As a child, we sang “America” more frequently than “The Star Spangled Banner,” in school, perhaps because it has fewer words.
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!
Its plodding, somewhat melancholy melody is also kinder to those of us with a vocal range of one octave.
Even so, those first two words, “My country,” have become a stumbling block for some.
What exactly has become of my country, my job, my life, they say.
And they’re right.
The world is changing.
But they’re wrong to think it can be stopped, or even if it could that it would be for the better.
