Patriotic Song: Yankee Doodle Dandy

We just celebrated the 4th of July over the weekend.  Today I want to share the story behind one of our patriotic songs, Yankee Doodle Dandy. We all think about the Revolutionary War when we hear the song, however, the folk song dates back to even before the Revolutionary War. Yankee Doodle Dandy dates back to the Seven Years War.  […]

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Happy 4th of July

May we never forget the price paid for our freedom. “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we lose our freedoms it will be because we have destroyed ourselves from within” – Abraham Lincoln.

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Patriotic Song Story: Stars and Stripes Forever

“The Stars and Stripes Forever” is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa, widely considered to be his magnum opus. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress, it is the official National March of the United States of America. Sousa wrote in his autobiography, Marching Along, that he composed the march on Christmas Day 1896. […]

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Behind the Patriotic Hymn: Hail Columbia

Hail, Columbia was composed by Philip Phile in 1789. He composed the song for the first inauguration of George Washington and titled the song “The President’s March”. In 1798, Joseph Hopkinson added lyrics and the song became known as “Hail, Columbia”.  During the 18th Century, Columbia was a poetic name often used to identify the United States. The song was […]

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Behind the Song: God Bless the USA

In honor of the upcoming 4th of July holiday, I thought we would look at another Patriotic song.  God Bless the USA is as popular as God Bless America. The song was written and is the signature song of Lee Greenwood.  He has been inspired by patriots all his life.  His father, step-father, first base player and other friends were […]

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The Untold Story: The Star Spangled Banner

Francis Scott Key We all know our National Anthem, but do you know how it originated? The author, Francis Scott Key, was at Fort McHenry when the British Royal Navy bombed the fort in 1814. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and amateur poet, and John Stuart Skinner were on a mission for President James Madison on September 3, 1814. The […]

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Song Story: God Bless America

Irving Berlin’s patriotic love song to his adopted homeland was hidden away for over twenty years before being publicly made known. Irving Berlin was a Russian immigrant living in New York City.  Growing up, Berlin often heard his mother say “God Bless America.” Berlin later said about his mother, “without America, her family would have had no place to go. […]

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Behind the Hymn: My Country Tis of Thee

  In honor of the 4th of July yesterday, I wanted to share the story behind one of our beloved Patriotic hymns. My Country Tis of Thee is a popular Patriotic hymn, after our national anthem and God Bless America. Samuel Francis Smith wanted to write a song to bring the nation of the United States to God.  In 1831, […]

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