Americans: when and how did you learn all the very American songs? Other countries: Do you have many songs that are patriotic?

I went to see the Florida Orchestra last night in a Stars and Stripes tribute and it was awesome! The quality of the orchestra surpassed my expectations. They played all that you would expect, Star Spangled Banner, My Country Tis Of Thee, God Bless America, Yankee Doodle Dandee, the songs of the various branches of the military, and so on. At one point the audience was asked to sing along. My husband asked while I was singing (everyone was singing) “how do you know all of these?” My reply was, “elementary school.” I think most of them I did learn in elementary, some others maybe just from my parents or hearing them play somewhere else.

As a side comment the concert also included some scores from Oklahoma and a few songs from around war time that were not patriotic songs so to speak. Also, one of the Olympic themes. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

To clarify, my husband was not born and raised in America, although he did spend a couple of years in high school in America. I don’t know if his country has songs like that or not.

If you are not American does your country have a bunch of patriotic songs about the country or from war time?