Happy Fourth of July
Written by admin on July 4, 2010 – 3:51 pm -Happy Fourth of July to all our American readers.
Here’s a trio of great American songs to mark America’s Birthday.
Ray Charles – “America the Beautiful”
The words to America the Beautiful were written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1895. The song didn’t come together as “America the Beautiful” until 1910 when the words were added to music that Samuel A. Ward had written for the hymn “O’ Mother dear, Jerusalem” in 1882.
The song has become so popular and important to many Americans that there have been several efforts over the years to give it legal status as a national anthem equal to or even replacing “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Countless artists have recorded “America the Beautiful” or sung it live. The most well known rendition is probably by Ray Charles. Here’s Ray singing it in 1972.
Bruce Springsteen – “American Land”
Bruce Springsteen paid tribute to the immigrants who built America on “American Land,” which featured on his great 2006 album “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.”
Elvis Presley – “An American Trilogy”
This brilliant merging of three American songs (“Dixie,” “All My Trials” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic”) was a highlight of Elvis Presley’s stage show in the early 1970s. Here he is singing it to the world via satellite from Hawaii on January 14, 1973.
Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles
Posted in Elvis, Folk |
