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You are here: Home / Language / Why Was George M. Cohan Forced to Rewrite the Patriotic American Song “You’re a Grand Old Flag”?

Why Was George M. Cohan Forced to Rewrite the Patriotic American Song “You’re a Grand Old Flag”?

May 14, 2020 by Karen Hill

In 1906, George M. Cohan was forced to change one word in his song and anthem to the American flag.

The line in the Chorus is, “It’s a grand old flag/it’s a high flying flag…”

Though today it’s sung as a tribute to Old Glory, if Cohan hadn’t made the change, the song probably would never be sung.

Cohan’s original lyrics started with, “It’s a grand old rag . ..”

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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