Plato wrote centuries ago that „music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” When words fail us, music fills the void. It soothes us when our hearts are heavy and unifies us in times of joy and celebration. This is especially true with music that appeals to our deepest patriotic emotions.

As I child, I remember singing with my teacher and classmates the revered hymn „America the Beautiful“, hand on my heart, our voices rising together in unison. The text was written in 1893 by an English professor, Katherine Lee Bates, after being deeply inspired by a trip throughout America. As she put it later, “One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.” But the young professor was not inspired just by the majestic mountain; it was only one stop on her journey through the wonders of her native country, from the impressive World’s Fair in Chicago -

Thine alabaster cities gleam

To the wheat fields of Kansas –

For amber waves of grain

And from the top of Pikes Peak –

For purple mountain majesties

Her poem spoke of all the riches of the vast American nation, from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific coast, coast to coast, or, as she put it,

from sea to shining sea.

It is really a love poem to her dear homeland, an ode to its beauty and diversity. But it is also a deeply patriotic text, describing as it does the things for which we should be grateful; for example, freedom and liberty.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
 

She praised as well the sacrifices made by American heroes who had fought to free the country they loved more than life itself:

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!

She ultimately entitled her poem: „America, the Fourth of July“, which is American Independence Day. (Of course, in more recent times, historians might point out that in many cases, territories were „liberated“ by settlers from Native Americans by means of cruel genocide, but that is another matter). At any rate, „America the Beautiful“ remains highly respected today and is regularly performed by musical artists from classical, country western, hip hop and even punk rock genres. After the attacks of 9-11, it has become a patriotic regular at events such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics. There have never been media attacks from the „left“ or the „right“ against the „nationalist“ rhetoric contained in „America the Beautiful“. In fact, any American politician – Democrat or Republican - criticizing the beloved American poem and song would reap the consequences at the ballot box.

Having that in mind, it was shocking to read a „Newsweek“ article of July 23, by an American „journalist“, in which, among other unsubstantiated and slanderous claims, she attacked the Croatian equivalent of „America the Beautiful“, Marko Perkovic's „Lijepa li si“ as a song „with lyrics steeped in nationalist rhetoric“ and criticized him for (falsely) beginning his performance with a „battle cry“. The parallels between the two texts are striking, and the journalist might do well to apply the same criteria „America the Beautiful“ that she uses for „Lijepa li si“. Perkovic's alleged „nationalist rhetoric“ makes no reference to exclusivism, nor to militarism, warfare, or acts of territorial appropriation of which Bates writes; there are only words of wonder and awe at the beauty of our country and ogništa, and expressions of the unity between us all. And as the 500,000 fans on Zagreb's main square came together in patriotic support and admiration for our Vatreni and their humble and victorious selector Zlatko Dalić – fans from Zagorje, Slavonia, Hercegovina, Dalmatia, Lika, Velebit, Neretva, and Istra, what more appropriate song to celebrate by?

„How Beautiful You Are“

Every time I think of you, a tear comes to my eye,

And the memories come alive

Of "every inch of my native ground" (every inch of the region in which I was born)and its traditions

I recognize your beauty

And it awakens my love

when I am with you, my heart

beats stronger and grows immense.

Hey, Zagora, how beautiful you are

Slavonia, you're golden

Herceg-Bosno, a proud heart

Dalmatia, my sea

One soul, though we are two

Greetings to Lika, and proud Velebit

When the Neretva heads towards the sea

then call me up in your memory

be the theme of my song

in honor all of those who have gone

Come on, Istra and Zagorje

Let us raise up our three colors

Let us embrace in front of everybody

let them see how many of us there are ("that we exist")