Songs for America
On 13 April 2007, Sri Chinmoy performed a special lift with 50 roses to honour America. Following are his remarks on that occasion, after the Singers sang “America the Beautiful.”<html><a href="#fn27" id="fnref27">27</a></html>America the Beautiful, I love you, I admire you, I adore you and I need you. O soul of America, I bow to your all-pervading fragrance. O heart of America, I bow to your all-thrilling beauty. America, my America, you have showered your choicest blessings, concern and encouragement upon my God-aspiring heart and man-dedicated service for long 43 years. America, my America, my soul, my heart, my mind, my vital and my body shall remain sleeplessly and breathlessly grateful to you. I am offering fifty roses from my heart-garden lovingly, devotedly and self-givingly to the beauty, prosperity and divinity of each State.
13 April 2007 Aspiration-Ground, New York
No matter how many times you sing “This Land Is Your Land,”28 I get such an emotional thrill from Woody Guthrie’s song dedicated to America. That song is so dear, so dear to my heart. We honoured his son Arlo Guthrie at Aspiration-Ground.
15 June 2007 Post-Concert Function, San Francisco
27 “America the Beautiful” was one of Sri Chinmoy’s favourite patriotic songs, with lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates and music by Samuel A. Ward.
28 Sri Chinmoy was inspired to write “This Heart Is Your Heart” to the same tune, published in his book of the same name containing folk melodies, some with Bengali words. Agni Press: New York, 1993.
Following is Sri Chinmoy’s song “This Heart Is Your Heart,” set to the same tune as Woody Guthrie’s famous song “This Land Is Your Land” (also below).
