by Lawrence Kadish • May 11, 2022 at 4:00 pm
"God bless America, land that I love / Stand beside her and guide her / Through the night with the light from above..." From "God Bless America" by Irving Berlin, 1918, updated 1938. (Pictured: Irving Berlin performs for a CBS Radio show, circa 1935. (Photo by FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
It should come as no surprise that some of the most heartfelt music about our nation was penned by an immigrant, Irving Berlin. His biography reports that he was born Israel Baline in a Siberian Jewish village. After it was attacked by an anti-Semitic mob, his family realized America was their only hope, settling in Manhattan's Lower East Side in search of opportunity but -- more important -- freedom.
Few know America's exceptionalism better than those who have borne witness to the deprivations of other lands.
When one considers Berlin's lyrics the reader can appreciate why many call it America's unofficial anthem.
God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home
God bless America, my home sweet home
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