Today is Musical Sunday, and it's also the Fourth of July - Independence Day here in the United States. The Fourth of July is considered by most Americans to be the high point of summer, a day for picnics, barbecues, beer, fireworks, parades, and general fun.
The song "You're a Grand Old Flag" was written by George M. Cohan for his 1906 stage musical "George Washington, Jr.", and was supposedly inspired by a chance meeting between Cohan and a veteran of the Civil War battle of Gettysburg. There's more to the song than most people realize ... what we usually sing today is actually the chorus to the full song of the same name.
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
Under red, white and blue
Where there's never a boast or brag
But should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the grand old flag
Nowadays, all too many so-called Americans proudly wave the Confederate battle flag rather than the Stars and Stripes, and think of themselves as patriots while they worship a disgraced former president who is all "boast and brag." If your heart beats true, you'll honor the real Red, White, and Blue this Fourth of July.
Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend. Be careful with those fireworks, especially if there's been beer involved in the preparation.
More thoughts coming.
Bilbo
The flag has seen some strife in its lifetime.
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