God Bless America Again (song)

"God Bless America Again" is a country music song written by Bobby Bare and Boyce Hawkins. A patriotic hymn pleading for God's forgiveness of the United States and his guidance over the country, the song was first recorded and made famous by Bare. Released as a single in 1969, Bare's version reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

"God Bless America Again"
Side-A label by RCA Records
Side A of the US single
Single by Bobby Bare
B-side"Baby, What Else Can I Do"
ReleasedNovember 1969
GenreCountry
Length2:45
LabelRCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)Bobby Bare, Boyce Hawkins
Producer(s)Jack Clement
Bobby Bare singles chronology
"Which One Will It Be"
(1969)
"God Bless America Again"
(1969)
"Your Husband, My Wife"
(1970)
"God Bless America Again"
Single by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
from the album United Talent
A-side"The Letter"
ReleasedJune 1976
RecordedApril 15, 1976
StudioBradley's Barn, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
GenreCountry
Length3:14
LabelMCA Records 40572
Songwriter(s)Bobby Bare, Boyce Hawkins
Producer(s)Owen Bradley
Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn singles chronology
"Feelins'"
(1975)
"The Letter" / "God Bless America Again"
(1976)
"I Can't Love You Enough"
(1977)

Chart performance

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Chart (1969–70) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles 16

Cover versions

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Many artists recorded "God Bless America Again" through the years, including Jan Howard, Jim & Jesse, Billy Preston, Tex Ritter, Floyd Van Laningham, Dee Vickery, Ray Charles and Bob Whitlock.[1]

Also recording a cover version were Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, whose duet recording was the B-side to their No. 3 country hit "The Letter". The Twitty-Lynn version, released in 1976, featured Twitty speaking the verses while Lynn sang the refrain. The Twitty-Lynn version was played during the closing credits in the 2012 HBO made-for-TV movie Game Change about Sarah Palin's role in the 2008 Presidential Election, which she and John McCain lost. Tex Ritter's version was featured in the opening sequences of the film Canadian Bacon.

The Charlie Daniels Band's 1980 Southern rock song "In America" quotes "God Bless America Again" and likewise deals with a struggling United States getting back in God's favor.

References

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  • Whitburn, Joel, "The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006," Record Research, 2006.