American Artists • American Voices • Arts • Life and Life Only

And crown thy good with brotherhood…

July 4, 2008
by Celeste Fremon
39 Comments

HAPPY 4th!!!!

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PS: So what songs do you think we should be playing today? Lists! We need lists! (Yes, I too had some others—Tom Morello doing This Land Is Your Land, among them. But at the last minute, I settled on the classics. )

39 Comments

  • Not much time to give this thought.

    How about “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”, maybe Elvis’s “An American Trilogy?”, or simply Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA?” Just no protest songs and nothing by Peter, Paul, and Mary.

    Happy Independence Day…before Obama turns it into Dependence Day.

  • It’s not a patriotic classic, but I absolutely love Dave Alvin’s “Fourth of July.”
    All I can find is a crappy fan video version from an Austin Club (with the late Chris Gaffney of the Hacienda Brothers.)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrS4sV9pUNE
    That’s a pretty sketchy version, but there’s a real good one on his “Out in California” album.

    Also, you need one of these –
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3lGr6Cx6pQ

    Also, while I’m being a little kitschy, what about John Mellencamp ? Gotta love the little kids –
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0HTff63E0I

  • Regarding Independence Day turning into Dependence Day, thanks to the oil companies and allied folks who’ve trashed conservation, raising CAFE standards or alternative energy efforts over the years, it can’t be said too often: “Jimmy Carter was right!” God bless America and God bless Jimmy Carter.

  • Damn – I was just going to say anything but Lee Greenwood, then I read the second post. I need to wake up earlier.

    How ’bout Follow the Flag by Randy Newman?

  • I was about to see the Ray Charles video and it looks like YouTube erased it, I guess some “Angry American” lawyers were threating to sue YouTube. Ray singing “America The Beautiful”, oh yea, Ray owns this song, many have tried but noboby comes close to Ray’s rendition.

    http://www.raycharles.com/flash/atb.swf

    Obama better get cracking on doing T.V. commercials with Ray Charles version of “America The Beautiful” in the background, to dispel stories about being un-patriotic.

    I will add Toby Keith’s “Angry American”.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=sDQVMA7y5vI

    ‘

  • The Marvin Gaye version is just extraordinary. Unforgettable. No voice like his. Thanks for that, reg.

    And Adam, I love, love, love Bruce singing This Land is Your Land. That recording is safely lodged on my iPod. I think (but am not positive) it’s from 1983 in the LA Coliseum, the closing performance of the Born in the USA tour. Thanks for posting it.

  • Let me be old fashioned and suggest the following:

    “America the Beautiful”

    “The Battle Hymm of the Republic” – my personal choice for the National Anthem

    “Stars and Stripes Forever” – try sitting passively to that. If you knew Sousa . . .

  • No one else came up with Kate Smith’s “God Bless America?” What a wonderful lady and song….

    – – –

    You can’t appreciate a July 4th celebration unless you’ve been around a bunch of Alabama good ol’ boys who have unlimited money for fireworks and liquor. We were on a finger of a lake on which households were setting off major fireworks from their docks and boats. Several times the people across from us would have a firing tube fall over, shooting the explosion sideways, or completely blow up, after which we would hear a lot of laughing, so we knew they were either okay or not feeling any pain. People would cruise up and down the river waving American flags, but it was topped off when a bunch of drunks came between “the rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air,” with their speakers blaring Alabama’s fight song followed by Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the red, white and blue.”

    – – –

    reg from above: …”it can’t be said too often: “Jimmy Carter was right!” God bless America and God bless Jimmy Carter.”

    reg from Marc Cooper’s: “You’re sounding like a bigger idiot with every sorry comment.”

    Need I say anything else?

    – – –

    I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth.

  • You can’t appreciate a July 4th celebration unless you’ve been around a bunch of Alabama good ol’ boys who have unlimited money for fireworks and liquor. We were on a finger of a lake on which households were setting off major fireworks from their docks and boats. Several times the people across from us would have a firing tube fall over, shooting the explosion sideways, or completely blow up, after which we would hear a lot of laughing, so we knew they were either okay or not feeling any pain. People would cruise up and down the river waving American flags, but it was topped off when a bunch of drunks came between “the rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air,” with their speakers blaring Alabama’s fight song followed by Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the red, white and blue.”

    Drunken wingnuts with fireworks. There’s vindication of Darwin.

  • Yeah, you’ll never see a liberal getting killed celebrating our nation, because they won’t do it. I thought it interesting that lefties here hated Lee Greenwood. Too patriotic, I guess.

  • No, because we have enough sense not to mix fireworks and alcohol.

    As for Lee Greenwood, he’s a phony: our allegience is not to the flag,it’s to the constitution, which the current administration is busy buggering. If you think patriotism amounts to loving a glib, maudlin song by a recovering cocaine addict, while supporting an administration that seeks to trash the constitution, i.e., the very basis for the country’s existence, for its own ends, then you are even more shallow than I could have imagined.

  • Actually Randy. I gotta correct you: I was just at the Firecracker (appropriately enough) which is a night club in Chinatown, on the Fourth. And there were plenty of liberal, Los Angeles hipster types doing all sorts of stupid shit with fireworks. Launching roman candles into huge crowds of people; throwing firecrackers at one another; burning each other with sparklers – which included poking people in the face with them. Stupidity’s, truly, not exclusive to one party. I’m personally glad to see people from across the political spectrum show such disregard for each others safety.

    You’re right about Lee Greenwood though – he’s a total fucking tool.

  • Agreed, Adam, but the cops are out in force here in NYC and the public fireworks are so great here and in New Canaan, CT, where I went, that people at least around here use their heads.

  • Randy Paul: As for Lee Greenwood, he’s a phony: our allegience [sic] is not to the flag.

    Ever heard of this?

    “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.”

    If you need an explanation, view this: The meaning of our Pledge of Allegiance

    You’re a phony, pompous fool.

    Adam C.: (Randy) You’re right about Lee Greenwood though – he’s a total f’n tool.

    Artist: Lee Greenwood
    Title: Proud To Be An American

    “…Well there’s pride in every American heart,
    and its time we stand and say.

    “That I’m proud to be an American,
    where at least I know I’m free.
    And I wont forget the men who died,
    who gave that right to me.

    “And I gladly stand up,
    next to you and defend her still today.
    ‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
    God bless the USA.”

    Only liberals who really don’t love the USA would say that someone who sings that is a fool.

    It appears that some prefer songs by liberal anti-American cocaine addicts.

  • You’re a phony, pompous fool.

    Like being called ugly by a frog.

    There is no nation without the constitution. There can be a nation without the flag.

  • Other Randy: There is no Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. It’s a myth.

    Look, idiot, let’s go over this again.

    “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.”

    Why can third graders understand that, but not you? Nevemind. The answer is self-evident.

    Maybe you, being a liberal, interpret the pledge in any way that you choose, just to suit your purpose.

    The only thing that you celebrate about America is anything that you can find wrong with it–including its pledge of allegiance.

    The Flag Code

  • The only thing that you celebrate about America is anything that you can find wrong with it–including its pledge of allegiance.

    Blah, blah, blah. Change the disc, Woody. The strawmen are clogging things up.

  • It seems that you are too proud to admit pride in our nation. At least you have that right. But, please admit that we do have a pledge of allegiance to the flag.

  • It seems that you are too proud to admit pride in our nation

    Sez you. Simply because someone doesn’t adhere to your definition of patriotism, doesn’t mean they are not patriotic.

    As for the pledge of allegience, when officers are commissioned in the armed services and when elected officials are sworn in, they swear to uphold the constitution, not the flag. The flag is a symbol of the republic. The republic is based on the constitution. Your side has been trashing the constitution, while wrapping yourselves in the flag. Who’s the real patriot here?

  • My side admits that there is a pledge to the flag and we support the appointing of justices who don’t make wild “interpretations” of the Constitution, such as those you support who let baby rapists off. I don’t see respect for the Constitution from the left.

  • FYI the “Pledge of Allegiance” was written in the 1890’s by a socialist for a children’s magazine. It was designed to aid in the “Melting” pot of new immigrants by giving their kids something other than a monarch or soverign to pledge fidelity towards and it was originally this:

    “I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag and to the Repblic for which it stands with Liberty and Justice for all.”

    Thay’s it. The other partswere added later – most recently “Under God” added in the fifties to fight the dirty commies!

  • I know the history of the pledge, reg, and I don’t cringe that it was written by Baptist minister, who was a Christian socialist, way back in 1891. Doesn’t it kill you, though, that God was added to the pledge to make it complete?

    The words “under God” were added in 1954 by then President Eisenhower, who stated at the time, “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.”

    Yuo guys sure know how to pour cold water on a celebration of our nation’s freedom. Why do you want to live here?

  • My side admits that there is a pledge to the flag and we support the appointing of justices who don’t make wild “interpretations” of the Constitution, such as those you support who let baby rapists off. I

    No one talked about letting “baby rapists off.” We just have enough sense to not create a situation in which child rape victims become child murder victims.

    Yuo guys sure know how to pour cold water on a celebration of our nation’s freedom.

    Your pissant defense of Lee Greenwood and attempt to act holier than thou threw just as much cold water as anyone else.

  • Just for the record, someone who refers to a triple amputee winner of a Silver Star and Bronze Star as “Stumpy,” has no credibility lecturing anyone on patriotism.

  • Let me correct you…a Senator who broke his promises and allegiance to the citizens of the State of Georgia–far more recently than his service. What happened to him was an accident of his negligence, but what he did to the citizens of Georgia was an intentional rebuke of their trust. Patriotism is about loyalty. Cleland showed none. Go worry about your own honored Senators.

  • Randy Paul Honoring Independence Day: “May this be year that we get our beloved country back from those who believe in torture, an imperial presidency and a rubber-stamp congress!”

    Does that person, who reveals no good about America, have any credibility for “lecturing anyone on patriotism?”

    Loser.

  • Sticks and stones, Woody. All I do is consider the source.

    Let me correct you…a Senator who broke his promises and allegiance to the citizens of the State of Georgia–far more recently than his service. What happened to him was an accident of his negligence, but what he did to the citizens of Georgia was an intentional rebuke of their trust. Patriotism is about loyalty. Cleland showed none. Go worry about your own honored Senators.

    That is an opinion. His decorations, which preceded his injuries are facts. You know the old saying about opinions: they’re like assholes. You’re one of the biggest.

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