Atop Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Where "one inch on the horizon equal about 38 miles", Katharine Lee Bates hastily penned in her notebook the poem now known as America the Beautiful. The final expanded version was written by her in 1913. It is sung all over this country to the tune written by Samuel A. Ward which he had written for his hymn Materna.
Every verse of that poem, now song, has mention of God's grace or a prayer for God's help, something that is lacking in the most popular songs today (except maybe some country songs).
- God shed His grace on thee and crowned thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
- God mend they every flaw, confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law.
- May God they gold refine, till all success be nobleness and every gain divine.
- God shed His grace on thee, till souls wax fair as earth and air and music-hearted sea.
- God shed His grace on thee, till paths be wrought through wilds of thought by pilgrim foot and knee.
- God shed His grace on thee, till selfish gain no longer stain the banner of the free.
- God shed His grace on thee, till nobler men keep once again thy whiter jubilee.
God mend our every flaw, confirm our souls in self control.
iGive Founders
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