01Z")
Ya know, they could do much, much better than replacing the National Anthem with this piece of crap, which is where it seems to be going. Why? Well, for one, it’s at least as bad as the National Anthem in “high notes most singers will massacre” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/17 "2004-10-12T19:32:07Z")
> [@WVmom](#): > > I agree that it’s not the best song in the world, but how is it worse, in terms of controversy, than America the Beautiful? > > _America, America > God shed his grace on thee > And crowned thy good with brotherhood > From sea to shining sea_. > > I guess it’s better grammatically, you still have the references to God. _This Land is Your Land_ is pretty inoffensive, though. Heh… I always thought it was “…God shed disgrace on thee…”. Until, of course, I became old enough to realize that that didn’t make sense lyrically; by which time, of course, it did make sense lyrically… ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/18 "2004-10-12T19:41:32Z")
When my son’s elementary school taught the kids this song, they just left out the first verse rather than face the weirdness of 8 year olds earnestly singing about what would happen if they lost everything but their wives and children. Good call, that. His teacher also used it to help with geography, they might not have known every state on the map but they knew the places named in the song. Yep, it’s maudlin, not great lyrically or musically, yep it’s nationalistic and mentions God, I just can’t really muster up a good rage about it though. Rather, I like to use it, as well as the traditional holiday carols they learned, as an example to all the ignorant fundies that scream about “public schools outlawing God and Christmas!” Always fun to poke fundies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/19 "2004-10-12T19:45:27Z")
> [@WVmom](#): > > _This Land is Your Land_ is pretty inoffensive, though. Except that it’s as much a [protest song](http://www.arlo.net/lyrics/this-land.shtml) as a patriotic one. As for Lee Greenwood’s song, it’s a piece of godawful tripe that should be shoved down the memory hole. But in general, I’ve never been into forcing kids to sing nationalistic songs, no matter how well-written they are. I always hated having to do it in elementary school, since I was there to learn, not to perform at school functions like some kind of trained monkey. So yeah, that type of thing is probably what’s turning our youth into godless heavy-petting Commie scum. Then again, I have fond memories of the time my fourth-grade music teacher told us to write an essay on what song we thought would make a good national anthem if we didn’t use “The Star-Spangled Banner.” My succinct response was, “I think ‘Cool Jerk’ should be the national anthem, because most Americans think they’re cool, but they’re really jerks.” I’ve since partially recovered from my crippling misanthropy, but I still think “Cool Jerk” would make a badass national anthem, if only because it would prove that we, as a nation, know how to collectively _get down_. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837/20 "2004-10-12T19:46:46Z")
> [@WVmom](#): > > I agree that it’s not the best song in the world, but how is it worse, in terms of controversy, than America the Beautiful? > > _America, America > God shed his grace on thee > And crowned thy good with brotherhood > From sea to shining sea_. > > I guess it’s better grammatically, you still have the references to God. Athiest checking in here. I have no problem with the reference to god. My beef with “God Bless The USA” is that it is, long, meandering, unsingable (except for the chorus), and no one knows the words (again, except for the chorus). _America the Beautiful_, OTOH, is simple to learn and has a pleasant melody. However, I prefer a song we learned in Scouts. I think it was called _America_. It was sung in rounds: > [@](#): > > America America > How can I tell you how I feel? > You have given me many treasures. > I love you so. Simple, soulful, and to the point. Everything a patriotic song should be. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proud-to-be-an-american-the-song/268837.md?page=2)