# Question for Americans - Patriotic songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172 "2015-10-01T20:49:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/21 "2015-10-02T01:53:11Z")
I don’t really care for patriotic songs at all. But they can be fun to play on trombone. “Stars and Stripes” is my fave to play on trombone. Not sure if people can tell but the piccolo part at the end is really a piccolo-trombone duet! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/22 "2015-10-02T01:59:23Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I don’t really care for patriotic songs at all. But they can be fun to play on trombone. “Stars and Stripes” is my fave to play on trombone. Not sure if people can tell but the piccolo part at the end is really a piccolo-trombone duet! 😃 My college band would tour area high schools often, and the last number would be “Stars and Stripes” and we’d ask the high school band director to direct it. The surprise at the end was the piccolo part would be played by the tubas, which always caused the band directors to laugh that they got fooled. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/23 "2015-10-02T02:15:45Z")
Tough call. Battle Hymn is incredibly stirring, but possibly overly militaristic and religious. God Bless America sung by Kate Smith before Flyers games is way up there on my list, but in general use not so much. This Land is Your Land actually says more to me about patriotism than the others. America by Simon & Garfunkel is important to me also. And even though it’s pretty hokey I like the Ballad of the Green Beret also. ETA: Stars and Stripes is great for the melody, it was my ring tone for years. Never heard it done with the lyrics though. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/24 "2015-10-02T03:04:19Z")
_The Ballad of the Green Berets_ - As a former Marine is seems wrong to like something by some army wienie, but there it is 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/25 "2015-10-02T03:56:08Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > This Land is Your Land actually says more to me about patriotism than the others. I like _This Land is Your Land_ very much, but almost everyone leaves off the last three verses: \*As I went walking I saw a sign there And on the sign it said “No Trespassing.” But on the other side it didn’t say nothing, That side was made for you and me. In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people, By the relief office I seen my people; As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking Is this land made for you and me? Nobody living can ever stop me, As I go walking that freedom highway; Nobody living can ever make me turn back This land was made for you and me.\* ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/26 "2015-10-02T04:05:35Z")
Tossup between _This Land was Made for You & Me_ and _America the Beautiful_, in my opinion. The former is at least singable by the average Joe. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/27 "2015-10-02T04:40:17Z")
Its not exactly patriotic but a good song “Fifty Nifty United States”. “Dixie” is at least a song one could dance to. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/28 "2015-10-02T05:32:44Z")
1. “Star-Spangled Banner” (see my avatar). 2. “America the Beautiful.” > [@TriPolar](#): > > This Land is Your Land actually says more to me about patriotism than the others. Too bad it was written by a Communist. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/29 "2015-10-02T12:06:58Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful” doesn’t get you weeping, there’s something wrong with you. Should be our national anthem. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/30 "2015-10-02T12:12:05Z")
> [@GoodOmens](#): > > Should be our national anthem. Now [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXNsXIxBkqs) is a truly worthy anthem. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/31 "2015-10-02T12:18:16Z")
Not only do I like “America the Beautiful”, I’d much rather have it as our national anthem than the unsingable mess of a drinking song we have now. “God Bless America” would be my second choice. > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Too bad it was written by a Communist. So? The Pledge of Allegiance was written by a Socialist. One can be a Communist and a patriotic American at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/32 "2015-10-02T13:22:44Z")
America the Beautiful, far and away. It’s even better when you have all of the verses. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/33 "2015-10-02T13:26:11Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Not only do I like “America the Beautiful”, I’d much rather have it as our national anthem than the unsingable mess of a drinking song we have now. > . I agree. America the Beautiful is a much better song. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/34 "2015-10-02T13:27:02Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I don’t really care for patriotic songs at all. But they can be fun to play on trombone. “Stars and Stripes” is my fave to play on trombone. Not sure if people can tell but the piccolo part at the end is really a piccolo-trombone duet! 😃 Trombone players unite! _high fives_ ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/35 "2015-10-02T14:34:24Z")
Usually I am not much of a flag-waver; just the opposite. But My Country, 'Tis of Thee - something in that one always brings just a little something out in me that I keep chained up deep in my soul and until its over I have something less than contempt for this nation. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/36 "2015-10-02T15:22:58Z")
I like the Star Spangled Banner. I like the history of how it was written, I like the imagery of a battled fort holding out over night against an old world power intent on bending the nation to its will and I like that it doesn’t have any religious nonsense in it. I dislike America the Beautiful because it has all that stuff about the invisible man in the sky. As an atheist, I like that the national anthem doesn’t make me feel like I don’t belong because I don’t believe. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/37 "2015-10-02T15:40:47Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA is a pretty good one. It’s cheesy, it’s cliche, but it really is inspiring. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/38 "2015-10-02T15:40:53Z")
Of the traditional / established ones, definitely “America the Beautiful”. It should be the national anthem, not the SSB, which is a screechy monstrosity and awkwardly-lurching thing in which the syllABBBles uvvthuh werrrrrds fit poorly to the rhythm, and which is all about military might and warfare and stuff. (On the other hand, I’d much rather have the SSB than God Bless America as the anthem) ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/39 "2015-10-02T15:55:23Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > It’s cheesy, it’s cliche, but it really is inspiring. I detest that song. It makes me want to vomit. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172/40 "2015-10-02T16:02:10Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > It’s cheesy, it’s cliche, but it really is inspiring. I don’t get that one. “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.” When I use that “at least” construction, I’m saying “It was really bad, but this one bad thing didn’t happen.” “I got fired today, but at least I didn’t get shot out of a cannon!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-americans-patriotic-songs/733172.md?page=3)