Favorite Popular Songs (1): "God Bless America"

Kate Smith, who sang "God Bless America" countless times while she toured the country selling U.S. War Bonds during World War II.



I'm not one of those gung-ho, wrap yourself in the flag, "America, love it or leave it" types, but I love to listen to Kate Smith sing "God Bless America." Beloved as America's unofficial national anthem, "God Bless America" was written in 1918 by Irving Berlin. Berlin, who allegedly did not think much of the song, updated it in 1938, and Kate Smith, one of America's most popular singers, first sang it on the radio in the same year. In a country already anticipating being drawn into World War II, "God Bless America" was an enormous success, and Kate Smith was identified with the song for the rest of her life.

When I was a kid, Kate Smith was one of the many popular radio stars who had made the transition to television. Her theme song was "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain," which I thought was a very lame song. I still think it is. Besides, Kate was fat and wore what to me seemed like funny dresses. I used to parody her song by singing "When the moon comes over the mountain, You can't see the mountain for Kate."

As I grew older and more (ahem!) full-figured myself, I didn't think it was funny that Kate Smith was fat. I was also interested to learn that she had started out in vaudeville as a figure of fun because of her weight and then became a great star on radio because of her lovely alto voice. Kate Smith made many movies, and in one of them, This is the Army (1943), she sang "God Bless America." During World War II, Kate Smith was a tireless worker on behalf of the war effort, touring the country to sell War Bonds. In fact, she sold more war bonds than anyone else. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan awarded Kate Smith the Medal of Freedom, in part a belated thank-you for her war bond efforts.

I forgot about Kate Smith for a long time, and I really didn't think much about "God Bless America" either, until the 1970's when the Philadelphia Flyers were one of the leading hockey teams in the NHL. In 1969, the Flyers had started playing a recording of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" instead of the "Star Spangled Banner" at their home games at the Spectrum. In 1973, Kate Smith came out of retirement to sing "God Bless America" in person at a home game, and the Flyers won. From time to time thereafter, Kate Smith returned to the Spectrum to give a live rendition of "God Bless America." The good luck charm didn't always work, but overall, the Flyers have a winning record in games played when the song is sung. Kate Smith now ranks among the Greatest Hockey Legends. Erected in 1987, a bronze statue of Kate Smith stands outside the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, "God Bless America" was played frequently to keep up the spirit of a population shocked by the attacks. Unfortunately, although Irving Berlin thought of his song as a song of peace, it has often been associated with warlike sentiments. Woody Guthrie wrote his anthem "This Land is Your Land" as a parody in reaction to the popularity of "God Bless America." Guthrie would probably be amazed to know how popular both songs still are.

Anyway, I consider myself a peace-loving person, and I don't enjoy just any old rendition of "God Bless America." But when they play the old Columbia Records recording of Kate Smith singing it, backed up by a full band, it brings me to my feet,