America the Beautiful Gift
Oh beautiful, for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountains majesties
Above the fruited plain
In the United States of America, February is designated as Black History Month. In contemplating Black History and its impact on the greatness of America, there are many Black Americans that all Americans can be in awe of and draw inspiration from for the individual role they played and the contributions they made to the American tapestry. One such individual that stands out for me is Mr. Ray Charles. Each morning, I begin my day by listening to eight recordings, a mix of psalms and songs. The eighth recording is America the Beautiful as performed by Mr. Charles. Mr. Charles’ performance of this American patriotic standard is all at once humbling, inspiring, stirring and hopeful, infused with a passion and sincere gratitude that only a true artistic genius like Mr. Charles can capture and deliver. As Black History month draws to a close, I wanted to highlight this classic rendition of America the Beautiful by one of America’s classiest legends, who left us with the ultimate gift: a performance that reminds us of why America is beautiful and how he was grateful to God for this beautiful gift. As is the case with extraordinary artists like Mr. Charles, their abilities and talents to interpret words and music transcend to an ethereal level. In Mr. Charles’ hands, America the Beautiful transforms from a patriotic song filled with poetic imagery into a soulful rumination, a joyous cause for celebration, a spirit-filled sermon, and a triumphant clarion call for gratitude and hope and unity among all Americans.
The words of America the Beautiful were originally written as a poem by Katharine Lee Bates, a professor, poet, and writer. While on a trip to Colorado Springs, Ms. Bates was inspired by the view when she ascended to the top of Pike’s Peak. Enraptured by the surrounding beauty, she wrote down the initial words and verses that would later become the poem, America the Beautiful. The poem was published on July 4, 1895, in a weekly journal (The Congregationalist). A few months later, the words were set to music, and the song grew in popularity. The words would often be sung to popular melodies that were deemed a good fit with the words. Eventually, Ms. Bates’ words were matched with Samuel A. Ward’s “Materna” and is now the version we hear and the same one that Mr. Charles sings.
Ray Charles was a legendary American singer, songwriter, pianist and composer. He stands out as an icon of musical genius whose influence covers the totality of twentieth century musical genre, from blues to rock and roll. It can be argued that the best country album ever recorded was his Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. And for those who might think that Ray Charles only played popular music, he was actually taught to play classical piano, including the works of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.
All this from a man who was blind by the age of seven, who lost his younger brother and mother by the age of 14, then was on his own, and playing piano in clubs the following year. Ray Charles moved around the country, looking for work as a piano player, while learning and refining his craft and musicianship. These early years were ones of difficulty and poverty and disappointment as Mr. Charles sought work and to establish a name for himself as a performer and artist. In short, Mr. Charles’ beginnings were as humble as one could imagine, with seemingly all odds against him. It is because of this stark reality of his early life that makes Mr. Charles’ ode to America that much more remarkable.
As one listens to America the Beautiful, Mr. Charles begins with a very straightforward performance, first singing the third verse in a style that is seemingly effortless yet deeply felt and reverent:
Oh beautiful, for heroes proved
In liberating strife
Who more than self, our country loved
And mercy more than life
America, America, may God thy gold refine
‘Til all success be nobleness
And every gain divine
It is interesting to note that in the fifth line, between the two “Americas”, Mr. Charles slips in his first improvisation in his rendition. It is a subtle yet heartfelt sound that gives the listener a hint as to where Mr. Charles is coming from and where he is going with this performance: it is a simple hmmmm that he interjects, and it captures in his contemplation of the words that he is singing, that this America he is singing about, is to be savored and cherished.
At the end of these verses, Mr. Charles decides to shift the dynamic from a patriotic cadence to a more gospel-sounding one, and he shares with his audience a memory of his growing up with this song:
You know, when I was in school, we used to sing it something like this, listen here
Mr. Charles at this point has decided to become the church choir director of the worship service, and he wants to elevate the worship from a reserved format to a more earthly, personal interaction. And he begins the first, more well-known verse of the song:
Oh beautiful, for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountains majesties
Above the fruited plain
It is at this point that the choir director wants to make sure that the congregation isn’t just going through the motions. Mr. Charles wants to be sure that everyone is fully cognizant of what they are all singing about, and so he calls them to attention in dramatic fashion and with deliberate emphasis:
But now wait a minute, I’m talking about
America, sweet America,
You know, God done shed his grace on thee
He crowned thy good, yes he did, in a brotherhood
From sea to shining sea
In the words added by Mr. Charles (underlined here), the choir director now begins his shift to preacher mode as he takes the audience – his congregation – to the next level. He now has transitioned his savoring hmmmm from the first sung verse to an outright description of what he is feeling and thinking about America: it is sweet -– as if the word America itself is honey on his tongue and lips as he sings about his beloved land. And then he calls out to the congregation (that is, the country of America) that America as a unified country, well, “you know God done shed his grace on thee” – that there should be no doubt in this land of the faithful that God has blessed America with his grace. And that bestowment of grace is a done deal.
And to emphasize that, Brother Ray adds his personal affirmation by singing that “He crowned thy good, yes he did, in a brotherhood” – and here Brother Ray attests to God’s benevolence of brotherhood on America as one family under God.
At this point, Brother Ray calls for his congregation of believers to help him sing this homage to sweet America:
You know, I wish I had somebody to help me sing this!
Then, Brother Ray hands the musical mantle to his chorus of brethren and takes to the preacher’s pulpit to deliver his fiery sermon:
(America, America)
America, I love you America, you see
(God shed his grace on thee)
My God, He done shed his grace on thee
And you oughta love Him for it
Because He, He, He, crowned thy good
He told me He would, in a brotherhood
(From sea to shining sea)
Oh Lord, oh Lord, I thank you Lord
(Shining sea)
Brother Ray strips away all pretense and gets right to the heart of the matter, speaking from his own heart, as he boldly proclaims his testimony: he loves America. And he wants all in earshot to see why he loves America: because his God - the God he has a personal relationship with – God has shed his grace on America. Again, it’s a done deal, no room for doubt. But Brother Ray is not satisfied that he recognizes what God has done for him and for America: no, like all great itinerant preachers, he yearns for everyone to recognize and appreciate what God has done – and to give to God the only gift that we could give to God in return: our humble, heartfelt love and thanks for what God has given us.
And for those still hesitant, reluctant, maybe holding on to doubt, Brother Ray reminds them of why they ought to love God for this gift of America – Because He, He, He crowned thy good, He told me He would, in a brotherhood. Once again, Brother Ray reminds us of what God has done – crowning the good of America with the blessing of brotherhood. But Brother Ray makes it even more personal – he attests to the fact that God told him he would do this. It is at this point that one imagines that in his prayer time with God, Brother Ray had petitioned the Lord to make good on His promises to bless those who love him with peace and unity. And Brother Ray believes God has kept that promise.
To bring the sermon to its grand finale, Brother Ray doesn’t hold back as he cries out joyfully to God – Oh Lord, oh Lord, I thank you Lord.
The impassioned sermon of gratitude ends with a blended crescendo of voices, piano, organ, strings, cymbals and kettledrum in resounding triumph.
Mr. Charles lived from 1930 to 2004, a span of significant turbulence in American history in general, and in Black history in particular. That time period included tremendous injustice, social upheaval, and unrest, much of it along racial lines - segregation, discrimination, Jim Crow, school busing, voting rights, etc. There was the Vietnam War and the assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr, and RFK. There were the Charles Manson murders, the shootings at Ohio State, and Watergate. There was the oil crisis. The Middle East was exploding. The country was divided and people were angry and mistrusting and skeptical of institutions and each other.
In 1972, in the midst of all this turmoil and conflict, Ray Charles recorded America the Beautiful.
He was 42 years old. Without any anger, bitterness or resentment, despite the bad breaks, the tough times and having personally experienced a great deal of racial injustice throughout his life up to that point, Ray Charles chose to record a song that praised and lifted the country up as a beacon of hope, expressing his gratitude to God for the beautiful gift that is America.
At a time that most people would consider a low-point in American history, Ray Charles chose to take a stand and openly declare his feelings for America in his own words: “I love you, America” is what Brother Ray sang because it’s how he truly felt.
Despite having grown up in America during the most repressive time for a Black American, post-Civil War, and in spite of the atmosphere of intense antagonism and hostility and division that existed in certain parts of the nation at the time, Ray Charles stood tall and proud for his country, America. No bending down on knee. No angry voice calling on God to damn America. No fraudulent politician making empty promises and phony gestures. No race hustling would-be reverend extorting her institutions. No activist revisionist re-writing her history books. Just a grateful soul singing his heart out in praise of her.
Mr. Charles’ America the Beautiful is indeed one of the greatest performances in recording history. In it, Mr. Charles’ voice captures and embodies the spiritual essence of America. It holds a unique and prominent place in his legacy of enduring works in that it exemplifies patriotic pride, admiration, hope, perseverance, respect, reverence, and most of all, unity.
And that is a legacy of historical proportion.
Thank you, Mr. Charles for your timeless reminder of our America, the beautiful gift.
