God Save the King

Setting by Thomas Arne. Sung in 1745 at Drury Lane Theater after the defeat in Scotland of the forces of King George by the Young Pretender, “Bonnie Prince Charles”

 

God bless our noble King,

God save great George our King,

God save the King.

O Lord our God arise,

Scatter his enemies,

And make them fall;

Confound their Politicks,

Frustrate their knavish Tricks,

On Thee our hopes we fix.

God save us all.

 

Send him victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the King.

Thy choicest gifts in store

On him be pleased to pour,

Long may he reign.

May he defend our laws,

And ever give us cause,

To say with Heart and Voice,

God save the King.

 


But what if, even after declaring independence, the tune continues to run in one's head. The solution developed by Samuel Francis Smith in 1832 was to rewrite the words to the song.

 

God Save the King My Country Tis of Thee

God bless our noble King,

God save great George our King,

God save the King.

My Country, 'Tis Of Thee,

Sweet Land Of Liberty,

Of Thee I Sing;

Land Where My Fathers Died,

Land Of The Pilgrim's Pride,

From Ev'ry Mountain Side Let Freedom Ring.

Send him victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the King.

My Native Country Thee,

Land Of The Noble Free,

Thy Name I Love;

I Love Thy Rocks And Rills,

Thy Woods And Templed Hills;

 

O Lord our God arise,

Scatter his enemies,

And make them fall;

Confound their Politicks,

Frustrate their knavish Tricks,

On Thee our hopes we fix.

God save us all.

 

My Heart With Rapture Thrills

Like That Above.

Let Music Swell The Breeze,

And Ring From All The Trees,

Sweet Freedom's Song.

Let Mortal Tongues Awake;

Let All That Breathe Partake;

Let Rocks Their Silence Break,

The Sound Prolong.

Thy choicest gifts in store

On him be pleased to pour,

Long may he reign.

May he defend our laws,

And ever give us cause,

To say with Heart and Voice,

God save the King.

Our Father's God!

To Thee, Author Of Liberty,

To Thee We Sing;

Long May Our Land Be Bright

With Freedom's Holy Light;

Protect Us By Thy Might,

Great God, Our King!