Irving Berlin wrote the song while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York at the end of World War I, but decided that it did not fit in a revue See more

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free. See more

Bing Crosby recorded the song on March 22, 1939, for Decca Records.
The song was recorded by New York City's "singing cop," Daniel Rodríguez, and charted for one week at No. 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a single. Before the 2001 versions, the … See more

• "America the Beautiful"
• "This Land Is Your Land" See more

In 1940, "God Bless America" was the official campaign song for both President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his Republican opponent, See more

The song has spawned numerous parodies.
• An irreverent version of the lyrics was printed in the book The Mad World of William M. Gaines, by Frank Jacobs (1972). Mad magazine's veteran art editor, John Putnam, had … See more

• Library of Congress page with more information, pictures of manuscript, etc.
• Kate Smith sings "God Bless America" (1930s newsreel) on YouTube See more