America

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
          Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
          Let freedom ring.

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
          Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
          Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
          Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake,
Let all that breathe partake,
Let rocks their silence break --
          The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
          To Thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
          Great God, our King.

--Samuel Francis Smith

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Celebration Song
(to the tune of "Oh, My Darling, Clementine")

Wave the flag,
Wave the flag,
Wave the flag, oh, wave it high.
Wave the flag and celebrate
Our nation's Independence Day.

Beat the drum,
Beat the drum,
Beat the drum, bong, bong, bong, bong.
Beat the drum and celebrate
Our nation's Independence Day.

March in time,
March in time,
March in time, oh, watch your step.
March in time and celebrate
Our nation's Independence Day.

Sing a song,
Sing a song,
Sing a song both loud and strong.
Sing a song and celebrate
Our nation's Independence Day.

Watch the fireworks,
Watch the fireworks,
Watch the fireworks light the sky.
Watch the fireworks and celebrate
Our nation's Independence Day.

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Fireworks Light the Sky
(to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Bang! Snap! Whistle! Pop!
Fireworks fill the air.
See them lighting up the sky
On the Fourth of July.

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God Bless America

God Bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam,
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.

--Irving Berlin

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Happy Birthday, My Country

Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, my country.
Happy birthday to you.

I'm thankful for you.
I'm thankful for you.
You are a great country.
I'm thankful for you.

I'll obey your laws.
I'll obey your laws.
I'll be a good citizen
Who obey your laws.

I'll defend your shores.
I'll defend your shores.
From outward attacks,
I'll defend your shores.

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History
(to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")

I read of patriots long ago
Who fought to buy the peace I know.
They gave all that they had
So that I could be glad,
Living in a country free
Enjoying peace and prosperity.

Men and women once like me,
They wanted their country to be free.
They fought hard, they fought long,
Some gave their lives to conquer wrong.
That we might live in liberty,
Enjoying peace and prosperity.

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Lady Liberty
(to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a great tall statue,
A symbol you see.
I stand for peace and liberty.
I stand in New York harbor
Straight and tall,
Welcoming the people, one and all.

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The Star-Spangled Banner

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
          What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
          O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming!
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
          O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
          O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
          Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
          As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
          'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
          O'er the land of the free and home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
          That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
          Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution,
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
          And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
          O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
          Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
          Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
          And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
          O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

--Francis Scott Key

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