I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin there.
I said, "Your court house is kinda run down.
He said, "No, it will do for our little town".
I said "your old flag pole kinda leaned a little bit,
And that's a ragged old flag you got hanging on it".
He said "have a seat", so I sat down.
He said, "is this your first visit to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is" He said "I don't like to
brag, but we're kinda proud of
"That Ragged Old Flag"
"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key
sat watching it, writing "Oh Say Can You See."
It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham,
Jackson tugging at its seams. It almost fell at
the Alamo, beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on though.
It got cut with a sword in Chancellorsville,
Got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and
Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
"That Ragged Old Flag"
On Flanders Field in World War I,
She took a bad hit from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II.
She hung limp and low by the time that one was through,
She was in Korea, Vietnam,
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.
The Native Americans, The Black, Yellow and White
All shed red blood for the Stars and Stripes.
And here in her own good land,
She's been abused, burned,
dishonored, denied and refused,
And the very government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout out the land.
And she's getting thread bare, and
she's wearing kinda thin,
But she's in pretty good shape,
for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before and
she can take a whole lot more. So we can
raise her up every morning, and we bring
her down slow every night. We don't let
her touch the ground, And we fold her up
right. On second thought I do like to brag
Cause I'm mighty proud of
"That Ragged Old Flag"
Written
by Johnny Cash
In loving memory of those who lost
their lives in the senseless tragedy
on September 11, 2001
Forever They Will Be Remembered
"I am the flag of the United States of America "
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.
I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners,
My head is a little higher,
My colors are a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - and I am feared.
I have fought in every battle of
every war for more then 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge,
Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill,
the trenches of France, in the Argonne
Forest, Anzio, and Rome.
And the beaches of Normandy, Guam,
Okinawa, Korea, Saigon and Vietnam
know me, I was there.
I led my troops, I was dirty, battle worn
and tired, but my soldiers cheered me.
And I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled
on the streets of countries I have
helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn
and trampled on the streets of my country.
And when it's by those whom
I've served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth and
stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space.
From my vantage point on the moon I have
borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips and used as
bandages for my wounded comrades
on the battlefield, when I am flown at
half-mast to honor my soldiers, or
when I lie in the trembling arms of a
grieving parent at the grave of their
fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.
My Name Is Old Glory
Long May I Wave.
Author Unknown
The music is Proud To Be An American performed by Lee Greenwood. Music may be purchased online to support the artist.
Written
by Johnny Cash
