American Hymn
An adaptation of
America The Beautiful,
by Katharine Lee Bates 1913
O beautiful for spacious skies,
Standing here, linin’ up, standing in the cold air
For amber waves of grain,
Waiting here, cold as hell, tryin’ to feed my family
For purple mountain majesties
Momma’s shouting, baby’s cryin’, knowin’ that it’s not fair
Above the fruited plain!
People stare, no one cares, cops are beatin’ round us
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
Have to fight to get there, nothing but this cold air
And crown thy good with brotherhood
No one wants to step up, nothin’ but the cold stares,
From sea to shining sea!
Outta choices, outta time, not sure how we’ll make it.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Standin’ here, getting’ close, waiting on my aching feet
Whose stern impassion’d stress
Stressin’ out, stressin’ out, where this line’ll take me
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Endless wasteland city streets, trash and dirt everywhere
Across the wilderness!
Free to wait here all I want, free to live as if I’m dead
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Did no wrong, hurt no one, not a way to climb out
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Being good, follow rules, but it don’t seem to work out
Thy liberty in law!
Never helped me anymore, never got me outta here
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
City’s been a home to us, a life for us, a place for us
Who more than self their country loved,
Never want to leave here, friends and neighbors all here
And mercy more than life!
So why so hard to make it work, get it goin’, stop the fear
America! America! May God thy gold refine
What’s so hard ‘bout food to eat, clothes to wear, safe for all
Till all success be nobleness,
Schools for kids, jobs for us, respect for all
And ev’ry gain divine!
Shouldn’t be so hard, be so hard, this land o’ the free
O Beautiful for patriot dream
Wish that we could all live the dream, live the dream
That sees beyond the years
Love each other, respect ‘n’ help each other
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Not this life of standin’ in line, doing our time
Undimmed by human tears!
Not this life of dirt and tears, no where to go,
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
Knowin’ we can all do better, helpin’ each other
And crown thy good with brotherhood
Brothers ‘n’ sisters, friends ‘n’ neighbors, all one country
From sea to shining sea!
So one day soon there won’t be no lines, no more lines,
One day soon we’ll all be one country, all one country
American Hymn
An adaptation of
America The Beautiful,
by Katharine Lee Bates 1913
O beautiful for spacious skies,
—-Standing here, linin’ up, standing in the cold air
For amber waves of grain,
—-Waiting here, cold as hell, tryin’ to feed my family
For purple mountain majesties
—-Momma’s shouting, baby’s cryin’, knowin’ that it’s not fair
Above the fruited plain!
—-People stare, no one cares, cops are beatin’ round us
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
—-Have to fight to get there, nothing but this cold air
And crown thy good with brotherhood
—-No one wants to step up, nothin’ but the cold stares,
From sea to shining sea!
—-Outta choices, outta time, not sure how we’ll make it.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
—-Standin’ here, getting’ close, waiting on my aching feet
Whose stern impassion’d stress
—-Stressin’ out, tressing’ out, where this line’ll take me
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
—-Endless wasteland city streets, trash and dirt lies everywhere
Across the wilderness!
—-Free to wait here all I want, free to live as if I’m dead
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
—-Did no wrong, hurt no one, not a way to climb out
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
—-Being good, follow rules, but it don’t seem to work out
Thy liberty in law!
—-Never helped me anymore, never got me outta here
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
—-City’s been a home to us, a life for us, a place for us
Who more than self their country loved,
—-Never want to leave here, friends and neighbors all here
And mercy more than life!
—-So why so hard to make it work, get it goin’, stop the fear
America! America! May God thy gold refine
—-What’s so hard ‘bout food to eat, clothes to wear, safe for all
Till all success be nobleness,
—-Schools for kids, jobs for us, respect for all
And ev’ry gain divine!
—-Shouldn’t be so hard, be so hard, this land o’ the free
O Beautiful for patriot dream
—-Wish that we could all live the dream, live the dream
That sees beyond the years
—-Love each other, respect ‘n’ help each other
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
—-Not this life of standin’ in line, doing our time
Undimmed by human tears!
—-Not this life of dirt and tears, no where to go,
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
—-Knowin’ we can all do better, elping’ each other
And crown thy good with brotherhood
—-Brothers ‘n’ sisters, friends ‘n’ neighbors, all one country
From sea to shining sea!
—-So one day soon there won’t be no lines, no more lines,
—-One day soon we’ll all be one country, all one country
Patricia Ann McNair 
Journal Prompt 12-11-14
American Hymn
An adaptation of
America The Beautiful,
by Katharine Lee Bates 1913
O beautiful for spacious skies,
Standing here, linin’ up, standing in the cold air
For amber waves of grain,
Waiting here, cold as hell, tryin’ to feed my family
For purple mountain majesties
Momma’s shouting, baby’s cryin’, knowin’ that it’s not fair
Above the fruited plain!
People stare, no one cares, cops are beatin’ round us
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
Have to fight to get there, nothing but this cold air
And crown thy good with brotherhood
No one wants to step up, nothin’ but the cold stares,
From sea to shining sea!
Outta choices, outta time, not sure how we’ll make it.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Standin’ here, getting’ close, waiting on my aching feet
Whose stern impassion’d stress
Stressin’ out, stressin’ out, where this line’ll take me
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Endless wasteland city streets, trash and dirt everywhere
Across the wilderness!
Free to wait here all I want, free to live as if I’m dead
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Did no wrong, hurt no one, not a way to climb out
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Being good, follow rules, but it don’t seem to work out
Thy liberty in law!
Never helped me anymore, never got me outta here
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
City’s been a home to us, a life for us, a place for us
Who more than self their country loved,
Never want to leave here, friends and neighbors all here
And mercy more than life!
So why so hard to make it work, get it goin’, stop the fear
America! America! May God thy gold refine
What’s so hard ‘bout food to eat, clothes to wear, safe for all
Till all success be nobleness,
Schools for kids, jobs for us, respect for all
And ev’ry gain divine!
Shouldn’t be so hard, be so hard, this land o’ the free
O Beautiful for patriot dream
Wish that we could all live the dream, live the dream
That sees beyond the years
Love each other, respect ‘n’ help each other
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Not this life of standin’ in line, doing our time
Undimmed by human tears!
Not this life of dirt and tears, no where to go,
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
Knowin’ we can all do better, helpin’ each other
And crown thy good with brotherhood
Brothers ‘n’ sisters, friends ‘n’ neighbors, all one country
From sea to shining sea!
So one day soon there won’t be no lines, no more lines,
One day soon we’ll all be one country, all one country
Note: Every second line should be indented: couldn’t get it to save in that format, but there it is. Maybe it’s better this way!
Journal Prompt 12-11-14
American Hymn
An adaptation of
America The Beautiful,
by Katharine Lee Bates 1913
O beautiful for spacious skies,
—-Standing here, linin’ up, standing in the cold air
For amber waves of grain,
—-Waiting here, cold as hell, tryin’ to feed my family
For purple mountain majesties
—-Momma’s shouting, baby’s cryin’, knowin’ that it’s not fair
Above the fruited plain!
—-People stare, no one cares, cops are beatin’ round us
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
—-Have to fight to get there, nothing but this cold air
And crown thy good with brotherhood
—-No one wants to step up, nothin’ but the cold stares,
From sea to shining sea!
—-Outta choices, outta time, not sure how we’ll make it.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
—-Standin’ here, getting’ close, waiting on my aching feet
Whose stern impassion’d stress
—-Stressin’ out, tressing’ out, where this line’ll take me
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
—-Endless wasteland city streets, trash and dirt lies everywhere
Across the wilderness!
—-Free to wait here all I want, free to live as if I’m dead
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
—-Did no wrong, hurt no one, not a way to climb out
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
—-Being good, follow rules, but it don’t seem to work out
Thy liberty in law!
—-Never helped me anymore, never got me outta here
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
—-City’s been a home to us, a life for us, a place for us
Who more than self their country loved,
—-Never want to leave here, friends and neighbors all here
And mercy more than life!
—-So why so hard to make it work, get it goin’, stop the fear
America! America! May God thy gold refine
—-What’s so hard ‘bout food to eat, clothes to wear, safe for all
Till all success be nobleness,
—-Schools for kids, jobs for us, respect for all
And ev’ry gain divine!
—-Shouldn’t be so hard, be so hard, this land o’ the free
O Beautiful for patriot dream
—-Wish that we could all live the dream, live the dream
That sees beyond the years
—-Love each other, respect ‘n’ help each other
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
—-Not this life of standin’ in line, doing our time
Undimmed by human tears!
—-Not this life of dirt and tears, no where to go,
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
—-Knowin’ we can all do better, elping’ each other
And crown thy good with brotherhood
—-Brothers ‘n’ sisters, friends ‘n’ neighbors, all one country
From sea to shining sea!
—-So one day soon there won’t be no lines, no more lines,
—-One day soon we’ll all be one country, all one country