Kate Smith’s rendition of “God Bless America” has heralded the start of sporting events for generations, but now many professional teams are putting an end to the tradition after controversial songs have surfaced from the singer’s past.
Both the MLB’s New York Yankees and the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers have pledged to replace her 1939 recording of the patriotic anthem with a version by a different vocalist. The hockey team have also planned to cover up a statue of the singer that was erected outside of the XFINITY Live! arena following her death in 1986.
“We have recently become aware that several songs performed by Kate Smith contain offensive lyrics that do not reflect our values as an organization,” a representative for the Flyers said in a statement to CNN.
“As we continue to look into this serious matter, we are removing Kate Smith’s recording of ‘God Bless America’ from our library and covering up the statue that stands outside of our arena.”
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Speaking to the New York Daily News, a representative for the Yankees said they had “been made aware of a recording that had been previously unknown to us and decided to immediately and carefully review this new information. The Yankees take social, racial and cultural insensitivities very seriously. And while no final conclusions have been made, we are erring on the side of sensitivity.”
For the past 18 years, the team had played the song to signal the start of the seventh inning stretch.
The Virginia-born Smith first rose to prominence just before World War II, and her ubiquitous contralto lead many to dub her “The First Lady of Radio.” In recent years, several of her songs from the pre-war era have been reexamined due to what appears to be racist language and stereotypes.
“That’s Why Darkies Were Born” contains inflammatory lines like, “Someone had to pick the cotton / Someone had to plant the corn / Someone had to slave and be able to sing / That’s why darkies were born.” While the words sound wildly offensive in 2019, there are some who theorize that the song was intended to be satirical, citing the fact that it was recorded with African-American artist Paul Robeson.
The same cannot be said for “Pickaninny Heaven,” which Smith sings alone. The song is aimed at “colored children” living in an orphanage, urging them to dream about “great big watermelons” to get their minds off their troubles.
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