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07 Aug 02 - 08:16 AM (#761223) Subject: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: phil jl I have been asked by a friend to sing America The Beautiful at a memorial service for his twin brother who died in the World Trade Centre last Sep 11. I live in Australia and, whilst I know of the song, I am not exactly familiar with it and would like some help working out an appropriate interpretation. In particular I would like to present the song in a way that it would be sung in America under similar circumstances. The version of the words I downloaded from the net has 8 verses. Is it usual to sing all of them? The chord progressions in the music (again downloaded from the net) are, in parts, chromatic. I would have expected more simple progressions using 3 or 4 fundamental chords. Is it usual to play the chromatic progressions? In reading the words as I play the tune I feel it should be sung slowly, 1/4 = 100, but I have recently heard a version at 130 to 140. What is the more common tempo? I will appreciate any advice anyone can give. Phil
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07 Aug 02 - 12:09 PM (#761330) Subject: RE: Help: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: masato sakurai The one with simpler chords would be:
America the Beautiful (score, chords: key: C)
America the Beautiful (lyrics, chords; key: G) ~Masato |
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07 Aug 02 - 12:44 PM (#761359) Subject: RE: Help: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: MMario I suspect slower is far more common. Normally you will hear only two verses - first and fourth ('spacious skies' and 'patriot's dreams') - though I have heard more sung - I don't think I have EVER heard all eight in one sitting. I think I might include the third verse for this 'for heroes proved'.
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07 Aug 02 - 02:02 PM (#761412) Subject: RE: Help: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: Wesley S Phil - I know I don't get to vote here but I sure enjoy the secong verse listed with it's words of "God mend thy every flaw". It seems appropriate right now. And I would think that at the type of performence you're going to be at the right tempo would be not too slow, not too fast. Not a durge - not a march either. Not much help am I. I suspect if you're smart enough to ask the question that you'll also feel the right tempo in your heart. Good luck to you. Come back later and tell us how it went. |
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07 Aug 02 - 03:24 PM (#761451) Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL (Bates/Ward) From: Genie Click here for another thread with lyrics and discussion. A link to original sheet music for the song is here. There's a MIDI here, but it's kinda "march-y" and probably a little faster than you'd want to play it. I'm a bit surprised this is not in the DT, since "America" ("My Country 'Tis Of Thee") is. BTW, please note that the original lyric is "...purple mountain majesties," not -- as is increasingly common to hear on TV today -- "...purple mountains' majesty." I think Bates's poetry is diminished by that bit of folk drift, and I imagine it stems from people being too lazy to do their homework on the correct lyrics to a song before performing it before a nationwide audience. I commend you, Phil, for taking the time to follow up on what you found on the net. Also, I have always seen the second verse printed (e.g., in hymnals) as "...God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul...," not "...God mend thine every flaw, confirmed thy soul... ." The line is a kind of prayer that God will mend America's flaws and confirm America's soul in self-control -- not a statement that God has already done that. Genie PS, The chords in one of the sites Masato linked to seemed to be out of place, so here are the ones I use. (I sometimes throw in an Em or Bm, but they're really not needed.) AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL (Katherine Lee Bates ca. 1893; Samuel Ward ca. 1894 G D D7 G D O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, G D A A7 D - D7 For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. G D D7 G - G7 America, America! God shed His grace on thee, C G C D7 G And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. O beautiful for Pilgrim feet whose stern impassion'd stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness. America, America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw, Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law. O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life. America, America! May God thy gold refine, till all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine. 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, And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. |
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08 Aug 02 - 09:53 AM (#761865) Subject: RE: Help: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: phil jl Thank you all for links and advice. My inclination at the moment is take slow and only sing 3 verses, and to be sure I get through it ok I'll stick with a simple accompaniment - I'll let you know how it goes. Phil |
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08 Aug 02 - 06:58 PM (#762144) Subject: RE: Help: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: Tiger There are just four stanzas, Phil. Some websites have carelessly combined verses from earlier versions, which were also published. Junk begets junk. If you look at your 'extra' stanzas, you'll probably recognize them as 'first drafts' of what we know now. And I completely agree with the others ("get the words right"). There's the Mondegreen effect, plus the situation where somebody's version got popular, but he didn't know the right words. |
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08 Aug 02 - 08:36 PM (#762228) Subject: RE: Help: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: toadfrog The problem with "mountain majesties" is that it isn't colloquial English. My favorite version is Garrison Kiellor's, sung to the tune of "Tell Me Why" O beautiful for spacious skies For amber waves of grain, for pur Ple mountains majesty above The fruited plain, America! |
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09 Aug 02 - 02:41 AM (#762376) Subject: RE: Help: America The Beautiful, For Sep 11 From: Genie No, toad, it's not "colloquial English" -- it's called "poetry!" Problem is, too many folks want to to take the lyrics of a gifted poet or songwriter and reduce them to common clichŽs. Genie |