God Bless America

song by Berlin

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June 29, 2026

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"God Bless America" is a patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1938. Berlin, a Russian-born immigrant, composed the song as an expression of gratitude for the opportunities the United States provided. It was first popularized by radio singer Kate Smith and has since become a beloved American standard. The song gained renewed significance as a symbol of unity, notably when members of Congress sang it together on the steps of the U.S. Capitol following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.12

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Kate Smith
…however, is Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” which she introduced on Armistice Day, 1938, and for which the composer granted her exclusive rights to sing on the air for some time. That same year Smith added a daytime radio talk program, Kate Smith Speaks, to her schedule, and by…
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…however, is Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” which she introduced on Armistice Day, 1938, and for which the composer granted her exclusive rights to sing on the air for some time. That same year Smith added a daytime radio talk program, Kate Smith Speaks, to her schedule, and by…
Read More

List of Songs About America
God Bless America
…later said he wrote “God Bless America” as “an expression of gratitude for what this country has done for its citizens, of what home really means.” During his war service, Berlin wrote an unpublished version of the song for a military-themed musical revue. Then in 1938 radio star Kate…
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…later said he wrote “God Bless America” as “an expression of gratitude for what this country has done for its citizens, of what home really means.” During his war service, Berlin wrote an unpublished version of the song for a military-themed musical revue. Then in 1938 radio star Kate…
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This Land Is Your Land
Background and composition
…Irving Berlin’s immensely popular “God Bless America” (1938), which irritated the populist-minded Guthrie with what he considered to be a rosy picture of a country that he knew from experience to be far more complicated. For a tune, Guthrie borrowed the melody of a gospel song by the Carter…
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…Irving Berlin’s immensely popular “God Bless America” (1938), which irritated the populist-minded Guthrie with what he considered to be a rosy picture of a country that he knew from experience to be far more complicated. For a tune, Guthrie borrowed the melody of a gospel song by the Carter…
Read More