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Chords and Lyrics for America, the Beautiful

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Music by Samuel Augustus Ward
Words by Katharine Lee Bates

VERSE 1

C               G 
O beautiful for spacious skies,

                   C 
For amber waves of grain,

                    G 
For purple mountain majesties,

          D7      G 
Above the fruited plain.

 C        G 
America! America!

                      C 
God shed His grace on thee,

C7  F7                  C 
And crown thy good with brotherhood,

     F      G       C 
From sea to shining sea!

  
VERSE 2

C               G 
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

                        C 
Whose stern impassioned stress,

                   G 
A thoroughfare for freedom beat,

           D7    G 
Across the wilderness.

 C        G 
America! America!

                     C 
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,

C7 F                C   
Confirm thy soul in self-control,

    F    G     C 
Thy liberty in law! 

  
VERSE 3

C               G 
O beautiful for heroes proved,

              C 
In liberating strife,

                         G 
Who more than self their country loved,

          D7        G 
And mercy more than life.

 C        G 
America! America!

                   C 
May God thy gold refine,

C7   F              C 
Till all success be nobleness,

    F     G      C 
And ev'ry gain divine! 

  
VERSE 4

C               G  
O beautiful for patriot dream,

                     C 
That sees beyond the years,

                G 
Thine alabaster cities gleam,

            D7    G 
Undimmed by human tears.

 C        G 
America! America!

                      C 
God shed his grace on thee,

C7  F                   C 
And crown thy good with brotherhood,

     F      G       C 
From sea to shining sea!

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Chords

Below is a list of all the chords in this song. Click on a chord to learn how to play the chord on a particular instrument.

Instrument Chords
Banjo C Major C7 D7 F Major F7 G Major
Guitar C Major C7 D7 F Major F7 G Major
Mandolin C Major C7 D7 F Major F7 G Major
Piano C Major C7 D7 F Major F7 G Major
Ukulele C Major C7 D7 F Major F7 G Major