338. O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

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1 O beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain,
for purple mountain majesties
above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with *brotherhood
from sea to shining sea!

2 O beautiful for heroes proved
in liberating strife,
who more than self their country loved,
and mercy more than life!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw;
confirm thy soul in self-control,
thy liberty in law!

3 O beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years
thine alabaster cities gleam,
undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
till all success be nobleness
and every gain divine!

*or servanthood

Text Information
First Line: O beautiful for spacious skies
Title: O Beautiful for Spacious Skies
Author: Katharine Lee Bates (1893, alt.)
Meter: CMD
Language: English
Publication Date: 2013
Scripture: ; ; ;
Topic: Creation; Freedom; The Life of the Nations
Tune Information
Name: MATERNA
Composer: Samuel Augustus Ward (1882)
Meter: CMD
Key: B♭ Major


Text Information:

This text (inspired by the vista from Pike’s Peak and by a visit to Chicago’s Columbian World Exposition) and tune (named MATERNA because it was composed for “O Mother, Dear Jerusalem”) were joined in 1912. The combination proved immensely popular during World War I and afterwards.


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Audio recording: Audio (MP3)
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