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At long last, a song that I actually finished this year…
This song grew out of my annoyance with the fashion among American politicians, especially right-wing politicians, to conclude all speeches with the rote phrase, “God bless America…”
It seems to me that, in order to utter that phrase, one has to forget a few things. One has to ignore the fact that America is, in many ways, pretty darn blessed already. And one has to make the assumption that God needs some help in knowing who to bless, and how exactly to go about it. And one has to further assume that God is inclined to want to bless some people more than other people.
I mean, if one conceives of a God who is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-loving, one might at the same time think that maybe He’s got His act together…
And it has always seemed to me that the proper attitude to have towards whatever we want to call the force behind all life is gratitude…
So anyway, here’s this song. It’s just me, the GB bass, and a bunch of guitars…
I don’t get to monitor loudly over speakers a lot, so, as with so many of my Mac-era mixes, this probably sounds best over a good set of headphones….
This song grew out of my annoyance with the fashion among American politicians, especially right-wing politicians, to conclude all speeches with the rote phrase, “God bless America…”
It seems to me that, in order to utter that phrase, one has to forget a few things. One has to ignore the fact that America is, in many ways, pretty darn blessed already. And one has to make the assumption that God needs some help in knowing who to bless, and how exactly to go about it. And one has to further assume that God is inclined to want to bless some people more than other people.
I mean, if one conceives of a God who is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-loving, one might at the same time think that maybe He’s got His act together…
And it has always seemed to me that the proper attitude to have towards whatever we want to call the force behind all life is gratitude…
So anyway, here’s this song. It’s just me, the GB bass, and a bunch of guitars…
I don’t get to monitor loudly over speakers a lot, so, as with so many of my Mac-era mixes, this probably sounds best over a good set of headphones….
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Lyrics
God Already Blessed America
© 2005, 2006, 2007 Ed Hannifin
Intro: C-F-/-Dm-F-C
C-F-/-Dm-F-C
C F-/-Dm
God already blessed America
F C
While you were fast asleep
F G
When you weren’t even born yet
F G
When he brooded on the deep
Am C
When he was making firmaments,
Am G
Dividing sea and land
C F-/-Dm
God already blessed America
F C
because he’s God, he can
God already blessed America
You can see that if you’ll see
He blessed it from his goodness
Not because of you or me
He blessed it ‘cause he blesses things
Each brook and tree and stone
God already blessed America
And he did it on his own
[Break: one verse]
God already blessed America
And he did not need your say
And he did not stop at borders
He’s a funny God that way
And although he blessed it long ago
It still is blessed today
God already blessed America
He did not ask for your okay
God already blessed America
And he did it out of love
And he did it from within us
While he did it from above
He did not ask for your approval
Or for you to tell him when
God already blessed America
And here he comes again
God already blessed America
And he gave us all we need
What he did not give us fully formed
He gave us as a seed
It’s what he gives each human heart
That’s where the blessings grow
God already blessed America
And not ‘cause you told him so
F Am
We’re blessed in every outward way
F G
That God can bless a land
F Am
But there is no place upon this earth
F G
He did not lay his hand
F C
The blessings of the Lord are there
G C
Like apples on a tree
F Am
It’s not that we need blessing
F G
It’s that we need to see
That God already blessed America
The land, the sea, the air
And that was surely plenty
But he did not stop there
He blessed us with a gift to find
Where oysters find a pearl
God already blessed America
When he blessed the whole wide world
© 2005, 2006, 2007 Ed Hannifin
Intro: C-F-/-Dm-F-C
C-F-/-Dm-F-C
C F-/-Dm
God already blessed America
F C
While you were fast asleep
F G
When you weren’t even born yet
F G
When he brooded on the deep
Am C
When he was making firmaments,
Am G
Dividing sea and land
C F-/-Dm
God already blessed America
F C
because he’s God, he can
God already blessed America
You can see that if you’ll see
He blessed it from his goodness
Not because of you or me
He blessed it ‘cause he blesses things
Each brook and tree and stone
God already blessed America
And he did it on his own
[Break: one verse]
God already blessed America
And he did not need your say
And he did not stop at borders
He’s a funny God that way
And although he blessed it long ago
It still is blessed today
God already blessed America
He did not ask for your okay
God already blessed America
And he did it out of love
And he did it from within us
While he did it from above
He did not ask for your approval
Or for you to tell him when
God already blessed America
And here he comes again
God already blessed America
And he gave us all we need
What he did not give us fully formed
He gave us as a seed
It’s what he gives each human heart
That’s where the blessings grow
God already blessed America
And not ‘cause you told him so
F Am
We’re blessed in every outward way
F G
That God can bless a land
F Am
But there is no place upon this earth
F G
He did not lay his hand
F C
The blessings of the Lord are there
G C
Like apples on a tree
F Am
It’s not that we need blessing
F G
It’s that we need to see
That God already blessed America
The land, the sea, the air
And that was surely plenty
But he did not stop there
He blessed us with a gift to find
Where oysters find a pearl
God already blessed America
When he blessed the whole wide world
ledebutant
firsties!