I know what you mean. My brain says ‘no’ to this one, but my heart says YES! It can give me chills.
Unless your job was as a human cannonball. Then that would still suck.
But they’ll never find someone else of your caliber.
Perhaps not, but every applicant to replace him in the job will get a fair shot.
I made a trip with my husband to the western slope of the Rockies in Colorado. There are numerous fruit farms and wineries there at the foot of the mountains. One morning, just after dawn, I was looking out our hotel window with the fruit farms stretched out before me and the sun beginning to rise from behind the mountains. And all of sudden, there it was - the purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain! Even now, my heart does a little skip when America the Beautiful is sung and they get to that line.
Not patriotic? “Each individual state, contributes a quality that is great! Each individual state deserves bow. Let’s salute them now!”
And then if you know the lyrics, you know the names of all the states. Which helped me a lot in fifth grade geography, by the way.
I like “You’re a Grand Old Flag”, too. Once I was visiting a school where a teacher was trying to remember the lyrics and teach them to her students. She couldn’t, and I started belting it out. She joined in. It was the most musical comedy moment of my life. 
The poem was, actually, written in Colorado, although the view from Pike’s Peak was only part of the inspiration. I’ve always found it interesting that the tune was composed completely separately, ten years earlier, and they weren’t joined until ten years after Bates wrote the words. The combination makes a great song.
I don’t know if it’s my favorite as a song, but one thing I like about “Star Spangled Banner”, for national anthem purposes, is its relative lack of God references (yes, there’s “in God do we trust”, but that plays as simple acknowledgment that the phrase appears on coins). I don’t mind its martiality, because it’s of the defensive, underdog sort. And the fact that it is sung to a drinking tune makes it all the cooler. “Stars and Stripes Forever” is hummable (or whistlable, for those who can whistle), but I’d feel silly singing it. “Grand Old Rag” has a poetry that the “rag” to “flag” change destroys. “America the Beautiful” is great, though “o’er amber waves” works better than “for…”, but “God Bless America” has been largely ruined for me by its post-9/11 abuse (e.g., chaining the fans into their boxes at Yankee Stadium). The “Battle Hymn” was the best thing about Winston Churchill’s funeral. I like both of the Paul Simon songs.
I am wondering now if all of these songs have familiar schoolyard versions? Offhand, I recall “teacher hit me with a ruler”, “this land is my land, it isn’t your land”, and “be kind to your web-footed friends”. More?
America The Beautiful, no question. Because…well, dammit, America is beautiful.
Dear god, that song is sentimental jingoistic glurge. It’s actually antipatriotic, because every time I hear it, I want to strangle a bald eagle.
Yeah, but <insert state here> is the BEST. So not really patriotic for the entire U.S.
Which reminded me of something interesting: I’ve never heard “patriotic” used for anything but a country-level. I don’t know a word for people those Texans who are really proud of their state.
BTW, that song’s chords are more complex than you’d expect, especially if you try to follow along with a recording.
This Land Is Your Land, but I will take this performance over Woody’s own: Pete Seeger - This Land is Your Land - YouTube
Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful” is a good 2nd or 3rd choice for me.
When Johnny Comes Marching Home is by other for 2nd or 3rd.
On the 4th of July, I will play The Stars and Stripes Forever, Anchors Aweigh (my dad was in the Navy during the War), Back in the USA, and then a handful of American-type songs til I get bored – might include American Tune, America: Fuck Yeah, or a few Beach Boys things. If Mr Boods is home, I play Battle of New Orleans for his benefit. (He’s also been subject to George Washington - YouTube and those Schoolhouse Rock ones about the Revolution).
Songs that I avoid: song about America that have religious overtones to them (God Bless America makes me stabby).
Didn’t do it this year, and in fact completely forgot when the 4th came as I was on holiday in Scotland. If the 4th falls during the work week, though, I don’t go into work and refuse to take leave.
That said, when I go to become a citizen, I will probably mouth/whisper My Country Tis of Thee during the ritual national-anthem-singing they make you do. 
And the third verse - which is the first verse of the Ray Charles version - isn’t?
Which reminds me of a version I heard on a televised concert - I want to say it was a Fourth of July concert in DC, broadcast by PBS - where the singer made a couple of changes. First, “crown thy good with brotherhood” was changed to “sisterhood”; second, she refused to sing the third verse, and sang a different verse (not normally part of the song) that gave off an anti-war vibe.