Sing – My Country, ‘Tis of Thee – Youth Activity Archive

A classic anthem honoring liberty and the beauty of the nation’s heritage.

Lyrics by: Samuel F. Smith
Music from: Thesaurus Musicus, London (1744)

Printable Sheet Music

My Country, ‘Tis of Thee – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Recordings

Lyrics

My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From ev’ry mountainside
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills.
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom’s song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God, to thee,
Author of liberty,
To thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light.
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, our King!

History

The lyrics to “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” (also known as “America”) were written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831 while he was a student at Andover Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. Smith was approached by the noted organist and composer Lowell Mason, who provided him with several German school music books. Mason requested that Smith either translate the German text or write new lyrics for the melodies. Smith was particularly struck by one tune and wrote his lyrics to fit it, likely unaware at the time that the melody was the same as the British national anthem, “God Save the King.”

The melody itself has a long and complex history that predates Smith’s lyrics. While its exact origin remains a mystery, it was printed in England in 1744 in the tune book Thesaurus Musicus. Before reaching America, the melody was used for “God Save the King” (1745) and eventually became the national anthem for at least six other places, including Prussia, Denmark, and Liechtenstein.

In the American colonies, the tune appeared as early as 1761 in a hymn collection. It was later used with different, “homegrown” lyrics to greet George Washington at his 1789 inauguration and was known to the Lewis and Clark expedition under the title “God Keep America.” Smith’s definitive version debuted on July 4, 1831, at a children’s service at the Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Published on April 22, 2026. Author:

Tia Kennard

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