[Some
of the lyrics of this songs have been going through my head for days and days
and days! So, I looked it up, and I'm sharing it with you because it's about
America, and we've just celebrated the Fourth of July as our day of
independence gained over 200 years ago.]
[If you want to hear the song performed, check out YouTube--Frank
Sinatra, Paul Robeson, and Dianne Reeves, among others, recorded it.]
From SongFacts website:
This became a patriotic anthem in America during World War II. The lyrics describe the wonderful things about the country, with images of the era like the grocer, the butcher, and the churchyard. The "house" is a metaphor for the country.
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THE HOUSE I LIVE IN
Songwriters: Lewis Allan / Earl Robinson
What is America to me
A name, a map, or a flag I see
A certain word, democracy
What is America to me
The house I live in
A plot of Earth, a street
The grocer and the butcher
And the people that I meet
The children in the playground
The faces that I see
All races and religions
That's America to me
The place I work in
The worker by my side
The little town the city
Where my people lived and died
The howdy and the handshake
The air a feeling free
And the right to speak your mind out
That's America to me
The things I see about me
The big things and the small
The little corner newsstand
Or the house a mile tall
The wedding and the churchyard
The laughter and the tears
The dream that's been a growing
For a hundred and fifty years
The town I live in
The street, the house, the room
The pavement of the city
Or the garden all in bloom
The church the school the clubhouse
The million lights I see
But especially the people
That's America to me
The House I Live In lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
I love these words. Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" became my particular anthem this year. It's a good reminder during a bitter time.
ReplyDeleteWe need our encouraging words. Easy to say "This too shall pass," but no one ever says when that'll happen. Hang in there, kid. I'll do the same.
ReplyDelete