DeDe Wedekind – ‘America United’

CCM: This song was inspired while you were sitting in your church’s choir loft on a Sunday morning. Has that ever happened before, and how much of the song came out in that one moment?
DW: Almost one-hundred percent of the song came to me while listening to an inspiring and patriotic July 4th message sitting in church that day. After church, I then took the song that I had hastily scribbled down within about 15-minutes on the church bulletin home and my husband and I re-wrote “America United” together in less-than 30-minutes. This would have to be the most “God-inspired” song I’ve ever written, I strongly feel it was the mighty truth and power of the Holy Spirit!

In late July 2016, I re-wrote it, condensed some words, incorporated more of a “catchy” chorus, and repeated the phrase, “Let’s make America great again.” We revisited the song because we both knew that America was at a real crossroads—from 2012 to now, this message seems to have a renewed importance.

CCM: Why do you think music is a perfect outlet for healing?
DW: Writing music can be both an awesome responsibility and a burden. To feel that you are tasked to bring hope and inspiration to a world that so desperately needs it, yet, it so often seems to reject positive messages. But, music is amazing because it can cross all national and language barriers. I try to write music that encourages people, is beautiful, timeless, truthful, motivational, and that conveys messages that matter. I feel that God can use “America United” to speak to the heart and soul of America…to everyone.

CCM: With the presidential inauguration today, our nation could experience an even split between happiness and anger. What’s the most important thing Christians can do today?
DW: We need to love others, as Christ loved us. We need to pray for our country, for each other, and for the world. We need to be reading our Bibles, praying, and taking a stand for Jesus—with a lot of love and kindness towards others.