Ray Charles - America The Beautiful (Official Video)

The official video celebrating 50 years of Ray Charles' "America The Beautiful"

Ray Charles classic rendition of “America the Beautiful”, originally released on the album A Message from The People (1972), quickly became our second national anthem and has inspired countless generations since its release 50 years ago. This new video of the iconic track has been released to honor this historic release.

A Message From The People remains one of Charles’ most celebrated albums, as well as the most socially conscious work of his six-decade career. The record directly confronts societal ills of poverty and injustice while offering a universal message of brotherhood and hope for peace; topics that are as relevant today as they were 50 years ago. The album includes classic tracks like “They’ll Be No Peace on Earth Without All Men As One,” “Abraham, Martin and John,” the Gospel infused “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “Heaven Help Us All.” The album also includes Ray’s recording of “Hey Mister,” which was played during a Congressional joint hearing in 1972 to speak on behalf of common citizens to a government that was widely seen as ignoring their needs.

A newly remastered version of A Message From The People will be available June 17 2022 on platforms for the first time in almost a decade.

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LYRICS:
[Verse 1]
Oh beautiful, for heroes proved
In liberating strife
Who more than self, our country loved
And mercy more than life

[Chorus]
America, America, may God thy gold refine
'Til all success be nobleness
And every gain devined
And you know when I was in school
We used to sing it something like this, listen here

[Verse 2]
Oh beautiful, for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain
But now wait a minute, I'm talking about

[Chorus]
America, sweet America
You know, God done shed his grace on thee
He crowned thy good, yes he did, in a brotherhood
From sea to shining sea
You know, I wish I had somebody to help me sing this

[Outro]
(America, America)
America, I love you America, you see
(God shed his grace on thee)
My God, He done shed his grace on thee
And you oughta love Him for it
Because He, He, He, He, crowned thy good
He told me He would, with a brotherhood
(From sea to shining sea)
Oh Lord, oh Lord, I thank you Lord
(Shining sea)

#RayCharles #AmericaTheBeautiful #OfficialVideo

[Saturday]

America is so beautiful even a blind man could see it.

[a.l.h.]

I am American first and Asian American second. Love this country and grateful what she has given me.
GOD BLESS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

[christianrusso]

We won the lottery of life being born as Americans. So grateful.

[markpridgen]

No one could sang it any better than...RAY

[carolharris]

I can’t get through this song without tearing up. He sang it better than anyone else I’ve ever heard.

[beatrixbliss]

This would make such a better national anthem .

[sophiaberland]

Who can watch this and not be thankful that they live in the U.S.A God bless America ❤️

[dorajeanbear]

MY MARINE SON LOVED THIS SONG SO MUCH, HE WAS ONE PROUD MARINE, HE LOVED ALL THOSE YEARS BEING A MARINE, WHEN I HEAR THIS SONG IT TOUCHES ME SO MUCH I CRY REMEMBERING MIJO, GOD BLESS AMERICA OUR NATION FOREVER, LET NO EVIL COME INTO OUR NATION, REST IN PEACE MIJO MY MARINE

[nicholasmeyer]

This song has got to be our national anthem

[jason-ohqr]

This version is my favorite and never gets old. Brings a tear to my eye every time. Thank you, Mr. Charles.

[edpoe]

This is my favorite cover of this song. I remember some of the TV networks played it as the sign-off at midnight. They'd play it over an image of the American flag waving in the wind, then the screen would turn to static so I'd turn off the set and sing Ray's version as I walked upstairs to my bed.

[jcfclark]

In 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama said, "Ray Charles's version of "America the Beautiful" will always be, in my view, the most patriotic piece of music ever performed".

[TomOfQuincy]

A beautiful voice singing a beautiful song thank you Ray Charles an American icon
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[timmydavidsmith]

Petition to change the the national anthem to this

[CBigsby]

I love my country 🇺🇸! You are beautiful.

[brianpppppppppppp]

U can’t help but get emotional when listening to this song.

[CJSCJ]

A superb rendition of America The Beautiful, America is for all that believe in our greatness 🙏🇺🇸

[adamvicari]

"we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

[FlakHappy]

Here in 2023, I often find myself worried about the state of union of my country that I love so much. I feel like so many people these days have forgotten how beautiful our country is and how that beauty lives in the diversity of all of us here. When we come together as brothers and sisters, as a nation, we are the very best this world has to offer. Ray Charles lived through some of the darkest times in our history, and was a participant in the civil rights movement. Just to hear the unconditional love for our nation in his voice in spite of all that, helps restore my faith that one day, hopefully soon, we can all move forward together hand in hand as one unified nation. God has, and always will shed his grace upon the United States of America.

[codyyoungblood]

There was only one night game a year. On the 4th of July, the whole sky would brighten up with fireworks, giving us just enough light for a game. We played our best then because, I guess, we all felt like the big leaguers under the lights of some great stadium. Benny felt like that all the time. We all knew he was gonna go on to bigger and better games, because every time we stopped to watch the sky on those nights like regular kids, he was there to call us back. You see, for us, baseball was a game. But for Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, baseball was life.