**(Verse 1)** In seventeen seventy-six, a spark was lit, A fearless spirit that would never quit. A quill on the parchment, a bell ringing clear, Planting the seeds of the nation we hold dear. Now the year is twenty-twenty-six, the summer winds blow, Two and a half centuries of watching us grow. The history books are open, the legacy is grand, As we gather together across this beautiful land. **(Chorus)** Oh, raise the stars and stripes, let the fireworks fly! Two hundred and fifty years beneath the summer sky. From the mountains to the valleys, hear the eagle cry, Happy Birthday, America, shining bright and high! We stand with pride in the land of the free, For the home of the brave, for you and for me. **(Verse 2)** Here’s to the soldiers, the sailors, the brave, Who crossed the wide oceans and the storms that they faced. To the guardians watching from the desert to the sea, Your courage is the heartbeat of our liberty. We honor your sacrifice, the promises you keep, For the peace that we cherish runs wonderfully deep. You wear the uniform with honor, you answer the call, Standing tall for the country, standing tall for us all. **(Verse 3)** And it starts right at home, on a neighborhood street, With a block party rhythm and a familiar beat. From the glow of the porch lights to the small-town square, To the roar of the cities, showing how much we care. Fifty different states in a beautiful blend, From the first to the fiftieth, a story without end. Every culture, every neighbor, every hand that we shake, Builds the tapestry of a nation that stands unbreakable. **(Chorus)** Oh, raise the stars and stripes, let the fireworks fly! Two hundred and fifty years beneath the summer sky. From the mountains to the valleys, hear the eagle cry, Happy Birthday, America, shining bright and high! We stand with pride in the land of the free, For the home of the brave, for you and for me. **(Bridge)** It’s more than a date on a mid-summer page, It’s the torch we are passing to the next rising age. *E pluribus unum*, out of many, one, A quarter of a millennium of battles won. We look to the future with hope in our eyes, As the rockets explode and light up the skies! Yeah, the spirit of seventy-six is alive in our veins, Through the sunshine, the storms, and the pouring rains! **(Guitar and Brass Solo – triumphant and soaring)** **(Chorus)** Oh, raise the stars and stripes, let the fireworks fly! Two hundred and fifty years beneath the summer sky. From the mountains to the valleys, hear the eagle cry, Happy Birthday, America, shining bright and high! We stand with pride in the land of the free, For the home of the brave, for you and for me. **(Outro)** Two hundred and fifty years! *(Let the banners wave)* Two hundred and fifty years! *(For the bold and the brave)* From the Fourth of July, to the end of time, America, your story is forever mine. Happy Birthday, USA! Happy Birthday, USA!
