"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" | |
---|---|
March by Thomas A'Becket, Sr. [1] | |
![]() 1843 sheet music under its original title of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" | |
Composed | c. 1843 |
Audio sample | |
Performed by the United States Navy Band |
"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" (originally "Columbia, the Land of the Brave") is an American patriotic song which was popular in the U.S. during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Composed c. 1843, it was long used as an unofficial national anthem of the United States, in competition with other songs. Under the title "Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue," the song is mentioned in Chapter IX of MacKinlay Kantor's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Andersonville (1955). It was also featured in the 1957 musical The Music Man . In 1969, "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" was the music performed by a U.S. Navy Band embarked aboard USS Hornet as one of the ship's helicopters recovered the Apollo 11 astronauts from their capsule named Columbia after a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
The melody of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" is identical to that of the British patriotic song "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean" and there is disagreement as to which song was adapted from the other.
The origins and authorship of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" have been the source of some uncertainty. [2] It is believed that Thomas A'Becket, Sr., a British musician and longtime resident of Philadelphia who performed at that city's Chestnut Street Theater, wrote the lyrics – and possibly the melody – at the request of David Shaw for the latter's performance at a benefit concert, probably in the autumn of 1843. [3] [2] [4] That year, the copyright for the song was registered by the Philadelphia publishing house of George Willig under the name "Columbia, the Land of the Brave". [3] Shaw subsequently published the song under his own name, though A'Becket later claimed sole authorship and presented an original handwritten composition as proof. [4]
The song invokes the historic informal name "Columbia" for the United States and borrows and modifies the phrase "land of the free and the home of the brave" from Francis Scott Key's earlier "Star-Spangled Banner" as "the home of the brave and the free". [2] [4] [3]
There has been some controversy as to whether "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" is an appropriation of a similar, British patriotic song, "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean", or whether the latter song is, in fact, an appropriation of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean". [5] Both songs have occasionally been referred to by the alternate name "The Red, White and Blue". [6]
In a 1919 analysis of the song's lyrics, Arthur Johnston stated that "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean" had come first, "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" being adapted from it. [7] Johnston claimed that "the phrase, 'the service united' referred to the United Service Club, for which the song was written, the members of which belong both to the army and the navy". [7] Johnston also opines that to refer to the United States as "the gem of the ocean" would be "an absurdity" and the phrase more likely was an original reference to Great Britain. [7]
W. H. Grattan Flood also arrived at Johnston's conclusion of the British provenance of the song. He stated that Irish journalist Stephen Joseph Meany penned the lyrics to Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean in 1842 which he then showed to a friend in London, Thomas E. Williams, who composed the accompanying melody. [8] In 1915 Flood recalled speaking to an elderly relative of his who claimed to have heard the song performed in Dublin in 1842 as a 12-year-old boy. [8]
However, the earliest printed version of either song was the 1843 copyright version registered by American George Willig. [5] The first printed version of the song in the United Kingdom ("Brittania, the Pride of the Ocean") did not appear until 1852, in a filing with the British Museum by T.E. Purday. [9] [5] Further, that version credits the song to David Shaw. [5] Additionally, Meany – the Irishman whom Flood credits with the lyrics to "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean" – was a Fenian who would eventually be imprisoned by the British government. [8]
Citing the dates of printing, William Studwell concludes that "the song was probably created in the United States". [10]
According to William Studwell, "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" is the "oldest well-known song of entirely American origin which could, by style or content, qualify as a national anthem". [10] In the mid-1800s, "Columbia the Gem of the Ocean" vied with other songs in the American "Patriotic Big Five" (also including "Hail, Columbia", the "Star-Spangled Banner", "Yankee Doodle", and "My Country Tis of Thee") for use as a national anthem, the United States at the time having no song officially designated as such. [6]
"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" reached a height of popularity during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln and subsequently became a staple in the repertoire of the United States Marine Band. [11] The tune was later used repeatedly by the composer Charles Ives, featuring notably in his Second Symphony (1897–1902) and Holiday Symphony (1897–1913) as well as in his Piano Sonata No. 2 (1911–15). [12] In the 1957 musical The Music Man – set in 1912 – a full-cast rendition of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" is performed during the scene depicting the town's Independence Day celebration and, from the post-World War II era through to the 1960s, the first few chords of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" were used as an interval signal during Voice of America broadcasts, until ultimately replaced by "Yankee Doodle". [12] [13] During the recovery of the Apollo 11 astronauts after splashdown of the flight's command capsule (named Columbia) in the Pacific Ocean, President of the United States Richard Nixon – then embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet – ordered the Band of the COMNAVAIRPAC (Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific) to perform "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean". [14] [15]
In the 1957 Charles Mingus album The Clown, the title track contains a narrative story spoken by Jean Shepherd about a clown - who suffers a fall from grace - having "a seal follow him up and down a step ladder blowing Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean on a B-flat Sears-Roebuck model 1322a plastic bugle. A real cute act. But they didn't laugh." [16]
The song was used in the Popeye cartoons from the 1930s to the 1960s, usually after Popeye eats his spinach and gains increased power.
O Columbia! the gem of the ocean,
The home of the brave and the free,
The shrine of each patriot's devotion,
A world offers homage to thee;
Thy mandates make heroes assemble,
When Liberty's form stands in view;
Thy banners make tyranny tremble,
When borne by the red, white, and blue.
𝄆 When borne by the red, white, and blue. 𝄇
Thy banners make tyranny tremble,
When borne by the red, white and blue.
When war wing'd its wide desolation,
And threaten'd the land to deform,
The ark then of freedom's foundation,
Columbia rode safe thro' the storm;
With her garlands of vict'ry around her,
When so proudly she bore her brave crew;
With her flag proudly waving before her,
When borne by the red, white, and blue.
𝄆 When borne by the red, white, and blue. 𝄇
With her flag proudly floating before her,
The boast of the red, white and blue.
The Union, the Union forever,
Our glorious nation's sweet hymn,
May the wreaths it has won never wither,
Nor the stars of its glory grow dim,
May the service united ne'er sever,
But they to their colors prove true.
The Army and Navy forever,
When borne by the red, white, and blue.
𝄆 When borne by the red, white, and blue. 𝄇
The Army and Navy for ever,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue.
The star spangled banner bring hither,
O'er Columbia's true sons let it wave;
May the wreaths they have won never wither,
Nor its stars cease to shine on the brave.
May thy service united ne'er sever,
But hold to the colors so true;
The Army and Navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white, and blue!
𝄆 Three cheers for the red, white, and blue! 𝄇
The Army and Navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white, and blue [17]
"America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never met.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Outer Baltimore Harbor in the Patapsco River during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large U.S. flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the U.S. victory.
"Land of Hope and Glory" is a British patriotic song, with music by Edward Elgar, written in 1901 and with lyrics by A. C. Benson later added in 1902.
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee", also known as simply "America", is an American patriotic song, the lyrics of which were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The song served as one of the de facto national anthems of the United States before the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the official U.S. national anthem in 1931. The melody used is adopted from the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the King".
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin of Belarusian origin during World War I in 1918 and revised by him in the run up to World War II in 1938. The later version was notably recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song.
"Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the 1740 poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in the same year. It is most strongly associated with the Royal Navy, but is also used by the British Army.
"Hail to the Chief" is the personal anthem of the president of the United States, adapted by James Sanderson from an original Scottish Gaelic melody.
"The Anacreontic Song", also known by its incipit "To Anacreon in Heaven", was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Composed by John Stafford Smith, the tune was later used by several writers as a setting for their patriotic lyrics. These included two songs by Francis Scott Key, most famously his poem "Defence of Fort McHenry". The combination of Key's poem and Smith's composition became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner", which was adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America in 1931.
"Hail, Columbia" is an American patriotic song and ceremonial entrance march of the vice president of the United States. It was originally considered to be one of the unofficial national anthems of the United States until 1931, when "The Star-Spangled Banner" was named as the official national anthem. Columbia is the name for the national personification of the United States which originated during the 18th century.
"The Bonnie Blue Flag", also known as "We Are a Band of Brothers", is an 1861 marching song associated with the Confederate States of America. The words were written by the entertainer Harry McCarthy, with the melody taken from the song "The Irish Jaunting Car". The song's title refers to the unofficial first flag of the Confederacy, the Bonnie Blue Flag. The left flag on the sheet-music is the Bonnie Blue Flag.
Columbia, also known as Miss Columbia, is a female national personification of the United States. It was also a historical name applied to the Americas and to the New World. The association has given rise to the names of many American places, objects, institutions and companies, including the District of Columbia; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbia University; "Hail, Columbia"; Columbia Rediviva; and the Columbia River. Images of the Statue of Liberty largely displaced personified Columbia as the female symbol of the United States by around 1920, although Lady Liberty was seen as an aspect of Columbia. It is the central element of the logo of Hollywood film studio Columbia Pictures.
"There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" is a patriotic anthem written in 1942 by Paul Roberts and Shelby Darnell. With Elton Britt's version selling well over one million copies, the song was country music's greatest World War II hit, though Your Hit Parade would not feature the song in its original country music format.
American patriotic music is a part of the culture and history of the United States since its foundation in the 18th Century. It has served to encourage feelings of honor both for the country's forefathers and for national unity. They include hymns, military themes, national songs, and musical numbers from stage and screen, as well as others adapted from many poems. Much of American patriotic music owes its origins to six main wars — the American Revolution, the American Indian Wars, the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the American Civil War, and the Spanish–American War. During the period prior to American independence, much of the country's patriotic music was aligned with the political ambitions of the British in the new land. And so, several songs are tied with the country's British origin.
During the American Civil War, music played a prominent role on both sides of the conflict, Union and Confederate. On the battlefield, different instruments including bugles, drums, and fifes were played to issue marching orders or sometimes simply to boost the morale of one's fellow soldiers. Singing was also employed not only as a recreational activity but as a release from the inevitable tensions that come with fighting in a war. In camp, music was a diversion away from the bloodshed, helping the soldiers deal with homesickness and boredom. Soldiers of both sides often engaged in recreation with musical instruments, and when the opposing armies were near each other, sometimes the bands from both sides of the conflict played against each other on the night before a battle.
"Lincoln and Liberty Too" was a campaign song supporting Republican Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 United States presidential election.
"Adams and Liberty" is considered the first significant campaign song in American political history, and served to support incumbent Federalist John Adams in the 1800 United States presidential election.
Yankee Transcendoodle is an album by Joseph Byrd of patriotic music where all the sounds are produced by synthesizer. The album was released in 1976 on Takoma Records.
Patriotic Songs for Children is a compilation album of three 78rpm phonograph records. The recordings are all of American patriotic songs sung by Bing Crosby and Frank Luther.
We'll Carry The Star Spangled Banner Thru The Trenches is a World War I song written by Daisy May Pratt Erd. The song was first published in 1917 by Lang & Mendelsohn in Boston MA. The sheet music cover depicts soldiers advancing over barbed wire with a flag waving.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band, also known as The Pride of Niner Nation, and PNNMB is the official marching band for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. They perform at every Charlotte 49ers home football game at Jerry Richardson Stadium and also at various other events such as away football games, pep rallies, parades, and special observances. A partial band usually travels to at least one away game a year. The band includes a color guard and a baton twirler. Members of the PNNMB also participate in Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, and the 49ers Basketball Band.