ends interpolation traditional patriotic song “My Country

~~August 2, 2014~~

I walked into my family room, the TV was on. A movie was playing: “The Jazz Singer” with Neil Diamond.

This brought back so many memories. This movie was one of my favorite ones. I remember playing the LP version of the soundtrack over and over and over again. This movie fascinated me because of the theme and the music.

Interesting to note that when I caught what was left of it, the last song brought to mind the current crisis with illegal immigration.

I don’t pretend to be an expert on this issue. However, I see and read about what is going on. This country was founded through immigration of many people from many countries.

Why do they come here? Catch the lyrics to “America”.

“America”

Far,
We’ve been traveling far
Without a home
But not without a star

Free,
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream

On the boats and on the planes
They’re coming to America
Never looking back again,
They’re coming to America

Home
Don’t it seem so far away
Oh, we’re traveling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm

Home
To a new and a shiny place
Make our bed and we’ll say our grace
Freedom’s light burning warm
Freedom’s light burning warm

Everywhere around the world
They’re coming to America
Ev’ry time that flag’s unfurled
They’re coming to America

Got a dream to take them there
They’re coming to America
Got a dream they’ve come to share
They’re coming to America

They’re coming to America
They’re coming to America
They’re coming to America
They’re coming to America
Today, Today,
Today, Today, Today

My country ’tis of thee (today)
Sweet land of liberty (today)
Of thee I sing (today)
Of thee I sing
Today, Today, Today
Today, today, today……

What else could be written to express the reasons and the feelings of those coming to America?

We’ve been traveling far, Only want to be free, Hang on to a dream, Freedom’s light burning warm, They’re coming to America ….

Immigration is the movement of people into another country or region to which they are not native in order to settle there, especially as permanent residents or future citizens. Immigrants are motivated to leave their countries for a variety of reasons, including a desire for economic prosperity, political issues, family re-unification, escaping conflict or natural disaster, or simply the wish to change one’s surroundings.

Immigration to the United States is a complex demographic phenomenon that has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants, settlement patterns, impact on upward social mobility, crime, and voting behavior.

~~SOURCE~~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States

This didn’t start now. It’s been the reality for many, many years.

~~Neil Diamond’s America~~

~~Uploaded on Jul 4, 2011~~

The song’s theme is a positive interpretation of the history of immigration to the United States, both during the early 1900s and today. Combining Diamond’s typically powerful melody, dynamic arrangement, and bombastic vocal, it ends with an interpolation of the traditional patriotic song “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”.

In Diamond’s concerts, the song is a very popular number both home and abroad, with a large United States flag often displayed from the rafters on cue to the lyric, “Every time that flag’s unfurled/They’re coming to America.”