You're listening to Civic Media.
You can tune into any of our live shows on any radio station across the state with the Civic Media app.
Find us in your phone's app store and listen anytime, anywhere.
50 years of dreams from sea to shining shore America we sing your praise and love you even more From Valley Forge to Gettysburg From Normandy to space The spirit of this nation shines in every smile
still lights the way and keeps our country strong through every trial we have stood tall
A great country, so let's shout it clear and loud.
Shout it loud.
Take a look in your history book, and you'll see why we should be proud.
Be proud, that's all.
That's all.
To America, the home of the free and the brave.
If this is flag.
with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians.
As the seeds of turmoil flowered and grew, the hastily assembled American army craved a banner they could call their own.
To a certain Philadelphia seamstress came General George Washington one day in the icy winter of 1777.
Come on in.
Hey, hey, ever hear a wipe in your feet?
How's that?
You're tracking snow all over my early American rug.
Oh, yeah, I'm sorry.
All right, let's get out of business now.
Have you got it finished?
Your flag?
No, no, my jacket.
Yeah, but don't you want to see the flag?
The flag can wait.
I got a man outside from Esquire.
All right, you want to slip it on?
Please.
OK, here we go.
Take a look in the mirror there.
Is that a darling blazer?
Yeah, darling.
Is it me?
It's you.
Now
how about we check over the flag?
Wait a minute.
You think the lace on the cuffs is too much?
No,
it's
fine.
You really like
it?
I adore it.
Now
about... I wonder if I should have had the silk brocade instead of the lace.
Lace, brocade.
Hey, these antique military buttons worked out real nice, huh?
Well, I'm
glad.
Or should I have taken the mother of pearl?
We've been all through this, George.
You wouldn't want the mother of pearl.
Once you had them on, you'd hate them.
Yeah, but on the other hand.
Look, I made you a spiffy little blazer there.
You got the lace on the cuffs and the antique military buttons and the gold epulets and the emblem on the pocket.
All right.
Now, why don't you look at the flag, huh?
All
right, all right.
Just a minute.
Let me bite the thread off here.
Well, snap it up.
Spread it out in your lap there and
we'll...
You having a little...
Fun at your country's expense here, huh?
How's that?
You're kidding with these colors?
Red, white, and blue?
Well, those are the only remnants I had around them.
Wait a minute.
Stars?
I deliberately said polka dots.
Huh?
Stars with stripes?
How does that work together, design-wise?
All right, you want to be the big man and put on the symbol, huh?
No, it's... Justin, how's about you let me run the flag department and you run the army like a nice father of our country, okay?
I know, but look at the colors you chose.
The best you could do, I suppose.
A peppermint stripe with royal blue, the same as the British colors, too.
Now, how will we tell whose side is who?
Look at the colors you chose.
Why couldn't it have been pews?
Lavender over charge, ruse?
Or possibly some exotic jade, the delicate orange mauve or jade, instead of the choice that...
has been made, why couldn't it have been possibly cinnamon?
Everybody wants to be an art director, everybody wants to call the shots.
Yeah, well.
Everybody wants to be a flag dissector, changing all my stars to polka dots.
Everybody thinks that they're the final...
I'd like it.
How soon can you make one up?
Come on, there's your flag.
Take it or leave it.
All right.
Say, what's this little ticket here and just fell out?
Inspected by number 28.
That's me.
Oh, yeah.
You want it on a hanger?
No, I'll just run it up the flagpole, see if anybody salutes.
OK.
I guess it's better than don't tread on me.
Certainly.
Besides, a hundred years from now, what the heck difference will it make?
I guess you're right.
There's a feeling comes a stealing and it sets my brain a-reeling when I'm listening to the music of a military band.
Any tune like Yankee Doodle simply sets me off my noodle.
It's the patriotic something that no one can understand.
Way down south in the land of cotton.
Melody on tiring ain't that inspiring.
A rock, a rock.
And that's going some for the Yankees by gum.
Red, white, and blue.
I am for you.
Honest, you're a grand old flag.
You're a grand old flag.
You're a high-flying flag.
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of the land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Every heart beats true.
You wonder red, white, and blue Where there's never a boss or a brag But should all the quaint hands be forgot Keep your eye on the grand old pl-
And the red, white, and blue Where there's never a boast or a brag But should all the quaint hands be forgot Keep your eye on the bright old flag!
Stan Freeberg modestly presents The United States of America
Yeah.
while children laugh and grab the candy and everyone joins in the fun the drums roll
A new spirit of restlessness grips the 13 English colonies, smarting from what seems to them injustice at the hands of King George III, the American colonists' yearn for liberty.
Boston Harbor, 1774, two figures huddle on the deck of a cargo ship there in the darkness.
Well, I miscalculated with the block and tackle, that's
all.
Yeah, well, I mean, you blew it.
You missed the whole deck there.
Yeah, well, maybe nobody will know
this.
What do you mean?
There's tea floating all over the place.
I mean, how can I go and demand an hourly increase for you guys?
Yeah, yeah, well, I do.
With fringe benefits and all that, if my men keep knocking stuff overboard.
Well, I'm sorry.
Sorry doesn't do any good, Charlie.
I'll cover for you this time, but let's get our story straight.
Good, good,
good, good.
Now, a bunch of those Patriot guys came sneaking around dressed up in...
How about in Indian suits?
That's good, in Indian suits.
They were a little loaded and they shoved the tea over because they were sore about the teatags, okay?
Okay.
You think anybody will swallow that?
Well, it's just
wild
enough, Trowell.
Gee, look at it swirling around down there.
I wonder where we could find a fortune teller
that leads harbors.
Sunday before Independence Day.
Parades everywhere.
In Wisconsin.
I think the only one, correct me if I'm wrong.
You have to join me on Facebook to do that.
Is in Kenosha.
But it's the Kenosha Civic Veterans Parade.
And on the Independence Day itself, Racine's got the biggie.
Just outside Racine is the village of summers.
Two o'clock that afternoon.
Happy birthday, us.
The music of the stars.
Sunlight fills the harbor Flags are waving in the breeze Children smile along the sidewalks As memories ride with dignity Every marching band is playing Every heart beats proud today Through the streets of our fair city Freedom proudly leads the way
For protecting this great land Somewhere medals on their jackets Some remember friends they've known Yet their quiet strength reminds us Freedom never stands alone
In 1776, on the banks of the Delaware, cruel winds whistled through the threadbare clothing of the 8,000-man American Army.
All too aware of General Howe's powerful troops across the icy waters, they await the decision of their leader, General George Washington.
For he and he alone can make the choice upon which hinges the destiny of their infant nation.
All right then.
How much you want for the boat that says Popeye on it?
A buck,
twenty an hour.
Well, how about the one that says Donald Duck on it?
Eh?
Want the little stripe and awning there?
Oh, yeah.
Well, that boat right there.
That boat right there.
That boat
right there.
That's the boat.
We'll run you two bucks an hour.
What?
That's an outrage.
It's December, it's your off season.
How many customers can you get this time of year?
Look, fella, you run the army and let me run the boat rental,
okay?
Hey, don't get
smart with me.
I'm General
Washington.
I know who you are.
I've seen your picture on the money, and I wish it'd make up your mind.
The boat rides are closing.
Well, let's review them once again here.
Popeye was a buck twenty an hour.
About
twenty an hour,
that's right.
And the one with the stripe and awning.
General
Duck.
General Washington, sir.
Yes, what is it?
The men are freezing.
So?
So we were wondering if we could come to some decision on the boat.
Yeah, they think they got problems.
I just had my wig set this morning, and this damp air isn't doing it any good.
Look at it.
It's great as a stick.
Well, it looks just fine to me, sir.
Really?
Yes, yes.
It looks all right.
Listen, you're going to rent a boat tonight or not.
I'd like to freeze my ears.
All right, don't rush me.
If we could make a decision on the boat, sir, it'll soon be daylight.
Well, let it be daylight.
We'll have a tip over out there at night.
Yes, well, there was the element of surprise in the whole thing, don't you see, sir?
Oh.
Well, all right.
You
can get the men loaded in the other boats.
Get that out of the way.
They are in the other boats, sir.
They have been for hours.
Now, if we could just come to
some... All right.
All
right.
Hold your horses.
We... We ate the horses yesterday, sir.
Oh, yeah.
Well, I'll be with you tomorrow.
Did you really eat the horses yesterday?
I didn't.
They did.
Enlisted, man.
Now I got it narrowed down to two here.
Popeye has a dear little seat in
it.
And
that's a $1.20.
And Donald Duck has a stripe and awning.
I see.
$2.
Now, I'll leave it up to you, Lieutenant.
Doesn't that strike you as a little high?
Well, I don't know, sir, perhaps a bit, but... All right, you see there?
Now, what would you say to a $1.75 for Donald Duck?
$2 an hour, not a penny less.
Say, what are you trying to do, gouge of servicemen?
I might
ask, what are you army guys trying to do?
Stifle the small business man?
Ah, that's ridiculous.
It's
not ridiculous.
All right, then.
Kick the end of Donald Duck around there again.
Let me see it.
I can't.
My feet are frozen.
Look, mister, why don't you take the one called Popeye?
You'll be happy with that boat.
The price is right buck twenty an hour.
Well, I don't know.
You like it,
Lieutenant?
She's a beaut, sir.
Besides, we're only renting it for the
one night.
But you really like it better than the one with the awning.
You wouldn't want the one with the awning, sir.
Once you got into it, you'd hate it.
Honestly, take the other one.
Popeye, you think it's really me?
Yes, on my word, sir.
It's you.
But I just don't know about the color.
The color is fine.
Black is a great
color.
It sets off your wig.
Really?
Yes!
All
right.
Popeye, it is.
Oh, I tell you, boy, I've seen some customers, but this guy's a
lululu.
Now, uh, we got everything, the flag.
Right, sir.
The ukulele?
Yes, sir.
The, uh, the sandwiches?
The boatman has some right here, sir.
Oh.
What kind you got there?
Well, I, uh, I got ham in Swiss, liverwurst or, uh, tuna salad.
Well, let me see.
Is the tuna salad good today?
It's you.
It's you.
All right.
How much?
25 cents.
What?
25 cents for a tuna salad sandwich?
Here, take it with my blessings.
Well, I... Take
a liverwish, too.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
And so the Delaware was crossed.
Thus was begun one of the most glorious pages in American history.
Imagine that guy.
25 cents.
Lousy tuna.
Whoops, watch where you're going now.
The man liked this little boat I picked out for you here?
Well, pop
on.
I can hear the echo of a thousand ringing bells.
I can smell the cannons.
And hear the people's yells.
Long live George Washington, their ghostly voices say.
And I still feel his spirit to this very day.
And I can see a young boy growin' straight and tall.
And as I watch him hunting right I've no doubt at all It won't be long till peace will roam And then we'll come the day He'll become the president of the USA Blundly George Washington I hear the people say He's the first and greatest president of the USA
I see him fighting engines upon his great white horse.
I feel the loneliness he felt while staring history's course.
He was first in war and first in peace and he was first again in the hearts of everyone of his countrymen.
Long live George Washington.
I hear the people say he's the first and greatest president.
of the USA.
Well in those days at Valley Forge he held his men in hand, then crossed the Delaware and there in Trenton freed this land.
He's the father of our country and to this very day, he's the first and greatest president of the USA.
Long live George Washington, I hear the people say.
He's the first and greatest president of the USA.
Long live George Washington, I hear the people say.
He's the first and greatest president of the USA.
He's the first and greatest
president of
the USA.
1781.
This was the climax.
Hitively short of food and supplies, the Tattered American armies reduced to a mere handful.
While destiny held its breath, General George Washington courageously faced the most awesome challenge of his career.
All right, once again now.
Yes, sir.
You think I ought to surrender in the blue blazer or the trench coat?
Well, the trench coat is nice, sir.
Well... Let me slip the blue blazer on once again just to give you the idea.
Sir, that won't be necessary.
I remember the blazer.
Well, I'll just give you the idea.
You've tried it on twelve times, sir.
Well, you can't rush into these things.
Pardon me, General Washington.
Yes, who are you?
Sniders, my name.
I'm from American Bell and Bell.
I've got a statement here.
There's two years overdue for that big 5,000-pound job in Philadelphia.
What?
You expect us to pay for that bell?
Huh, had a crack in it as long as your arm.
Well, I don't know anything about a crack.
All I know is I'm supposed to get something on the account.
Look, I'm going down in history at the moment.
Could you come back in a little while?
Well, if you could give us a portion of it now and the balance after you get the country straightened out.
Yeah, well, we'll see.
Now I'll leave it up to you, Mr. Schneider.
Do you see me surrendering a blue blaster with antique military?
Watch yourself, sir.
Buttons?
Not too ivy, just... General Washington, sir.
Yes, what is it, Lieutenant?
I have an idea.
How we might not have to surrender after all.
What do you mean?
I'm all dressed for the occasion.
But, sir, your country is at stake.
Now, here's my idea.
You know, the Rockwell Boy works on Franklin's magazine.
You want to just hire?
Yes, skinny kid with a pipe, right?
I can have him here in 15 minutes, sir.
I'll get him a big piece of canvas,
500 yards long, some brushes, a lot of paint.
I see.
Well, we've got to work faster.
Finished by daybreak.
Now, here's my plan while I'm ready to sleep.
Good morning, Lord Cornwallis.
Oh, hello, Bradshaw.
Fine morning, isn't it, old man?
Just the sort of morning to defeat the American rebels, right?
Right, sir.
Well, then shall we mount the attack and muddle through to victory?
What was that?
English horns.
No, no, no, before that.
Oh, oh, gunfire.
Oh, the Americans, General.
Look, they must have brought up 20,000 fresh troops during the night.
Yeah.
Let me have the glass.
No, no, no, no, no.
The other one.
Joe, you're right.
Look at them all out there.
How fierce they look.
Why, they're not moving a muscle.
Seem to be frozen in their tracks.
Almost like a painting.
A grim visage of war.
My, look at the determination on that fellow.
The skinny kid with the pipe.
Hello?
They've become their barrage.
Great heavens, Lord Cornwallis.
I'm afraid we've had it.
Yes.
Well, time for the better part of Valor and all that.
Shall we go?
I'll see you, sir.
Right here.
I don't think it's working,
Lieutenant.
Well, I don't... Wait!
General Washington!
Huh?
Here come a couple of British officers waving a white flag!
I say, we surrender!
We give up!
Stop all that dreadful shooting, old
man.
All right, wait a minute.
Let me kill the sound effect here.
Okay, you guys.
Strike the war set.
Roll it up.
Good heavens.
We've been diddled.
Did I hear you surrender there?
Yes, but look here, O'Fell.
It's not cricket.
You're not playing the game.
We thought you had a whole regimen here.
Look, Bradshaw, the whole thing was nothing but a ruddy painting, a backdrop.
That's right.
Well, a little gimmick, I thought, up there.
Actually, our army was routed yesterday.
Nobody here but me, the lieutenant, and the skinny kid with the...
Where'd he go?
You rolled him up in the backdrop, sir.
Oh, yes.
Well, release him there.
You all right, young
man?
Give him a pipe.
Poor Rich.
His pipe jammed into his cheek.
Give him a hand, Bradshaw.
Yes, of course.
Ruined a good cable either.
Hmm fortunes of war.
I say Lord Cornwall is this whole thing is is is no no no Bradshaw Well, you fellows win I guess.
Yes.
Well, that's the way it goes, you know, of course the the king will be
living Well, you still have most of the rest of the world Mustn't be piggy.
Well, quite sure you say you might if I try on the sword there
right
ahead
What
do you think?
Is it me?
It's you, yes.
What is it, Bradshaw?
Could I speak to you privately?
Yes, all right.
Excuse us, please.
No,
no, no.
If you'll permit me, sir, there's only the three of them.
Now, one signal from you, and we'll take them all prisoner.
My dear fellow, look at it this way.
Now that those chaps have won, this makes us foreigners, right?
Right.
And we all know how foolishly generous the Americans are.
You mean?
Yes.
Tomorrow we apply for foreign aid.
I say, what a smashing idea.
You ready, gentlemen?
Any time,
actually.
America has always gone forward on the sound of marching feet to the military beat of drums, drums, drums.
Helping to hold the banner high is stirring the hearts of her fighting men.
This then is the spirit of 76.
What do you mean, you're walking off the job?
Like I'm walking off the job, man.
I don't have to work with that kind of, uh, square drummer.
Well, I don't see any
reason why we can't... No, I mean, when I accepted the gig, I didn't know I was going to have to play fife with the kind of moldy, fake...
Well, we
certainly can.
...drumming like what is going on up ahead there, man.
No.
Moldy, uh...
Now, the kid here is on second drums, and the kid is swinging pretty good, but we can't make it swing with that other cat, dick.
You tell him, Bix.
Look.
Here, now, we're engaged in battle.
The army's depending on you.
Well,
too bad, man.
Like, you're back here holding the flag.
You don't have to walk next to him, you know?
Well, what exactly is your objection to the man?
In the first place, anybody with a name like Yankee... Doodle.
Yeah, well, the name says it, man, you know?
Yes, but what is the main problem?
Like, it's a toss-up between the drumming and the singing.
The singing.
I've got a bandage around my ears, but it doesn't help much.
It's
a bed.
Well, let's walk back up there and talk to him, see if we can't straighten it out.
Yeah, well, you know.
All right, Doodle, the fife player and the other drummer want to leave.
Now, what seems to be the trouble?
They're out of step with me.
That's what's the trouble.
Is that
true?
Wow, wow, he wants to play.
Yep-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop, and a lot of go.
Scoopy-doopy-doopy-doop.
Ba-oo-ba-oo-ba-oo, here-ba-oo-ba-oo.
Man, like, you didn't say anything about that we were gonna work up near the cannonballs, man.
I mean,
no,
I thought we were working like officers club dance, man.
Let's get on
with the procession here, gracious.
Yes, now, let's make an effort and play it like Doodle wants to.
Yeah, well, it's a drag.
Get on with the marching
here.
I'll
keep it up and we'll blow the whole wall.
I'm the music and the step and with the girls behind.
I heard that.
Yankee Doodle came to town writing on the pony.
He stuck a feather in his cap and fallen back at home.
Yes, sir!
I'm Yankee Doodle.
That's all, man.
That's
it.
I'm hip.
That's it.
Come on, pick up your instruments there.
No, that's it.
Watch the trouble now.
It's a bad scene, man, right?
Bad scene, Bix.
Come on, you're holding up the whole parade.
Let's stop the bickering and the ranks here.
Do you want the war to end on a note of triumph or disaster?
Like either way, man.
Just so it swings.
Now look, Scooby-Doo.
Now let's reach a compromise here.
Play it eight bars your way and eight bars Doodle's.
All right.
Crazy.
Okay, out
of the
way, man.
Well, that was pretty rude.
strong as mighty Danny Yankee doodle.
Play it loud!
Oh, now play it soft.
Bill Jones back there, Paul.
That's Jack Teagarden on 78.
David Seville.
All right, chipmunks.
We're going to sing for the people.
So are you all ready to go?
Simon?
I'm ready.
Theodore?
Sure.
Alvin?
Alvin?
Alvin!
Chris, Chris, Chris!
No, no, Alvin.
This is Yankee Doodle.
And the words are, Yankee Doodle went to town riding on his pony, stuck a feather in his cap, and called it macaroni.
Okay, start.
Oh, wait a minute, Alvin.
It's macaroni, not spaghetti.
I like spaghetti.
I don't care if you like spaghetti or not.
In the song, the word is macaroni.
Have you got it?
sister.
Stand by for NBC.
Who turned the tide?
of the stars on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Good morning, everybody.
This show is being recorded for future reference.
Click into civicmedia.us.
Look for shows and scroll down.
There we are, our archives podcast.
Oh, and never to be forgotten.
Happy 100th birthday to Mr. Mel Brooks, a salute coming up right after NBC News.
I'm Lou Vergoni, your host, the music of the stars.
Back in five minutes.
The national news cycle never stops, but it can be hard to find news about your local community.
Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality local and state news coverage across Wisconsin.
With the Civic Media app, you can get notifications about local stories that matter to you and your community.
Find the free Civic Media app in your phone's app store and choose notifications from the menu to tell us what kind of news you want to hear about.
