O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!
O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife,
When once or twice, for man’s avail,
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain,
The banner of the free!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!
This is the original “America the Beautiful” patriotic song written by Katharine Lee Bates, and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward. Since the original version, there has been two other version written and called “America the Beautiful.” The original written as a poem was in 1893, it was revised in 1904 and then again in 1913 version is the version that we now sing as “America the Beautiful.”
Witches Of The Craft® 
Why do people think they have to “improve” some things or make them more “politically correct”? I have never seen this original version before but am going to try to memorize it so the next I am somewhere that “America the Beautiful” is being sung I can sing the original. Bookmarked on my Google Bookmark Bar for quick reference daily. Sing this version will give credit to the wonderful woman who wrote the poem. Thank you so much for my learning some important to me and new today Lady A!
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Reblogged this on Coven Life.
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