The US Army Chorus performing “Battle Hymn of the Republic” on the White House Lawn for Pope Benedict, 16 March 2008
Update: as per Clara’s request, the lyrics below.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.
I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.
April 19, 2008, 11:05 am at 11:05 am
Thanks for that Spot.
This will probably be surprising, but as a tacker in Italy, I learned that. Of course, us nasty, verminite children somewhat altered the lyrics… /embarrassed and ashamed
What a wonderful welcome to Pope Benedict.
Despite what the Left think, George W Bush is nothing less than a gentleman, and this welcome befits his character, although I still think he feels a little uncomfortable in such events. It makes me wonder how Mr Rudd will welcome the Pope when he comes to Australia.
Rudd may well convert to Catholicism on the spot. Anything for a photo with someone who is well known…
April 20, 2008, 6:07 am at 6:07 am
I could listen to that all day. What a glorious, stirring rendition of a magnificent piece of music.
April 20, 2008, 6:27 am at 6:27 am
It really is, isn’t it Sandi? One of my friends in the States was actually there, and she says that a lot of the people in attendance had tears in their eyes. For some reason, the way they sang it, I really noticed/paid attention to the words. So appropriate for it to have been sung by the brave men and women who protect America and all that is great about her. And a good choice for the Pope, I think.
I am always very moved by such unabashed displays of patriotism. I tell you, if Obama gets in, we will never see anything like that ever again. He is anti-military and he is anti-Christian. Given his feelings about dumb “bitter” hicks “clinging to their guns and their religion,” and his demonstrated anti-patriotism and antipathy towards America in general, such displays might well be outlawed. (just joking, but… at least I hope I am)
April 21, 2008, 1:17 am at 1:17 am
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00138H12S/ref=sr_f2_album_10?ie=UTF8&child=B00137V990&qid=1208754649&sr=102-10
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir uses the arrangement that the US Army Chorus performed.
Also look for “An American Tribute with the MT Choir and the USAF Band
Cheers
April 21, 2008, 9:11 am at 9:11 am
The PC changing of that key line
as He died to make men holy let us die to make men free
drives me insane. I argue with our choir director at church every year about that and I refuse to sing “live.”
April 21, 2008, 9:38 pm at 9:38 pm
#5 A man after my own heart. That’s why I put that “correction” in – it drives me spare.
April 21, 2008, 10:30 pm at 10:30 pm
#’s 5/6
Don’t. get. me. STAAAAAAAARTEEEEED!
It should be a crime punishable by death – death by hanging – to change the original lyric.
November 13, 2008, 7:46 pm at 7:46 pm
The original lyric was an inspired work by a devout Christian who scribbled the lyrics in the dark of night after visiting the Union camps and her message in the song is consistent with the gospels of Christ (who ‘died to make men free”.) Mormons are not Christians so they changed the words to fit their credo.