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The story

America the Beautiful

Words: Katherine Lee Bates, 1893
Tune: "Materna", Samuel Ward, 1882

The following shows the eight verses that I have come across.
There may be more, but usually the song is sung with far fewer. In fact, only the first four verses are normally quoted.

  
1 O beautiful for spacious skies,
    For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
    Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
     God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
    From sea to shining sea!
 
2 O beautiful for pilgrim feet
    Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
    Across the wilderness!
America! America!
    God mend thine ev'ry flaw, 
Confirm the soul in self control,
     Thy liberty in law!
 
3 O beautiful for heroes proved
    In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
    And mercy more than life! 
America! America!
    May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
    And every gain divine!
 
4 O beautiful for patriot dream
    That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
    Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
    God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
    From sea to shining sea!
 
  
5 O beautiful for halcyon skies,
    For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
    Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
    God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
    And music-hearted sea!
 
6 O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
    Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
    Across the wilderness!
America ! America !
    God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought, through wilds of thought
    By pilgrim foot and knee!
 
7 O beautiful for glory-tale
    Of liberating strife
When once and twice, for man's avail
    Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
    God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain mo longer stain
    The banner of the free!
 
8 O beautiful for patriot dream
    That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
    Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
    God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
    Thy whiter jubilee!
 

Last update: 22-Mar-00  ©1996-2004 Mike Todd