"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" is an American patriotic song that was popular in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Composed around 1843, it was often used as an unofficial national anthem, competing with other songs. The song is mentioned in the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Andersonville" and was also featured in the musical "The Music Man." In 1969, "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" was performed by a U.S. Navy Band on the USS Hornet as they 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 debate over which song was adapted from the other. The origins and authorship of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" are uncertain, but it is believed that Thomas A'Becket, Sr., a British musician and resident of Philadelphia, wrote the lyrics and possibly the melody at the request of David Shaw for a benefit concert in 1843. 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."
There has been controversy over whether "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" is an appropriation of the similar British song "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean," or if the latter is an appropriation of the former. Both songs have occasionally been referred to by the alternate name "The Red, White and Blue." In a 1919 analysis of the song's lyrics, Arthur Johnston stated that "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean" came first, with "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" being adapted from it. However, the earliest printed version of either song was the 1843 copyright version registered by American George Willig.
The debate over the origins and authorship of the song continues, with different theories and evidence presented by various sources. Some argue that the song was originally a British patriotic song, while others claim that it was an American adaptation. The debate over whether the song is an appropriation of a similar British song or if the British song is an appropriation of the American song also remains unresolved. Regardless of its origins, "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" has a rich history and has played a significant role in American culture and history.
Lyrics:
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
16 янв 2023
