The World War I origins of “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin

Berlin wrote the song on his way back to America after attending the London premiere (September 30, 1938) of his film Alexander’s Ragtime Band. Introduced by Kate Smith on her CBS radio show, The Kate Smith Hour, on November 10, 1938. Smith premiered the song late in the show and prefaced it with the following words: “And now it’s going to be my very great privilege to sing for you a song that’s never been sung before by anybody. One that was written especially for me by one of the greatest composers in the music field today. It’s something more than a song – I feel it’s one of the most beautiful compositions ever written, a song that will never die. The author –  Mr. Irving Berlin. 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. The finale – the boys were alerted in the scene before that they were going overseas, and in overseas outfits, including helmets, they marched through the Theater, went out to the street and backstage where they boarded a transport, and as the lights lowered, the transport, on wheel, slowly moved off stage. It was a very touching and emotional scene. As I remember, the song they sang was ‘In the Y.M.C.A.’ as the curtain came down. Having that finale in mind, it seemed painting the lily to have soldiers sing ‘God Bless America’ in that situation, so I didn’t use it. Of course, I always had it in back of my mind to use someday on the right occasion. That occasion came after I returned from London in 1938 where I had gone to see the opening of Alexander’s Ragtime Band, the picture. I was there during Chamberlain’s visit to Hitler and the beginning of the Munich pact. On my way back, I tried to write a song that I felt at that time. I remember finishing a chorus of a song called ‘Thanks America’ which I tore up because it was very bad. It seemed a bad editorial set to music. I then recalled ‘God Bless America’ and rewrote it. I underline rewrote because that is a very important part of the story of ‘God Bless America.’ ”

Irving Berlin with Kate Smith during World War II.

“The original version was as follows: ‘God Bless America /  land that I love / Stand beside her / And guide her /To the right with a light from above / Make her victorious on land and foam / God Bless America, my home sweet home.’ It is obvious that the word ‘right’ had to be changed because in 1918 “guide her to the right” meant the right road. In 1938, there was a right and a left and it had a different significance. So in changing it the song was improved when I said ‘stand beside her and guide her, thru the night with a light from above.’ Then again, in 1918 it was written as a war song, which the phrase ‘make her victorious on land and foam’ indicates. In 1938, I didn’t want it to be a war song. I wanted it to be a song of peace. On Armistice Day, 1938, I spoke to Ted Collins [Smith’s manager] and he wanted a song for Kate Smith to sing on that program, where she introduced it.”

Over the years Berlin and his longtime friend and onetime (1918) musical secretary, songwriter Harry Ruby, frequently exchanged humorous letters. On October 26, 1971, Berlin wrote to Ruby about “God Bless America” as follows: “I was interviewed a few weeks ago about ‘God Bless America,’ and one of the questions was, ‘Is it true that Harry Ruby helped you keep it away from the public for twenty years?’ That came out of left field, but he evidently read it somewhere and, Harry, as an old friend, I defended you. I told him that the one and only time I played and sang it was at a rehearsal where you were present. The reaction from the boys was a thunderous silence and that you, as a civilian, were the only one who stood up and saluted. Seriously, Harry, I told the interviewer the simple facts – that the song was never taken down, that I did let the boys hear it and decided that 350 soldiers in overseas outfits marching down the aisle of the Century Theater going off to war, singing ‘God Bless America,’ was wrong. So, as you will remember, I replaced it with a little thing called ‘We’re On Our Way To France.’ If the late Ted Collins, who was Kate Smith’s manager, hadn’t come to me in 1938 for a patriotic song to be sung by her on Armistice Day, I’m afraid ‘God Bless America’ would still be a war song, unpublished and unsung.”

→ Read the entire article on The Irving Berlin Music Company website.
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