Read "An American in Europe (Songs for America)" by Henry Van Dyke online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
'Tis fine to see the Old World, and travel up / and down / Among the famous palaces and cities of renown, / To admire the crumbly castles and the statues of / the kings, -- / But now I think I've had enough of antiquated / things.
So it's home again, and home again, America for / me I / My heart is turning home again, and there I long to / be, / In the land of youth and freedom beyond the ocean / bars, / Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full / of stars.
Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in / the air; / And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in / her hair; / And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great / to study Rome; / But when it comes to living there is no place like / home.
I like the German fir-woods, in green battalions / drilled; / I like the gardens of Versailles with flashing / fountains filled; / But, oh, to take your hand, my dear, and ramble / for a day / In the friendly western woodland where Nature / has her way!
I know that Europe's wonderful, yet something / seems to lack: / The Past is too much with her, and the people / looking back. / But the glory of the Present is to make the / Future free, -- / We love our land for what she is and what she / is to be.
Oh, it's home again, and home again, America for / me I / I want a ship that's westward bound to plough the / rotting sea. / To the blessed Land of Room Enough beyond the / ocean bars, / Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full / of stars.