O Columbia, Gem of the Ocean

O Columbia, Gem of the Ocean.....

Those words are all I remember of a song a teacher tried to teach us when I started school. We stood in a circle around her and repeated the lines as she sang them, but I'm not certain we ever got beyond these first few words. A song about 'Columbia' had little meaning for me in those early years, and we never sang it in the higher grades.

Many years later when I saw the Columbia River for the first time, the refrain, 'O Columbia, Gem of the Ocean', popped in to my mind. I was so taken by the river's majestic awesomeness I was spellbound. Those words, 'Gem of the Ocean', seemed apt.

Whenever watching a movie made by Columbia Pictures, their logo, a colorful depiction of a universal woman in flowing robes, standing on a pedestal, holding a torch above her head and surrounded by beautiful clouds, appears before end titles. As the graphic takes shape on the screen, I remember, 'O Columbia, Gem of the Ocean'.

When I decided to surf the net for the lyrics, I came across some interesting facts. The origin of the name, Columbia, first appeared in a 1738 weekly publication of the British Parliament. Printing the Parliament debates was forbidden, but they were camouflaged as “Reports of the Debates of the Senate of Lilliput.”. Fictional names were given to other countries; Columbia was chosen to represent America.

In 1843, an actor, David Shaw wanting a new patriotic song to sing at a benefit performance. Thomas á Becket, Sr. wrote the lyrics and melody to 'O Columbia'. The song became a popular patriotic song competing with 'Hail Columbia' and 'The Star Spangled Banner' until 1931 when 'The Star Spangled Banner' was declared the National Anthem.

In 1924, Columbia Pictures advertised for a woman to represent Miss Columbia in their film logo, making the word, Columbia, the female personification of America. Since then, various women have posed for Miss Columbia which always remains an heroic figure in flowing robes, holding a torch high, surrounded by beautiful clouds.

The song or music of 'O Columbia, Gem of the Ocean' has been featured in films such as Amistad, The Music Man, Twilight Zone, Donnie Brasco and West Wing.

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