LAND OF THE FREE 8 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 … of the...2 7 2 - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - LAND...

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Tuesday, November 7, 2017 A special supplement to the Malvern Daily Record.

Transcript of LAND OF THE FREE 8 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 … of the...2 7 2 - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - LAND...

8Tuesday, November 7, 2017

A special supplement to the Malvern Daily Record.

Throughout history, at home

and overseas, they’ve put their

love for their country above

all else. On Veterans Day,

we proudly honor these brave men and women for their courage, commitment and

patriotism.

To all the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who havesacrificed so much, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

1820 W. MolineMalvern, AR 72104

501-337-9581

8 - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - LAND OF THE FREE

O beautiful for spacious skies,For amber waves of grain,For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!

America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feetWhose stern impassion’d stressA thoroughfare for freedom beatAcross the wilderness.

America! America!God mend thine ev’ry � aw,Con� rm thy soul in self-control,� y liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov’dIn liberating strife,Who more than self their country loved,And mercy more than life.

America! America!May God thy gold re� neTill all success be nobleness,And ev’ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream� at sees beyond the years� ine alabaster cities gleamUndimmed by human tears.

America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining sea.

America the BeautifulFighting soldiers from the skyFearless men who jump and dieMen who mean just what they sayThe brave men of the Green Beret.

Silver wings upon their chestThese are men, America’s bestOne hundred men will test todayBut only three win the Green Beret.

Trained to live off nature’s landTrained in combat, hand-to-handMen who fi ght by night and dayCourage peak from the Green Berets.

Silver wings upon their chestThese are men, America’s bestOne hundred men will test todayBut only three win the Green Beret.

Back at home a young wife waitsHer Green Beret has met his fateHe has died for those oppressedLeaving her his last request.

Put silver wings on my son’s chestMake him one of America’s bestHe’ll be a man they’ll test one dayHave him win the Green Beret.

Ballad of the Green Beret

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O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fi ght,

O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our fl ag was still there;

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,

As it fi tfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s fi rst beam,

In full glory refl ected now shines in the stream:

‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,

A home and a country, should leave us no more?

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of fl ight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation.

Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Additional Civil War period lyrics

In indignation over the start of the American Civil War, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. added a fi fth stanza to the song in 1861, which appeared in songbooks of the era.

When our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,

If a foe from within strike a blow at her glory,

Down, down with the traitor that dares to defi le

The fl ag of her stars and the page of her story!

By the millions unchained who our birthright have gained,

We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained!

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave

While the land of the free is the home of the brave.

Alternative lyricsIn a version hand-written by

Francis Scott Key in 1840, the third line reads “Whose bright stars and broad stripes, through the clouds of the fi ght”.

� e Star Spangled Banner Reciting � e Star Spangled Banner

The song is notoriously diffi cult for non-professionals to sing because of its wide range – a 12th. Humorist Richard Armour referred to the song’s diffi culty in his book It All Started With Columbus.

In an attempt to take Baltimore, the Brit-ish attacked Fort McHenry, which protected the harbor. Bombs were soon bursting in air, rockets were glaring, and all in all it was a moment of great historical interest. During the bombardment, a young lawyer named Francis Off Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner”, and when, by the dawn’s early light, the British heard it sung, they fl ed in terror.

— Richard ArmourProfessional and amateur singers have

been known to forget the words, which is one reason the song is sometimes pre-record-ed and lip-synced. Other times the issue is avoided by having the performer(s) play the anthem instrumentally instead of singing it. The pre-recording of the anthem has become standard practice at some ballparks, such as Boston’s Fenway Park, according to the SABR publication The Fenway Project.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is tradition-ally played at the beginning of public sports events and orchestral concerts in the United States, as well as other public gatherings. The National Hockey League and Major League Soccer both require venues in both the U.S. and Canada to perform both the Canadian and American national anthems at games that involve teams from both countries (with the “away” anthem being performed fi rst). It is also usual for both American and Canadian anthems (done in the same way as the NHL and MLS) to be played at Major League Baseball and National Basketball Associa-tion games involving the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Raptors (respectively), the only Canadian teams in those two major U.S. sports leagues, and in All Star Games on the MLB, NBA, and NHL. The Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, which play in a city on the Can-ada–US border and have a substantial Cana-dian fan base, play both anthems before all home games regardless of where the visiting team is based.

Two especially unusual performances of the song took place in the immediate after-

math of the United States September 11 at-tacks. On September 12, 2001, the Queen broke with tradition and allowed the Band of the Coldstream Guards to perform the anthem at Buckingham Palace, London, at the ceremonial Changing of the Guard, as a gesture of support for Britain’s ally. The fol-lowing day at a St. Paul’s Cathedral memo-rial service, the Queen joined in the singing of the anthem, an unprecedented occurrence.

The 200th anniversary of the “Star-Span-gled Banner” occurred in 2014 with various special events occurring throughout the Unit-ed States.

A particularly signifi cant celebration oc-curred during the week of September 10–16 in and around Baltimore, Maryland. High-lights included playing of a new arrangement of the anthem arranged by John Williams and participation of President Obama on De-fender’s Day, September 12, 2014, at Fort McHenry. In addition, the anthem bicenten-nial included a youth music celebration in-cluding the presentation of the National An-them Bicentennial Youth Challenge winning composition written by Noah Altshuler.

O’er the ramparts we watch in a 1945 United States Army Air Forces poster

The fi rst popular music performance of the anthem heard by the mainstream U.S. was by Puerto Rican singer and guitarist José Feli-ciano. He created a nationwide uproar when he strummed a slow, blues-style rendition of the song at Tiger Stadium in Detroit before game fi ve of the 1968 World Series, between Detroit and St. Louis. This rendition started contemporary “Star-Spangled Banner” con-troversies. The response from many in the Vietnam War-era U.S. was generally nega-tive. Despite the controversy, Feliciano’s per-formance opened the door for the countless interpretations of the “Star-Spangled Ban-ner” heard in the years since. One week after Feliciano’s performance, the anthem was in the news again when American athletes Tom-mie Smith and John Carlos lifted controver-sial raised fi sts at the 1968 Olympics while the “Star-Spangled Banner” played at a med-al ceremony.

wikipedia.org

“If you’re not ready to die for it, put the word ‘freedom’ out of your vocabulary.” - Malcolm X, civil rights activist

Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,Send these, the homeless,Tempest-tossed to meI lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land;Here at our sea-washed sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose fl ame is the imprisoned lightning,And her name, Mother of Exiles.From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome;

Her mild eyes command the air-bridged harborThat twin cities frame.“Keep, Ancient Lands, your storied pomp!”Cries she with silent lips.

Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,Send these, the homeless,Tempest-tossed to meI lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Give Me Your Tired, Your PoorStatue of Liberty Song

Set to music by Mrs. Barbara Silberg, founder and director of the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir. Vocals, orchestration and sheet music available at www.MrsMusic.com.

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Let’s Put Our HandsTogether for Our VeteransFor their service andtheir sacrifice, we saluteAmerica’s brave veterans.Thank you for your dedication to this great countryand our values as a nation. Your courage andconviction make us proud to be Americans.

Name Sponsor1234 Washington StreetSomersville Heights000-000-0000www.namewebsite.com

Let’s Put Our HandsTogether for Our VeteransFor their service andtheir sacrifice, we saluteAmerica’s brave veterans.Thank you for your dedication to this great countryand our values as a nation. Your courage andconviction make us proud to be Americans.

Name Sponsor1234 Washington StreetSomersville Heights000-000-0000www.namewebsite.com

Arbor OaksHealthcare & Rehabilitation Center

105 Russellville Rd.Malvern, AR 72104

501-332-5251Fax 501-337-9354

I'm a Yankee Doodle DandyA Yankee Doodle, do or die

A real live nephew of my Uncle SamBorn on the Fourth of July.

I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheartShe's my Yankee Doodle joy

Yankee Doodle came to LondonJust to ride the ponies

I am the Yankee Doodle Boy.

Yankee Doodle DandyDelivered on the steps

at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This mo-mentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the fl ames of withering injus-tice. It came as a joyous day-break to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the trag-ic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely is-land of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of materi-al prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and fi nds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an ap-palling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capi-tal to cash a check. When the architects of our repub-lic wrote the magnifi cent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Inde-pendence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a prom-

ise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of hon-oring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “in-suffi cient funds.” But we re-fuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insuffi cient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to re-mind America of the fi erce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of grad-ualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and des-olate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportu-nity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the sol-id rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the ur-gency of the moment and to underestimate the deter-mination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the

Negro’s legitimate discon-tent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nine-teen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in Amer-ica until the Negro is grant-ed his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my peo-ple who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our right-ful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bit-terness and hatred.

We must forever con-duct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and disci-pline. We must not allow our creative protest to degener-ate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvel-ous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro commu-nity must not lead us to dis-trust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their pres-ence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextri-cably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees

of civil rights, “When will you be satisfi ed?” We can never be satisfi ed as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the ho-tels of the cities. We cannot be satisfi ed as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfi ed as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfi ed, and we will not be satisfi ed until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from nar-row cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police bru-tality. You have been the veterans of creative suffer-ing. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suf-fering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Lou-isiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that some-how this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of de-spair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the diffi culties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deep-ly rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true mean-ing of its creed: “We hold

these truths to be self-evi-dent: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Geor-gia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former sla-veowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mis-sissippi, a desert state, swel-tering with the heat of injus-tice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.I have a dream that one

day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullifi cation, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.I have a dream that one

day every valley shall be ex-alted, every hill and moun-tain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked plac-es will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all fl esh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful sym-phony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to

work together, to pray to-gether, to struggle togeth-er, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom togeth-er, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let free-dom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must be-come true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of Cal-ifornia!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Ten-nessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spir-itual, “Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

I have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr

avalon.law.yale.edu

My country tis of thee,Sweet land of liberty,Of thee I sing.Land where my fathers died!Land of the Pilgrim’s pride!From every mountain side,Let freedom ring!

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 fi llsLike that above.

Let music swell the breeze,And ring from all the treesSweet freedom’s song.Let mortal tongues awake;Let all that breathe partake;Let rocks their silence break,

The sound prolong.

Our father’s God to, Thee,Author of liberty,To Thee we sing.Long may our land be brightWith freedom’s holy light;Protect us by Thy might,Great God, our King!

My Country ‘Tis of � ee

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

� e Pledge of Allegiance

Let martial note in triumph fl oatAnd liberty extend its mighty handA fl ag appears ‘mid thunderous

cheers,The banner of the Western land.The emblem of the brave and trueIts folds protect no tyrant crew;The red and white and starry blueIs freedom’s shield and hope.Other nations may deem their fl ags

the bestAnd cheer them with fervid elationBut the fl ag of the North and South

and WestIs the fl ag of fl ags, the fl ag of Free-

dom’s nation.

Hurrah for the fl ag of the free!May it wave as our standard forever,The gem of the land and the sea,The banner of the right.Let despots remember the dayWhen our fathers with mighty endeav-

orProclaimed as they marched to the

frayThat by their might and by their rightIt waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peakThe never-ending watchword of our

land;Let summer breeze waft through the

treesThe echo of the chorus grand.Sing out for liberty and light,Sing out for freedom and the right.Sing out for Union and its might,O patriotic sons.Other nations may deem their fl ags

the bestAnd cheer them with fervid elation,But the fl ag of the North and South

and WestIs the fl ag of fl ags, the fl ag of Free-

dom’s nation.

Hurrah for the fl ag of the free.May it wave as our standard foreverThe gem of the land and the sea,The banner of the right.Let despots remember the dayWhen our fathers with mighty endeav-

orProclaimed as they marched to the

fray,That by their might and by their rightIt waves forever.

Stars and Stripes Forever

H.G. Toler & Son Lumber

Co., Inc.Leola, AR 72084

870-765-2211

Thank you for your service!

Mount RushmoreMount Rushmore is an American historic

monument well worth seeing. It features the faces of George Washington, � omas

Je� erson, � eodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. � e heads are nearly 60 feet high,

carved into South Dakota's granite.

1. "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood

This patriotic country song is a must-have on any list of songs about American freedom. It was first released in 1984, and I was lucky enough to have heard Lee Greenwood sing it in concert in the 1980s. What a moving experi-ence; I still recall the goosebumps and the lump in my throat.

The song was subsequently played at the Republican Nation-al convention in 1984 and was re-popularized following the Gulf War in the 1990s, 9/11, and the death of Osama bin Laden.

2. "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers

This song of defiance and self-reliance was first released in 1989, but it became an anthem for American resolve, particularly af-ter 9/11. It's about knowing what's right and never conceding defeat:

Well, I won't back down.No, I won't back down.You can stand me up at the gates

of Hell, but I won't back down.

3. “Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp

America is a melting pot, the home of the free. This classic 1983 song celebrates the diversi-

ty of our dreamers, wannabes and has-beens. It refers to the man in the poor neighborhood who has an interstate running through his front yard, the young man who gave up on his dream of becom-ing President, and the rich people who vacation out of the country. We may be a collection of misfits, but together we are strong.

4. "Born Free" by Kid RockThis rousing 2010 song is Kid

Rock at his finest. It celebrates the unrivaled gift of living in a country graced with the right to build your own destiny.

With a wild, untamed heart, ev-ery American is lucky enough to be born free, to chase his or her dreams wherever they lead. May your dreams lead you far and wide, then perhaps back home again, as mine did.

Kid Rock allowed this song to be used by Mitt Romney's 2012 Presidential campaign as a theme song.

5. “The Fightin’ Side of Me” by Merle Haggard and the Strangers

Sure, it was a 1969 song about the Vietnam War, but this country classic is every bit as appropriate today as it was back then. Merle

Haggard (God rest his soul) issues a warning that he doesn't take too kindly to people who enjoy Amer-ica's way of life while at the same time trash talking us and refusing to stand up to defend our liberties during times of international con-flict. (Tell 'em, Merle!)

He cautions those two-faced folks:

If you don't love it, leave itLet this song that I'm singin' be

a warnin'When you're runnin' down our

country, manYou're walkin' on the fightin'

side of me.

6. "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson

In this emotional 2001 song, country singer Alan Jackson cap-tures the reactions of many Amer-icans to hearing the news of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He asks where you were when it happened and what your personal response was to the tragedy.

7. "You've Got To Stand For Something" by Aaron Tippin

To be truly free, a person must be guided by his or her values. When you see injustice, stand up and take action. When some-thing's not right, speak up.

This truly American 1990 song urges us to take a stand and do the right thing, even if it's unpopular. That's because "Whatever you do today you'll have to sleep with to-night."

8. "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" by Toby Keith

Toby Keith wrote this hot-blooded 2001 hit in 20 min-utes as both a reaction to 9/11 and in honor of his father, who was a veteran and died earlier that year in a car accident.

At first, the country music star considered the song too personal to record, singing it only in live performances, mostly for mili-tary audiences. However, after being convinced to record it as a patriotic morale-booster during

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Songs about America “� e Land of the Free”the build-up to war with Iraq, the song shot to the top of the country charts.

Years later, during the draw-down from Iraq, it was the last song aired by the Armed Forces Radio Network in Baghdad. The song is also nicknamed "The An-gry American."

9. "Living in America" by James Brown

This peppy 1985 song won a Grammy. It paints America as the modern promised land—a busy, eye-popping place that demands to be celebrated. According to the song, our country is filled with opportunity and abundance:

• uperhighways that connect our coasts

• factories and railroads• all night diners and overtime

work.

10. "Only In America" by Brooks & Dunn

This 2001 song describes a country where you if you dream it, you can do it. We work hard, play hard, and dream big:

One kid dreams of fame and fortune

One kid helps pay the rentOne could end up goin' to pris-

onOne just might be President.

11. "The Hands that Built America" by U2

Not often played publicly, this, 2002 song is about nineteenth Irish immigrants' experience as they come to New York. It pays homage to all the nationalities that flocked to America and built it from the ground up.

12. "American Dream" by MKTO

Nothing is the way it used to be. The American Dream has changed, and not everyone seeks a white picket fence, traditional job, and a marriage with 2.2 kids.

This 2014 song recognizes that the world is spinning fast and young people want to experience life, travel and carve out their own dreams rather than live those of their parents.

13. "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

To mark his fortieth birthday, The Piano Man condensed 100 headline events from the years 1949-89 into a three-minute song. The result was this Grammy-nom-inated hit that is often used in his-tory courses as a fun memory aid.

The song references American politics, sports, film, music, lit-erature, celebrities, scientific ad-vancements and world events af-fecting America. He's saying that while Americans didn't start the bad things in this world, it's in our fiber to fight against it and try to make this world a better place.

All-American Lyrics:We didn't start the fireIt was always burningSince the world's been turningWe didn't start the fireNo, we didn't light itBut we tried to fight it.

14. “American Land” by Bruce Springsteen

This 2012 song by "The Boss" describes America, the land of opportunity and plenty, that for so many years has attracted peo-ple across the globe. Immigrants glorify our country as having "di-amonds in the sidewalk." They

came in droves to our gates and built us up into what this country is today. (And they're still com-ing.)

15. "All-American Kid" by Garth Brooks

This 2014 song tells the story of a high school football star who was recruited by the best colleges in the country, yet he signed with Uncle Sam. As his hometown cheered and wished him well, the local news headline urged him to "Come Back, All-American Kid"

Following several tours of ac-tive duty, untold battle scars and a silver star, he came back. The local paper celebrated his return: "Welcome Back, All-American Kid." The song pays homage to "those who never did come back All-American kids."

16. "Home" by Dierks Bent-ley

The tragic Arizona shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and six others inspired this 2011 song. It is an attempt to make sense of what happened.

The song describes our beau-tiful American landscape, imper-fectly beautiful with its scars. It also emphasizes our hard-fought freedom and the necessity of get-ting along with one another, in spite of the differences that threat-en to divide.

17. "Some Gave All" by Billy Ray Cyrus

Easily the best contribution Bil-ly Ray Cyrus has made to Amer-ican culture (and that counts his daughter, Miley), this 1992 song honors Vietnam War-era veterans. The country hit tells the story of

an old veteran man who reminds a younger one about the price of liberty:

All Gave Some, Some Gave AllSome stood through for the red,

white and blueAnd some had to fall.

18. "Warrior" by Kid RockKid Rock recorded this 2008

song as a tribute to the National Guard. It promotes the loyalty of citizen soldiers who respond to crisis when they are called.

19. "Independence Day" by Martina McBride

Controversial at the time of its release in 1994, this powerful song is about one woman's per-sonal quest for independence and liberty in her own home. Tired of everyone looking the other way regarding her violent husband, she fights for the independence and safety of herself and her young daughter.

The girl goes to the Indepen-dence Day parade while at home the mother "lit up the sky that fourth of July." The hometown was set ablaze with the abusive husband in it. Freedom sometimes has a hefty price, as the daughter avoids the father's abuse but goes to the county children's home.

20. "Don't Tread On Me" by Metallica

Benjamin Franklin once sug-gested that a rattlesnake image was a good symbol for the Amer-ican Sprit, and this song alludes to that as well as Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. The 1991 song suggests peace through strength, surveillance, and vigilance.

It is our pleasure and ourprivilege to serve and salute ourlocal veterans. To the men andwomen in our community andaround the country who havesacrificed to protect our freedom,we thank you greatly for yourservice. Happy Veterans Day!

1234 Washington StreetSomersville Heights000-000-0000www.namewebsite.com

NameSponsor

The Crossing at Malvern Assisted Living720 N. Walco Rd. • Malvern, AR • 501-467-8488 • thecrossingatmalvern.com

1. "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood

This patriotic country song is a must-have on any list of songs about American freedom. It was first released in 1984, and I was lucky enough to have heard Lee Greenwood sing it in concert in the 1980s. What a moving experi-ence; I still recall the goosebumps and the lump in my throat.

The song was subsequently played at the Republican Nation-al convention in 1984 and was re-popularized following the Gulf War in the 1990s, 9/11, and the death of Osama bin Laden.

2. "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers

This song of defiance and self-reliance was first released in 1989, but it became an anthem for American resolve, particularly af-ter 9/11. It's about knowing what's right and never conceding defeat:

Well, I won't back down.No, I won't back down.You can stand me up at the gates

of Hell, but I won't back down.

3. “Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp

America is a melting pot, the home of the free. This classic 1983 song celebrates the diversi-

ty of our dreamers, wannabes and has-beens. It refers to the man in the poor neighborhood who has an interstate running through his front yard, the young man who gave up on his dream of becom-ing President, and the rich people who vacation out of the country. We may be a collection of misfits, but together we are strong.

4. "Born Free" by Kid RockThis rousing 2010 song is Kid

Rock at his finest. It celebrates the unrivaled gift of living in a country graced with the right to build your own destiny.

With a wild, untamed heart, ev-ery American is lucky enough to be born free, to chase his or her dreams wherever they lead. May your dreams lead you far and wide, then perhaps back home again, as mine did.

Kid Rock allowed this song to be used by Mitt Romney's 2012 Presidential campaign as a theme song.

5. “The Fightin’ Side of Me” by Merle Haggard and the Strangers

Sure, it was a 1969 song about the Vietnam War, but this country classic is every bit as appropriate today as it was back then. Merle

Haggard (God rest his soul) issues a warning that he doesn't take too kindly to people who enjoy Amer-ica's way of life while at the same time trash talking us and refusing to stand up to defend our liberties during times of international con-flict. (Tell 'em, Merle!)

He cautions those two-faced folks:

If you don't love it, leave itLet this song that I'm singin' be

a warnin'When you're runnin' down our

country, manYou're walkin' on the fightin'

side of me.

6. "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson

In this emotional 2001 song, country singer Alan Jackson cap-tures the reactions of many Amer-icans to hearing the news of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He asks where you were when it happened and what your personal response was to the tragedy.

7. "You've Got To Stand For Something" by Aaron Tippin

To be truly free, a person must be guided by his or her values. When you see injustice, stand up and take action. When some-thing's not right, speak up.

This truly American 1990 song urges us to take a stand and do the right thing, even if it's unpopular. That's because "Whatever you do today you'll have to sleep with to-night."

8. "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" by Toby Keith

Toby Keith wrote this hot-blooded 2001 hit in 20 min-utes as both a reaction to 9/11 and in honor of his father, who was a veteran and died earlier that year in a car accident.

At first, the country music star considered the song too personal to record, singing it only in live performances, mostly for mili-tary audiences. However, after being convinced to record it as a patriotic morale-booster during

4 54 - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - LAND OF THE FREE LAND OF THE FREE - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - 5

Songs about America “� e Land of the Free”the build-up to war with Iraq, the song shot to the top of the country charts.

Years later, during the draw-down from Iraq, it was the last song aired by the Armed Forces Radio Network in Baghdad. The song is also nicknamed "The An-gry American."

9. "Living in America" by James Brown

This peppy 1985 song won a Grammy. It paints America as the modern promised land—a busy, eye-popping place that demands to be celebrated. According to the song, our country is filled with opportunity and abundance:

• uperhighways that connect our coasts

• factories and railroads• all night diners and overtime

work.

10. "Only In America" by Brooks & Dunn

This 2001 song describes a country where you if you dream it, you can do it. We work hard, play hard, and dream big:

One kid dreams of fame and fortune

One kid helps pay the rentOne could end up goin' to pris-

onOne just might be President.

11. "The Hands that Built America" by U2

Not often played publicly, this, 2002 song is about nineteenth Irish immigrants' experience as they come to New York. It pays homage to all the nationalities that flocked to America and built it from the ground up.

12. "American Dream" by MKTO

Nothing is the way it used to be. The American Dream has changed, and not everyone seeks a white picket fence, traditional job, and a marriage with 2.2 kids.

This 2014 song recognizes that the world is spinning fast and young people want to experience life, travel and carve out their own dreams rather than live those of their parents.

13. "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

To mark his fortieth birthday, The Piano Man condensed 100 headline events from the years 1949-89 into a three-minute song. The result was this Grammy-nom-inated hit that is often used in his-tory courses as a fun memory aid.

The song references American politics, sports, film, music, lit-erature, celebrities, scientific ad-vancements and world events af-fecting America. He's saying that while Americans didn't start the bad things in this world, it's in our fiber to fight against it and try to make this world a better place.

All-American Lyrics:We didn't start the fireIt was always burningSince the world's been turningWe didn't start the fireNo, we didn't light itBut we tried to fight it.

14. “American Land” by Bruce Springsteen

This 2012 song by "The Boss" describes America, the land of opportunity and plenty, that for so many years has attracted peo-ple across the globe. Immigrants glorify our country as having "di-amonds in the sidewalk." They

came in droves to our gates and built us up into what this country is today. (And they're still com-ing.)

15. "All-American Kid" by Garth Brooks

This 2014 song tells the story of a high school football star who was recruited by the best colleges in the country, yet he signed with Uncle Sam. As his hometown cheered and wished him well, the local news headline urged him to "Come Back, All-American Kid"

Following several tours of ac-tive duty, untold battle scars and a silver star, he came back. The local paper celebrated his return: "Welcome Back, All-American Kid." The song pays homage to "those who never did come back All-American kids."

16. "Home" by Dierks Bent-ley

The tragic Arizona shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and six others inspired this 2011 song. It is an attempt to make sense of what happened.

The song describes our beau-tiful American landscape, imper-fectly beautiful with its scars. It also emphasizes our hard-fought freedom and the necessity of get-ting along with one another, in spite of the differences that threat-en to divide.

17. "Some Gave All" by Billy Ray Cyrus

Easily the best contribution Bil-ly Ray Cyrus has made to Amer-ican culture (and that counts his daughter, Miley), this 1992 song honors Vietnam War-era veterans. The country hit tells the story of

an old veteran man who reminds a younger one about the price of liberty:

All Gave Some, Some Gave AllSome stood through for the red,

white and blueAnd some had to fall.

18. "Warrior" by Kid RockKid Rock recorded this 2008

song as a tribute to the National Guard. It promotes the loyalty of citizen soldiers who respond to crisis when they are called.

19. "Independence Day" by Martina McBride

Controversial at the time of its release in 1994, this powerful song is about one woman's per-sonal quest for independence and liberty in her own home. Tired of everyone looking the other way regarding her violent husband, she fights for the independence and safety of herself and her young daughter.

The girl goes to the Indepen-dence Day parade while at home the mother "lit up the sky that fourth of July." The hometown was set ablaze with the abusive husband in it. Freedom sometimes has a hefty price, as the daughter avoids the father's abuse but goes to the county children's home.

20. "Don't Tread On Me" by Metallica

Benjamin Franklin once sug-gested that a rattlesnake image was a good symbol for the Amer-ican Sprit, and this song alludes to that as well as Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. The 1991 song suggests peace through strength, surveillance, and vigilance.

It is our pleasure and ourprivilege to serve and salute ourlocal veterans. To the men andwomen in our community andaround the country who havesacrificed to protect our freedom,we thank you greatly for yourservice. Happy Veterans Day!

1234 Washington StreetSomersville Heights000-000-0000www.namewebsite.com

NameSponsor

The Crossing at Malvern Assisted Living720 N. Walco Rd. • Malvern, AR • 501-467-8488 • thecrossingatmalvern.com

6 36 - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - LAND OF THE FREE LAND OF THE FREE - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - 3

Let’s Put Our HandsTogether for Our VeteransFor their service andtheir sacrifice, we saluteAmerica’s brave veterans.Thank you for your dedication to this great countryand our values as a nation. Your courage andconviction make us proud to be Americans.

Name Sponsor1234 Washington StreetSomersville Heights000-000-0000www.namewebsite.com

Let’s Put Our HandsTogether for Our VeteransFor their service andtheir sacrifice, we saluteAmerica’s brave veterans.Thank you for your dedication to this great countryand our values as a nation. Your courage andconviction make us proud to be Americans.

Name Sponsor1234 Washington StreetSomersville Heights000-000-0000www.namewebsite.com

Arbor OaksHealthcare & Rehabilitation Center

105 Russellville Rd.Malvern, AR 72104

501-332-5251Fax 501-337-9354

I'm a Yankee Doodle DandyA Yankee Doodle, do or die

A real live nephew of my Uncle SamBorn on the Fourth of July.

I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheartShe's my Yankee Doodle joy

Yankee Doodle came to LondonJust to ride the ponies

I am the Yankee Doodle Boy.

Yankee Doodle DandyDelivered on the steps

at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This mo-mentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the fl ames of withering injus-tice. It came as a joyous day-break to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the trag-ic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely is-land of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of materi-al prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and fi nds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an ap-palling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capi-tal to cash a check. When the architects of our repub-lic wrote the magnifi cent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Inde-pendence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a prom-

ise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of hon-oring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “in-suffi cient funds.” But we re-fuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insuffi cient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to re-mind America of the fi erce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of grad-ualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and des-olate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportu-nity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the sol-id rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the ur-gency of the moment and to underestimate the deter-mination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the

Negro’s legitimate discon-tent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nine-teen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in Amer-ica until the Negro is grant-ed his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my peo-ple who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our right-ful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bit-terness and hatred.

We must forever con-duct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and disci-pline. We must not allow our creative protest to degener-ate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvel-ous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro commu-nity must not lead us to dis-trust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their pres-ence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextri-cably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees

of civil rights, “When will you be satisfi ed?” We can never be satisfi ed as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the ho-tels of the cities. We cannot be satisfi ed as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfi ed as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfi ed, and we will not be satisfi ed until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from nar-row cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police bru-tality. You have been the veterans of creative suffer-ing. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suf-fering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Lou-isiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that some-how this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of de-spair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the diffi culties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deep-ly rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true mean-ing of its creed: “We hold

these truths to be self-evi-dent: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Geor-gia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former sla-veowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mis-sissippi, a desert state, swel-tering with the heat of injus-tice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.I have a dream that one

day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullifi cation, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.I have a dream that one

day every valley shall be ex-alted, every hill and moun-tain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked plac-es will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all fl esh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful sym-phony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to

work together, to pray to-gether, to struggle togeth-er, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom togeth-er, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let free-dom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must be-come true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of Cal-ifornia!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Ten-nessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spir-itual, “Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

I have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr

avalon.law.yale.edu

My country tis of thee,Sweet land of liberty,Of thee I sing.Land where my fathers died!Land of the Pilgrim’s pride!From every mountain side,Let freedom ring!

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 fi llsLike that above.

Let music swell the breeze,And ring from all the treesSweet freedom’s song.Let mortal tongues awake;Let all that breathe partake;Let rocks their silence break,

The sound prolong.

Our father’s God to, Thee,Author of liberty,To Thee we sing.Long may our land be brightWith freedom’s holy light;Protect us by Thy might,Great God, our King!

My Country ‘Tis of � ee

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

� e Pledge of Allegiance

Let martial note in triumph fl oatAnd liberty extend its mighty handA fl ag appears ‘mid thunderous

cheers,The banner of the Western land.The emblem of the brave and trueIts folds protect no tyrant crew;The red and white and starry blueIs freedom’s shield and hope.Other nations may deem their fl ags

the bestAnd cheer them with fervid elationBut the fl ag of the North and South

and WestIs the fl ag of fl ags, the fl ag of Free-

dom’s nation.

Hurrah for the fl ag of the free!May it wave as our standard forever,The gem of the land and the sea,The banner of the right.Let despots remember the dayWhen our fathers with mighty endeav-

orProclaimed as they marched to the

frayThat by their might and by their rightIt waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peakThe never-ending watchword of our

land;Let summer breeze waft through the

treesThe echo of the chorus grand.Sing out for liberty and light,Sing out for freedom and the right.Sing out for Union and its might,O patriotic sons.Other nations may deem their fl ags

the bestAnd cheer them with fervid elation,But the fl ag of the North and South

and WestIs the fl ag of fl ags, the fl ag of Free-

dom’s nation.

Hurrah for the fl ag of the free.May it wave as our standard foreverThe gem of the land and the sea,The banner of the right.Let despots remember the dayWhen our fathers with mighty endeav-

orProclaimed as they marched to the

fray,That by their might and by their rightIt waves forever.

Stars and Stripes Forever

H.G. Toler & Son Lumber

Co., Inc.Leola, AR 72084

870-765-2211

Thank you for your service!

Mount RushmoreMount Rushmore is an American historic

monument well worth seeing. It features the faces of George Washington, � omas

Je� erson, � eodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. � e heads are nearly 60 feet high,

carved into South Dakota's granite.

2 72 - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - LAND OF THE FREE LAND OF THE FREE - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - 7

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fi ght,

O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our fl ag was still there;

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,

As it fi tfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s fi rst beam,

In full glory refl ected now shines in the stream:

‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,

A home and a country, should leave us no more?

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of fl ight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation.

Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Additional Civil War period lyrics

In indignation over the start of the American Civil War, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. added a fi fth stanza to the song in 1861, which appeared in songbooks of the era.

When our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,

If a foe from within strike a blow at her glory,

Down, down with the traitor that dares to defi le

The fl ag of her stars and the page of her story!

By the millions unchained who our birthright have gained,

We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained!

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave

While the land of the free is the home of the brave.

Alternative lyricsIn a version hand-written by

Francis Scott Key in 1840, the third line reads “Whose bright stars and broad stripes, through the clouds of the fi ght”.

� e Star Spangled Banner Reciting � e Star Spangled Banner

The song is notoriously diffi cult for non-professionals to sing because of its wide range – a 12th. Humorist Richard Armour referred to the song’s diffi culty in his book It All Started With Columbus.

In an attempt to take Baltimore, the Brit-ish attacked Fort McHenry, which protected the harbor. Bombs were soon bursting in air, rockets were glaring, and all in all it was a moment of great historical interest. During the bombardment, a young lawyer named Francis Off Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner”, and when, by the dawn’s early light, the British heard it sung, they fl ed in terror.

— Richard ArmourProfessional and amateur singers have

been known to forget the words, which is one reason the song is sometimes pre-record-ed and lip-synced. Other times the issue is avoided by having the performer(s) play the anthem instrumentally instead of singing it. The pre-recording of the anthem has become standard practice at some ballparks, such as Boston’s Fenway Park, according to the SABR publication The Fenway Project.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is tradition-ally played at the beginning of public sports events and orchestral concerts in the United States, as well as other public gatherings. The National Hockey League and Major League Soccer both require venues in both the U.S. and Canada to perform both the Canadian and American national anthems at games that involve teams from both countries (with the “away” anthem being performed fi rst). It is also usual for both American and Canadian anthems (done in the same way as the NHL and MLS) to be played at Major League Baseball and National Basketball Associa-tion games involving the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Raptors (respectively), the only Canadian teams in those two major U.S. sports leagues, and in All Star Games on the MLB, NBA, and NHL. The Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, which play in a city on the Can-ada–US border and have a substantial Cana-dian fan base, play both anthems before all home games regardless of where the visiting team is based.

Two especially unusual performances of the song took place in the immediate after-

math of the United States September 11 at-tacks. On September 12, 2001, the Queen broke with tradition and allowed the Band of the Coldstream Guards to perform the anthem at Buckingham Palace, London, at the ceremonial Changing of the Guard, as a gesture of support for Britain’s ally. The fol-lowing day at a St. Paul’s Cathedral memo-rial service, the Queen joined in the singing of the anthem, an unprecedented occurrence.

The 200th anniversary of the “Star-Span-gled Banner” occurred in 2014 with various special events occurring throughout the Unit-ed States.

A particularly signifi cant celebration oc-curred during the week of September 10–16 in and around Baltimore, Maryland. High-lights included playing of a new arrangement of the anthem arranged by John Williams and participation of President Obama on De-fender’s Day, September 12, 2014, at Fort McHenry. In addition, the anthem bicenten-nial included a youth music celebration in-cluding the presentation of the National An-them Bicentennial Youth Challenge winning composition written by Noah Altshuler.

O’er the ramparts we watch in a 1945 United States Army Air Forces poster

The fi rst popular music performance of the anthem heard by the mainstream U.S. was by Puerto Rican singer and guitarist José Feli-ciano. He created a nationwide uproar when he strummed a slow, blues-style rendition of the song at Tiger Stadium in Detroit before game fi ve of the 1968 World Series, between Detroit and St. Louis. This rendition started contemporary “Star-Spangled Banner” con-troversies. The response from many in the Vietnam War-era U.S. was generally nega-tive. Despite the controversy, Feliciano’s per-formance opened the door for the countless interpretations of the “Star-Spangled Ban-ner” heard in the years since. One week after Feliciano’s performance, the anthem was in the news again when American athletes Tom-mie Smith and John Carlos lifted controver-sial raised fi sts at the 1968 Olympics while the “Star-Spangled Banner” played at a med-al ceremony.

wikipedia.org

“If you’re not ready to die for it, put the word ‘freedom’ out of your vocabulary.” - Malcolm X, civil rights activist

Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,Send these, the homeless,Tempest-tossed to meI lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land;Here at our sea-washed sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose fl ame is the imprisoned lightning,And her name, Mother of Exiles.From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome;

Her mild eyes command the air-bridged harborThat twin cities frame.“Keep, Ancient Lands, your storied pomp!”Cries she with silent lips.

Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,Send these, the homeless,Tempest-tossed to meI lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Give Me Your Tired, Your PoorStatue of Liberty Song

Set to music by Mrs. Barbara Silberg, founder and director of the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir. Vocals, orchestration and sheet music available at www.MrsMusic.com.

8Tuesday, November 7, 2017

A special supplement to the Malvern Daily Record.

Throughout history, at home

and overseas, they’ve put their

love for their country above

all else. On Veterans Day,

we proudly honor these brave men and women for their courage, commitment and

patriotism.

To all the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who havesacrificed so much, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

1820 W. MolineMalvern, AR 72104

501-337-9581

8 - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - LAND OF THE FREE

O beautiful for spacious skies,For amber waves of grain,For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!

America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feetWhose stern impassion’d stressA thoroughfare for freedom beatAcross the wilderness.

America! America!God mend thine ev’ry � aw,Con� rm thy soul in self-control,� y liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov’dIn liberating strife,Who more than self their country loved,And mercy more than life.

America! America!May God thy gold re� neTill all success be nobleness,And ev’ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream� at sees beyond the years� ine alabaster cities gleamUndimmed by human tears.

America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining sea.

America the BeautifulFighting soldiers from the skyFearless men who jump and dieMen who mean just what they sayThe brave men of the Green Beret.

Silver wings upon their chestThese are men, America’s bestOne hundred men will test todayBut only three win the Green Beret.

Trained to live off nature’s landTrained in combat, hand-to-handMen who fi ght by night and dayCourage peak from the Green Berets.

Silver wings upon their chestThese are men, America’s bestOne hundred men will test todayBut only three win the Green Beret.

Back at home a young wife waitsHer Green Beret has met his fateHe has died for those oppressedLeaving her his last request.

Put silver wings on my son’s chestMake him one of America’s bestHe’ll be a man they’ll test one dayHave him win the Green Beret.

Ballad of the Green Beret