Berlin's success as a popular songwriter derived from his ability to voice his fellow American's feelings through his songs. Berlin never tried to supply those feelings; instead, he used his words and music to draw out what was already there. In the autumn of 1938, Irving felt patriotic, but not in a warlike way as was the case in 1917-18 when he wrote many martial tunes for the war effort. Now he felt love and pride in his nation's inate goodness and dislike of war. How to voice that emotion?
Berlin worked on a song he called "Thanks America," but he eventually put it aside. The master tunesmith then wrote "Let's Talk About Liberty," but he disliked that one too; it sounded like a speech put to music. Then Berlin remembered a song he wrote in 1917 for his famous World War I musical Yip! Yip! Yaphank. Back then it was Sergeant Irving Berlin who worked on the Army sponsored musical at Camp Upton, New York, along with with fellow songwriter Harry Ruby. At the time, patriotic tunes were pouring out of Tin Pan Alley.(The generic name for all American songwriters.) When Berlin first played the song, Harry Ruby said, "Geez, another one?" Berlin reluctently agreed. "Just a little sticky. I couldn't visualize soldiers marching to it," he later said. "So I laid it aside and tried other things."
In October 1938, Berlin asked his secretary, Mynna, to go to his voluminous files, known as his "trunk," and pull out the long forgotten song. After some searching, Mynna finally found the sheet music. Irving tweaked a few words and slightly altered the melody to fit the tweaking. The song was perfect. Now he needed a singer and the proper forum to put the song over.
Ted Collins, manager of a popular radio singer, just happened to be looking for a song to highlight his singer's Armistice Day broadcast. So on Friday night, November 11, 1938, radio listeners tuned in and heard Kate Smith step up to the microphone and belt out "God Bless America."
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