Today is Flag Day and I thought this was interesting:
You're a Grand Old Flag
>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
You're a Grand Old Flag
"You're a Grand Old Flag" is a patriotic song of the United States. The
song, a spirited march written by George M. Cohan, is a tribute to the
U.S. flag. In addition to obvious references to the flag, it
incorporates snippets of other popular songs, including one of his own.
Cohan wrote it in 1906 for George Washington, Jr., his stage musical.
The song was first publicly performed on February 6, the play's opening
night, at Herald Square Theater in New York City. "You're a Grand Old
Flag" quickly became the first song from a musical to sell over a
million copies of sheet music. The title and first lyric comes from
someone Cohan once met; the Library of Congress website notes:
The original lyric for this perennial George M. Cohan favorite came,
as Cohan later explained, from an encounter he had with a Civil War
veteran who fought at Gettysburg. The two men found themselves next to
each other and Cohan noticed the vet held a carefully folded but ragged
old flag. The man reportedly then turned to Cohan and said, "She's a
grand old rag." Cohan thought it was a great line and originally named
his tune "You're a Grand Old Rag." So many groups and individuals
objected to calling the flag a "rag," however, that he "gave 'em what
they wanted" and switched words, renaming the song "You're a Grand Old
Flag."
- Library of Congress
In the play itself, the scene with the Civil War soldier was replicated.
The soldier's comment was the lead-in to this song. Thus the first
version of the chorus began, "You're a grand old rag / You're a
high-flying flag". Despite Cohan's efforts to pull that version, some
artists such as Billy Murray had recorded it under its original title,
"The Grand Old Rag", in advance of the play's opening, and many copies
under that title still circulate among collectors. Cohan's second
attempt at writing the chorus began, "You're a grand old flag / Though
you're torn to a rag". The final version, with its redundant rhyme, is
as shown below.
The song was used in a major production number in Cohan's 1942 film
biography, Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Recordings by Pride of the 48 and Catalina Strings, were used in the
film "Born on the Fourth of July (film)" (1989).
Verse 1
There's a feeling comes a-stealing,
And it sets my brain a-reeling,
When I'm listening to the music of a military band.
Any tune like "Yankee Doodle"
Simply sets me off my noodle,
It's that patriotic something that no one can understand.
"Way down south, in the land of cotton,"
Melody untiring,
Ain't that inspiring?
Hurrah! Hurrah! We'll join the jubilee!
And that's going some, for the Yankees, by gum!
Red, white and blue, I am for you!
Honest, you're a grand old flag!
Verse 2
I'm no cranky hanky panky,
I'm a dead square, honest Yankee,
And I'm mighty proud of that old flag
That flies for Uncle Sam.
Though I don't believe in raving
Ev'ry time I see it waving,
There's a chill runs up my back that makes me glad I'm what I am.
Here's a land with a million soldiers,
That's if we should need 'em,
We'll fight for freedom!
Hurrah! Hurrah! For every Yankee tar
And old G.A.R.
Ev'ry stripe, ev'ry star.
Red, white and blue,
Hats off to you
Honest, you're a grand old flag!
Chorus
You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
But should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
--
Access the Recipes And More list archives at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/
Visit the group home page at:
http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore
