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Patriotic song of the United States | |
| Also known as | "Pikes Peak" (lyrics) "Materna" (music) |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Katharine Lee Bates, 1895 |
| Music | Samuel A. Ward, 1883 |
| Published | 1910 byOliver Ditson & Co. |
| Audio sample | |
"America the Beautiful" as performed by theUnited States Navy Band | |
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. Its lyrics were written byKatharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmasterSamuel A. Ward atGrace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey,[1] though the two never met.[2]
Bates wrote the words as a poem, originally titled "Pikes Peak". It was first published in theFourth of July 1895 edition of the church periodical,The Congregationalist. At that time, the poem was titled "America".
Ward had initially composed the song's melody in 1882 to accompany lyrics to "Materna", basis of the hymn, "O Mother dear, Jerusalem", though the hymn was not first published until 1892.[3] The combination of Ward's melody and Bates's poem was first entitled "America the Beautiful" in 1910. The song is one of the most popular of the many American patriotic songs.[4]
In 1893, at the age of 33, Bates, an English professor atWellesley College, had taken a train trip toColorado Springs, Colorado, to teach atColorado College.[5] Several of the sights on her trip inspired her, and they found their way into her poem, including theWorld's Columbian Exposition inChicago, the "White City" with its promise of the future contained within its gleaming white buildings;[6] the wheat fields of North America's heartlandKansas, through which her train was riding on July 16; and the majestic view of theGreat Plains from high atopPikes Peak.[7][8]
On the pinnacle of that mountain, the words of the poem started to come to her, and she wrote them down upon returning to her hotel room at the originalAntlers Hotel. The poem was initially published two years later inThe Congregationalist to commemoratethe Fourth of July. It quickly caught the public's fancy. An amended version was published in 1904.[9][10]
The first known melody written for the song was sent in bySilas Pratt when the poem was published inThe Congregationalist. By 1900, at least 75 different melodies had been written.[11] Ahymn tune composed in 1882 bySamuel A. Ward, the organist and choir director atGrace Church, Newark, was generally considered the best music as early as 1910 and is still the popular tune today. Just as Bates had been inspired to write her poem, Ward, too, was inspired. The tune came to him while he was on a ferryboat trip fromConey Island back to his home in New York City after a leisurely summer day and he immediately wrote it down. He composed the tune for the old hymn "O Mother Dear, Jerusalem", retitling the work "Materna". Ward's music combined with Bates's poem were first published together in 1910 and titled "America the Beautiful".[12]
Ward died in 1903, not knowing the national stature his music would attain. The song's popularity was well established by the time of Bates's death in 1929.[11] It is included in songbooks in many religious congregations in the United States.[13]
At various times in the more than one hundred years that have elapsed since the song was written, particularly during theJohn F. Kennedy administration, there have been efforts to give "America the Beautiful" legal status either as a national hymn or as a national anthem equal to, or in place of, "The Star-Spangled Banner", but so far this has not succeeded. Proponents prefer "America the Beautiful" for various reasons, saying it is easier to sing, more melodic, and more adaptable to new orchestrations while still remaining as easily recognizable as "The Star-Spangled Banner". Some object to the war-oriented imagery of "The Star-Spangled Banner", as well as its implicit support of slavery and racism in the third verse. Some who prefer "The Star-Spangled Banner", however, prefer it specificallyfor its war themes. While that national dichotomy has stymied any effort at changing the tradition of the national anthem, "America the Beautiful" continues to be held in high esteem by a large number of Americans, and was even being considered before 1931 as a candidate to become the national anthem of the United States.[14]
1893 poem (original)[15] | 1904 version[16] | 1911 version[17] |
Elvis Presley performed it many times in concerts starting in 1975.
Bing Crosby included the song in a medley on his album101 Gang Songs (1961).
Frank Sinatra recorded the song withNelson Riddle during the sessions forThe Concert Sinatra in February 1963, for a projected 45 single release. The 45 was not commercially issued however, but the song was later added as a bonus track to the enhanced 2012 CD release ofThe Concert Sinatra.
In 1976, while the United States celebrated its bicentennial, a soulful version popularized byRay Charles peaked at number 98 on the US R&B chart.[18][a] His version was traditionally played on New Year's Eve inTimes Square following the ball drop. Charles performed the song at Republican National Convention in August 1984 andSuper Bowl XXXV in January 2001.
Three different renditions of the song have entered theHot Country Songs charts. The first was byCharlie Rich, which went to number 22 in 1976.[19] A second, byMickey Newbury, peaked at number 82 in 1980.[20] Anall-star version of "America the Beautiful" performed bycountry singersTrace Adkins,Sherrié Austin,Billy Dean,Vince Gill,Carolyn Dawn Johnson,Toby Keith,Brenda Lee,Lonestar,Lyle Lovett,Lila McCann,Lorrie Morgan,Jamie O'Neal,The Oak Ridge Boys,Collin Raye,Kenny Rogers,Keith Urban andPhil Vassar reached number 58 in July 2001. The song re-entered the chart following theSeptember 11 attacks.[21]
Barbra Streisand released an official music video footage duringNorman Lear's Special in 1982.[22]
The song has been sung before many editions of theWWE's flagship annual showWrestleMania beginning atWrestleMania 2 in 1986, interchangeably withThe Star-Spangled Banner. The song has been performed by artists such asRay Charles,Aretha Franklin,Gladys Knight,Willie Nelson,Little Richard,Boyz II Men,Boys Choir of Harlem,John Legend,Nicole Scherzinger andFifth Harmony.[23]
During her rise to stardom, R&B singerMariah Carey sang the song at the1990 NBA Finals.
Whitney Houston also recorded the song, covering Ray Charles' soulful rearranged version, co-producing the song withRickey Minor as theB-side to her 1991 rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner".
The song has been performed as part of theIndianapolis 500 pre-race ceremonies since 1991.
The US singer/songwriter Martin Sexton recorded a gospel-tinged version on his LPBlack Sheep, released in 1996.
Popularity of the song increased greatly in the decades following 9/11; at some sporting events it was sung in addition to the traditional singing of the national anthem. During the first taping of theLate Show with David Letterman following the attacks, CBS newsmanDan Rather cried briefly as he quoted the fourth verse.[24]
Americanheavy metal bandBlack Label Society released an instrumental cover on their 2002 album1919 Eternal.
In2012, video clip ofMitt Romney singing "America the Beautiful" during acampaign appearance at a retirement community inThe Villages, Florida, was later used byPresident Obama’s re-electioncampaign in atelevision ad juxtaposing Romney’s off-key rendition with headlines critical of his business and tax records.[25][26]
The hymn has been featured in the pregame for a number ofSuper Bowls, the championship game for eachNFL season. It is sung along with the "Star-Spangled Banner" and, more recently, the hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing," commonly referred to as the "Black national anthem". ForSuper Bowl XLVIII,The Coca-Cola Company aired a multilingual version of the song, sung in several different languages. The commercial received some criticism on social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and from some conservatives, such asGlenn Beck.[27][28][29] Despite the controversies, Coca-Cola later reused the Super Bowl ad duringSuper Bowl LI, the opening ceremonies of the2014 Winter Olympics and2016 Summer Olympics and for patriotic holidays.[30][31]Notable performers at the Super Bowl includeRay Charles,Alicia Keys,John Legend,Jhené Aiko,Faith Hill,Mary J. Blige withMarc Anthony,Blake Shelton withMiranda Lambert,Queen Latifah,Leslie Odom Jr., andBabyface. Brandi Carlile performed the song for the most recentSuper Bowl LX, in 2026.[1]
The song, performed by 5 Alarm Music, is featured heavily in a dystopian action horror franchiseThe Purge in both trailers and films.[32]
In 2016, American five-piece girl groupFifth Harmony performed a rendition to honor theUnited States women's national soccer team on defeatingJapan 5–2 in theFinal[33] to win the2015FIFA Women's World Cup[34] last July atBC Place inVancouver,British Columbia,Canada[35] before an undisputedAT&T Stadium audience of 101,763 to openWrestleMania 32[36] inDallas,Texas.[37][38]
In 2017,Jackie Evancho releasedTogether We Stand, a disc containing three patriotic songs including "America the Beautiful".[39] The song charted at No. 4 onBillboard's Classical Digital Song sales chart.[40]
An abbreviated cover with the 1911 lyrics was performed byGreg Jong for the soundtrack of the 2020 video gameWasteland 3 and is played during the final hostile encounters in the Denver section.
In 2021,Jennifer Lopez performed the song at theinauguration of Joe Biden, as the second half of a medley with "This Land Is Your Land" byWoody Guthrie.[41]
In 2023,Cécile McLorin Salvant performed the song at theUS Open woman's final. In her rendition, Salvant notably skipped ahead to the lyrics of the second half of the second verse while singing the first verse (replacing "God shed His grace on thee..." with "God mend thine every flaw...", etc.). Jazz Critic Nate Chinen wrote the following day of the performance, "What does it mean for a singer such as Salvant to inhabit a platform like the US Open, and implore God to mend America’s every flaw? What does it mean, in the Year of Our Lord 2023, for a singer like Salvant to urge the nation to confirm thy soul in self-control, and find liberty in law? I’m not going to spell it out, but it means a lot."
In 2025Carrie Underwood sang the songa capella after what were described as “technical difficulties” caused the failure of her backing music, during thesecond inauguration of Donald Trump.[42]
"From sea to shining sea" is an Americanidiom meaning "from theAtlantic Ocean to thePacific Ocean" (or vice versa). Other songs that have used this phrase include the American patriotic song "God Bless the U.S.A." andSchoolhouse Rock's "Elbow Room". The phrase and the song are also the namesake of theShining Sea Bikeway, abike path in Bates's hometown ofFalmouth, Massachusetts. The phrase is similar to the Latin phrase "A Mari Usque Ad Mare" ("From sea to sea"), which is the official motto ofCanada.[43]
"Purple mountain majesties" reflects the striking visual effect ofPikes Peak’s rocky slopes, which can appear purplish at dawn or dusk due to atmospheric conditions and which inspired Bates to write the poem.[44][45] The idiom inspired theColorado Rockies to havepurple as one of its team colors.[46]
In 2003,Tori Amos appropriated the phrase "for amber waves of grain" to create apersonification for her song "Amber Waves". Amos imagines Amber Waves as an exotic dancer, like the character of the same name portrayed byJulianne Moore inBoogie Nights.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Discussion with Sherr onAmerica the Beautiful, November 27, 2001,C-SPAN |
Lynn Sherr's 2001 bookAmerica the Beautiful: The Stirring True Story Behind Our Nation's Favorite Song discusses the origins of the song and the backgrounds of its authors in depth. The book points out that the poem hasthe same meter as that of "Auld Lang Syne"; the songs can be sung interchangeably. Additionally, Sherr discusses the evolution of the lyrics, for instance, changes to the original third verse written by Bates.[16]
Melinda M. Ponder, in her 2017 biographyKatharine Lee Bates: From Sea to Shining Sea,[8] draws heavily on Bates's diaries and letters to trace the history of the poem and its place in American culture.
Many consider "America the Beautiful" to be the unofficial national anthem of the United States. In fact, it was one of the songs being considered as a U.S. national anthem before "Star Spangled Banner" was officially chosen. The song is often played during formal ceremonies or at the opening of important events...Many artists have recorded their own renditions of this patriotic song, including Elvis Presley and Mariah Carey. In September 1972, Ray Charles appeared on The Dick Cavett Show singing his version of "America the Beautiful."
