It's not hard to feel patriotic for the Fourth of July. That's especially true in Philadelphia, where the city collectively celebrates Independence Day in the place where our nation was born.
Whether you're enjoying America's birthday right here in Philly, down the shore, or somewhere else, today's the day to break out your best red, white and blue attire and honor our country's founding.
But just in case the flags, barbeques, fireworks, and concerts aren't enough to get you feeling proud to be an American, here are three musical performances that should get you all fired up to celebrate the USA.
Kate Smith sings "God Bless America" before Stanley Cup clincher
Kate Smith will forever live in Flyers' team lore, and this performance helps solidify her legacy. As the team's good luck charm, she belted out "God Bless America" in the now-demolished Spectrum before the team secured their first of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships against the Boston Bruins. Smith, who passed away in 1986, still owns one of the most beautiful renditions of the song to date.
John Oates sings the National Anthem at Game 5 of the World Series
Philly's own John Oates, half of the pop duo Hall and Oates, had fans join him in singing the National Anthem before game 5 of the 2008 World Series. While the game wouldn't be finished that night due to rain, Oates' version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" got more than 45,000 fans fired up despite the cold and rain to witness Philadelphia win its first professional championship in the four major sports in 25 years.
The Arkells cover Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom"
Of course, nobody can beat the original. However, Ontario-based rock band the Arkells put together an interesting and refreshing take on John's 1975 classic written partly in honor of tennis legend and Philly native Billie Jean King. Sure, they're from Canada, and the song isn't explicitly about the city's place in American history, but that doesn't mean that lead singer Max Kerman's grizzly voice expertly navigating through "Philadelphia Freedom" can't get you feeling incredibly Patriotic.
