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Chords and Lyrics for America, the Beautiful

Note: Lyrics display best on screens sized 768 pixels or larger. If your screen is smaller than this, you may be able to view the lyrics better in landscape orientation.

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

Sheet Music for America, the Beautiful

Chords on this page may be simplified from the original version. View the sheet music for this title to see the original chords. The following sheet music is available for this title: