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.
