God Bless America.

God bless America, land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her,

through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans,

white with foam.

God bless America, my home sweet home!

God bless America, my home sweet home.

Can we take a moment to break this song down...???
"God bless America"
(Let's not forget to whom we are speaking when the song opens)

"Land that I love"
(Here you are telling God why it's important to bless this nation. You love it - so it is important to keep it safe.)

"Stand beside her, and guide her,"
(These are thing we often ask of God - since we as people are faulty and need to be reminded upon which direction to continue)

"Through the night with a light from above"
(This is reminiscent of the Jewish people being brought out of slavery from Egypt when the crossed the desert going to the promised land, where God led their journey with a light--not the moon--but with fire. It was not a mistake that the writer of these lyrics used this particular example. The world is filled with tyranny and it's the desire of that tyranny to enslave - it's the only way it survives - on the backs of its people, who no longer have the power to choose their path and are at the mercy of their masters.)

"From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans - white with foam"
(A simple line about the physical beauty which is this land and why we should pray to make certain God continues to bless it - look at all we have to loose.)

"God bless America, my home sweet home!"
(Asking again - for God to bless America, and ending with the ultimate refrain of that we were blessed to be living in this nation. Ever wanted to win the lottery??? You did - you live in America...this is also why the last note of this line ends high in the key.)

"God bless America, my home sweet home"
And this is the only line in the song which repeats. Why? because it's important to ask God for this favor - since it can be so easily lost, especially when people forget how much they have and then come to expect all that to always be there especially when they don't bother to care for it properly.

Don't forget that when this song is sung, it is a prayer for the nation. Sing it with happiness and reverence. It's wonderful.

Happy 4th of July everyone - and Happy Birthday America!