Re: "God Bless America"

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

>Please don't be so hard on God Bless America; composed by a Jew and >rhymes 
>'foam' and 'home'.  To quote a great Jewish lyricist, Who could >ask for 
>anything more?

Alex and friends,

I am indeed hard on "God Bless America" and expect to remain so.

Woody Guthrie composed "This Land Is Your Land"--proposed by some 
(wishfully, I'm afraid) as an alternative anthem--inspired, negatively, by 
Irving Berlin's song.  He thought that the song had an unspoken connotation 
of being sung by, and for, the wealthy/prosperous and smug (Berlin was 
certainly the first, though he was a heartfelt patriot, if a lousy citizen 
of the Jewish people)--*not* for ordinary working stiffs.  (So the refrain 
of "TLIYL" was originally "God blessed America for me" [where we sing, and 
Woody changed it to:  "This land was made for you and me"].)  Captures my 
sentiments exactly--especially when I hear the obnoxious Kate Smith singing 
GBA.  I realize many sing it with heartfelt and patriotic sincerity--but I 
cringe.

TLIYL, by the way, was written to a borrowed (or, Woody might say, stolen) 
melody, just as The Star Spangled Banner was.  In a private communication, 
Steve Barnett conveyed that he thought that I was saying that TSSB's 
borrowed melody was one reason why (he agreed) it shouldn't be our national 
anthem; but, fwiw, that wasn't my point; contrafacta (new words to an old 
melody) are ubiquitous in folk as in Jewish music and embrace some of our 
most cherished songs, and I wouldn't rule out an anthem candidate on that 
basis.

("My Country, Tis of Thee" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" are both, of 
course, also contrafacts; and "Hatikvah" itself is very likely a contrafact 
to a Roumanian folk song and, in any case, its melody is a so-called 
wandering melody, found in innumerable cultures--not remotely original.  
"America the Beautiful," otoh, which is my personal--and others'--candidate 
for anthem, was, I believe, written to an original melody.  Has anyone 
seen/read the new book on ATB, written, improbably, by some TV personality, 
I believe?  Any good?)

I'm well aware of the data that Steve usefully supplied in re TSSB, as I 
have the incredible good fortune of having found a rare book--an entire 
book!--on the anthem in a second-hand store.  Just a wealth of material on 
Key's words, the melody, appearances in print of TSSB, and, I believe, on 
the *many* (I believe a hundred or more, maybe two hundred [sets of]) words 
that were written to the "Anachreon in Heaven" melody before Key's.  But, to 
echo Alex, I wouldn't be so hard on the anthem for *that* (borrowed melody) 
reason; the Anachreon society was actually, a drinking *and poetry* society: 
  They read poems in a pub and, I guess, toasted each one!  Kind of classy 
in its own way, no?  And as for extolling wine, women, and song--To which, 
brother Steve, do you take exception?

Best wishes to all,

Robert Cohen



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