Patriotic Song For The Little Ones

Submitted by Connie Herbon, Iowa

Idea posted November 29, 2001

For our little Veteran's Day sing, I wanted something for just the K's and 1's. K's don't say the pledge, and "America" is the only regular patriotic song I'm willing to take down as low as 1st grade. I've broken the material below into 3 parts - lyrics, rhythm, and pitches. If you want to "reconstruct" it, translate the rhythm into notation, go through and assign the pitches, then add the lyrics. Basic chord changes are marked in the lyrics.

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

I'm (G) proud to be an American,
To wave the red, white, and (Am7) blue. (D)
I'm (Am) proud to be an (D7) American; (change on second syllable)
And I hope that you are (G) too! (Fine)
(D7) Even though my years are (G) few,
I (D7) really want to (G) say,
"In (Am) all our (D7) sad and (B7) happy (Em) times,
God (A7) bless the U.S. (D) A.!" (D.C.al Fine)

(Rhythm code: ta = q.note, tam = dotted q.note, ti = 8th note, Z = q.rest, ta-a = half note, ta-a-a = dotted half, / = bar line)

(Meter signature is 4/4, and it starts with a q.note pick-up.)

ta / tam ti ta ti-ti / ti-ti ta Z ta / tam ti ta ti-ti / ta-a Z
ta / tam ti ta ti-ti / ti-ti ta Z ti-ti / ta ta ta ta / ta-a-a Z /
ti-ti ti-ti ta ta / ta-a Z ta / tam ti ta ta / ta-a Z
ta / ta ta ta ta / ta ta ta ta / ta ta ta ta / ta-a Z
(Pitches in key of G)
low D / B B B A-G / D-D D D / B B B A-G / A
low D / A A A G-G / F#-F# F# E-E / D D B A / G
F#-F# F#-F# G A / D D / F# F# G A / B
B / C' C' B A / B A G G / A A G E / D