[A]What is A[F#m]-mer-i[Cdim]-ca [E7]to [A]me? [A7]
A [D]name, a[Cdim] map, a [AM7]flag I [C#m7-5] see,
A[D] certain [Cdim]word, "De[C#m7-5]-moc-ra-[F#7]cy."
[D]What[F#m] is A-[Bm7]mer-i[Bm7-5]-ca to [E7]me?
The [Fdim]house I [AM7]live in -- a [D9]plot of [E7/6]earth, a [AM7]street,
The g[D9]rocer [E7/6]and the [A]butcher,[F#m] all the [C]people [Am7]that I m[A]eet,
The c[D9]hildren [E7]in the p[A]layground,[F#m] the [D9]faces [E7]that I [F#m]see;
All [B7]races, [Cdim] and re[A]ligions -- [F#m]that's A[Bm7-5]-mer-i[E7/6]-ca to [A]me.
The [Fdim]place I [AM7]work in, the [D9]worker[E7/6] at my [AM7]side
The [D9]little [E7/6]town or [A]city w[F#m]here my [C]people [Am7]lived and d[A]ied
The "[D9]howdy" [E7]and the [A]handshake,[F#m] the [D9]air of [E7]feeling [F#m]free
B7 Cdim A6 A F#m D9 E7/6 A
The right to speak my mind out that's A-mer-i-ca to me.
The t[D9]hings I [E]see ab[A]out me the [D9]big things a[E]nd the s[A]mall
The [Em7]little c[A7]orner [D]newsstand and the [Em7]house a [A7]mile ta[D]ll;
The w[C#7]edding and the [F#m]churchyard, the [C#7]laughter and the t[F#m]ears,
The dr[E]eam that's been a gro[B7]win' for two-h[E]undred [Edim]thirty ye[E7]ars.
The [Fdim]town I [AM7]live in, the [D9]street, the [E7/6]house, the r[AM7]oom,
The pa[D9]vement [E7/6]of the [A]city, [F#m]or a g[C]arden [Am7]all in b[A]loom,
The ch[D9]urch, the s[E7]chool, the [A]club house, the [D9]million li[E7]ghts I [F#m]see,
But es[D9]pecia[Fdim]lly the p[A]eople -- [F#m]that's A[D9]-mer-i[E7]-ca [Fdim] to [F#m]me.
[D9] [Fdim] [A] [F#m] [D9] [E7] [Bm7-5] [D9] [Dm6] [A]
Especially the people -- that's A-mt-i-ca to me --.
A [D]name, a[Cdim] map, a [AM7]flag I [C#m7-5] see,
A[D] certain [Cdim]word, "De[C#m7-5]-moc-ra-[F#7]cy."
[D]What[F#m] is A-[Bm7]mer-i[Bm7-5]-ca to [E7]me?
The [Fdim]house I [AM7]live in -- a [D9]plot of [E7/6]earth, a [AM7]street,
The g[D9]rocer [E7/6]and the [A]butcher,[F#m] all the [C]people [Am7]that I m[A]eet,
The c[D9]hildren [E7]in the p[A]layground,[F#m] the [D9]faces [E7]that I [F#m]see;
All [B7]races, [Cdim] and re[A]ligions -- [F#m]that's A[Bm7-5]-mer-i[E7/6]-ca to [A]me.
The [Fdim]place I [AM7]work in, the [D9]worker[E7/6] at my [AM7]side
The [D9]little [E7/6]town or [A]city w[F#m]here my [C]people [Am7]lived and d[A]ied
The "[D9]howdy" [E7]and the [A]handshake,[F#m] the [D9]air of [E7]feeling [F#m]free
B7 Cdim A6 A F#m D9 E7/6 A
The right to speak my mind out that's A-mer-i-ca to me.
The t[D9]hings I [E]see ab[A]out me the [D9]big things a[E]nd the s[A]mall
The [Em7]little c[A7]orner [D]newsstand and the [Em7]house a [A7]mile ta[D]ll;
The w[C#7]edding and the [F#m]churchyard, the [C#7]laughter and the t[F#m]ears,
The dr[E]eam that's been a gro[B7]win' for two-h[E]undred [Edim]thirty ye[E7]ars.
The [Fdim]town I [AM7]live in, the [D9]street, the [E7/6]house, the r[AM7]oom,
The pa[D9]vement [E7/6]of the [A]city, [F#m]or a g[C]arden [Am7]all in b[A]loom,
The ch[D9]urch, the s[E7]chool, the [A]club house, the [D9]million li[E7]ghts I [F#m]see,
But es[D9]pecia[Fdim]lly the p[A]eople -- [F#m]that's A[D9]-mer-i[E7]-ca [Fdim] to [F#m]me.
[D9] [Fdim] [A] [F#m] [D9] [E7] [Bm7-5] [D9] [Dm6] [A]
Especially the people -- that's A-mt-i-ca to me --.
