God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song originally written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938, as sung by Kate Smith (becoming her signature song). It is sometimes considered an unofficial national anthem of the United States.
From an old friend who I agree with totally!!!
"Now for a little personal background. In early 1941 we sailed from
Manila for the States and were delighted that we were heading to our new
and future home. For the previous couple of years we had listened to
Kate Smith provide us with lots of hope as we heard the words to this
beautiful song. On board we did have a record of the song and by the
time we reached the states, the record was becoming scratchy from the
constant playing. Our first port of call was Portland, Oregon after a
little cruise up the Columbia River and when we got off to sightsee, the
first thing my parents did was go to a local record store and buy
several of Kate Smith's records of this song. I love this song, but I
love it only as Kate Smith sang it, but those of today think they know
more of how it should be done and they don't know SHIT!"
In 1938, with the rise of Hitler, Berlin, who was Jewish, and a first-generation European immigrant, felt it was time to revive it as a "peace song", and it was introduced on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938 sung by Kate Smith, on her radio show.
Berlin had made some minor changes; by this time, "to the right" might have been considered a call to the political right, so he substituted "through the night" instead. He also provided an introduction that is now rarely heard but which Smith always used: "While the storm clouds gather far across the sea / Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free / Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, / As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer."
More than just the dramatic words and melody, the arrangement for Kate Smith's performance was accompanied by full band, progressing into a grand march tempo, with trumpets triple re-inforcing the harmonies between stanzas: the dramatic build-up ends on the final exposed high note, which Kate Smith sang in the solo as a sustained a cappella note, with the band then joining for the finale.