My Country

[cda]

This song has been floating in my head the last few days

1. My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims' pride,

From ev'ry mountainside

Let freedom ring!

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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!

Text: Samuel F. Smith, 1808-1895

Music: From Thesaurus Musicus, London, 1744

 

[mark handler]

The melody used was originally written as the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen",