Why do we say God Bless America?
Irving Berlin arrived in New York at 5 as Israel Baline, the son of a cantor fleeing persecution of the Jews of Russia. During World War I, Berlin wrote “God Bless America.” The title was a phrase his immigrant mother fervently repeated during Berlin’s childhood, his daughter later said.
Who said God Bless America first?
actor Henry Irving
The phrase “God Bless America” appears in the New York Times for the first time in 1885, uttered by English actor Henry Irving at a speech marking the conclusion of his first tour of the United States: “The last words I say to you, and those words will ever be uttered by me and mine are, God bless America!

Where did the royalties from God Bless America go?
When it came to “God Bless America,” Irving Berlin and Kate Smith put their money where their mouths were. They donated all the royalties from the hit song to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America through the God Bless America Foundation. That arrangement is still in effect today.
Who is most famous for God Bless America?
Irving Berlin
God Bless America
“God Bless America” | |
---|---|
Song | |
Published | 1939 by Irving Berlin Inc. |
Genre | Patriotic song |
Songwriter(s) | Irving Berlin |
When was God Bless America first performed?
November 11, 1938
As is befitting, the first time “God Bless America” was ever heard nationally it was sung by Smith. This occurred on November 11, 1938 over Kate Smith’s CBS radio show, “The Kate Smith Hour.” From that first occurrence, Smith seemed to know that this tune was special.

What kind of sentence is God Bless America?
Today, we forget the ‘May’ was ever there and simply say ‘God Bless America,’ which grammatically is an imperative statement, sort of ordering God to do it.
Why don’t they sing God Bless America?
The team decided to stop playing the song in the seventh inning after learning about Smith’s history of racist lyrics. The New York Yankees have decided to stop playing Kate Smith’s rendition of “God Bless America” after learning of her history of racist song lyrics, the New York Daily Newsreported on Thursday.
Why do they sing God Bless America in the 7th inning?
It started with the national anthem played at the beginning of the game, but I grew more and more uneasy during the seventh-inning stretch. The stretch is a longstanding tradition in baseball, so named because it provides fans weary of sitting through lengthy games a moment to stand up and get their blood moving.
Do the Boy Scouts receive royalties from God Bless America?
And so, for the past 75 years, every time “God Bless America” has been performed, a portion of the royalties have gone to the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America. To date, the Boy Scouts of America — Berlin’s “favorite charity” — has received more than $5 million from the fund, according to Ethan V.
Why was the statue of Kate Smith removed?
On April 21, 2019, the statue was removed due to the Flyers denouncing music performed by Smith. Some of her other recordings had racist lyrics and the Flyers did not want to promote Kate Smith’s legacy due to this fact.
Is God Bless America grammatically correct?
By saying “God Bless America” you are indicating a desire that God will bless America in the future. You could even term this a prayer. “God blesses America” would be an indication that you think the blessing has already occured – or that the blessing is currently occuring.
When did MLB start singing God Bless America?
“God Bless America” started to be played during the 7th inning stretch at Yankee Stadium, as well as all Major League Baseball stadiums, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
What was the original title of God Bless America?
The title – ‘God Bless America.'” Berlin described how he wrote “God Bless America” in a letter of July 19, 1954, to Abel Green, editor of Variety: “I wrote ‘God Bless America’ at Camp Upton in 1918 to be the finale of Yip, Yip, Yaphank. As you may remember, the show opened on August 19th at the Old Century Theater.
Is’God Bless America’a political film?
Goldthwait claims that God Bless America is not meant to be a political film. But unless he really wants people to just laugh and forget about it moments later, then there is really no other way one can possibly read it. While I felt for how agonizing some of the dialogue must have been to deliver, I really enjoyed Murray’s performance as Frank.
Which president said’God Bless America’?
“God bless America and God bless each and every one of you.” The phrase didn’t catch on during the Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter years, but Ronald Reagan’s presidency definitively ushered in the era of “God bless America.”
Is God Bless America too subversive for the United States?
Yes, the majority of the population around the United States (and hell, worldwide) are embracing these ideals and not thinking any differently. But God Bless America is too subversive a film to ever conceivably be watched by these kinds of people.