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The lyrics to America the Beautiful

Katherine Lee Bates, a professor of English literature at Wellesley College, first published her poem America the Beautiful on July 4, 1895. She continued to edit the poem over the following years, and wrote her final version in 1913. The complete lyrics to the song are shown below. Learn more about the history of America the Beautiful.

Visit the main America the Beautiful lead sheet page for the sheet music to the song in seven keys for piano, recorder, woodwinds, brass, and all string instruments. Visit Fluffy and Ivy at www.TwoHappyBears.com.

America the Beautiful lyrics:

O beautiful, for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful, for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw;
Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!

O beautiful, for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine!

O beautiful, for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!