You're a Grand Old Flag

"You're a Grand Old Flag" er en amerikansk patriotisk sang. Sangen, en livlig march skrevet af George M. Cohan, er en hyldest til USA's flag. Udover de åbenlyse referencer til flaget, inkorporerer den bider af andre populære sange, inklusiv en af sine hans egne. Cohan skrev stykket i 1906 til George Washington, Jr., hans musical.

Sangen blev først opført offentligt 6. februar, stykkets åbningsaften, på Herald Square Theater i New York. "You're a Grand Old Flag" blev hurtigt den første sang fra en musical, der solgte over en million eksemplarer af partituret. Titlen og første linje kom fra en Cohan engang mødte; på Library of Congresss webside står der:

Sangen blev brugt i et stort produktionsnummer i filmbiografien om Cohan fra 1942, Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Tekst

1. vers

There's a feeling comes a-stealing,

And it sets my brain a-reeling,

When I'm listening to the music of a military band.

Any tune like "Yankee Doodle"

Simply sets me off my noodle,

It's that patriotic something that no one can understand.

"Way down south, in the land of cotton,"

Melody untiring,

Ain't that inspiring?

Hurrah! Hurrah! We'll join the jubilee!

And that's going some, for the Yankees, by gum! ^[1]

Red, white and blue, I am for you!

Honest, you're a grand old flag!

2. vers

I'm no cranky hanky panky,

I'm a dead square, honest Yankee,

And I'm mighty proud of that old flag

That flies for Uncle Sam.

Though I don't believe in raving

Ev'ry time I see it waving,

There's a chill runs up my back that makes me glad I'm what I am.

Here's a land with a million soldiers,

That's if we should need 'em,

We'll fight for freedom!

Hurrah! Hurrah! For every Yankee tar^[2]

And old G.A.R.

Ev'ry stripe, ev'ry star.

Red, white and blue,

Hats off to you

Honest, you're a grand old flag!

Omkvæd

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

'neath the Red, White and Blue,^[3]

Where there's never a boast or brag.

But should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

Fodnoter

^ Line taken directly from the previous year's Cohan hit, The Yankee Doodle Boy
^ Old fashioned slang for a sailor, a.k.a. "Jack Tar". See tar.
^ Or "under" Red, White and Blue

Eksterne henvisninger

1906 sheet music — fra Library of Congress

[1] Line taken directly from the previous year's Cohan hit, The Yankee Doodle Boy

[2] Old fashioned slang for a sailor, a.k.a. "Jack Tar". See tar.

[3] Or "under" Red, White and Blue

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