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1[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stan_freberg_united_states_1_2.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:340:Admit it – if you had a briefcase that awesome, you'd\
3hang onto it [[DevelopmentHell for 35 years]], too.]]
4
5->'''Announcer:''' [[AC:Creator/StanFreberg [[SelfDeprecation modestly presents]] ''The United States of America!'']]
6
7''Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America'' is a two-volume themed comedy album by comedian Creator/StanFreberg, which presents the history of [[{{Eagleland}} the United States of America]] by way of a series of comedy sketches and songs.
8
9The first volume (subtitled ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Vol. 1: The Early Years]]'', and spanning from the first voyage of UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus up through UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution) was released in 1961, with a follow-up volume initially planned for the country's bicentennial in 1976; that second volume (''Vol. 2: The Middle Years'', covering events up through UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) [[DevelopmentHell didn't come out until 1996]], two decades after the planned release.
10
11While Freberg vowed in the liner notes for ''Vol. 2'' that the third volume wouldn't take another thirty-five years to release -- for one thing, he didn't think that he would be around that long -- [[WhatCouldHaveBeen the project was subsequently shelved]] due to the death of his wife and his own health issues. [[DiedDuringProduction Freberg's death in 2015]] seems to have brought any hope of ''Vol. 3'' to an end.
12
13-----
14!!Track list (''Vol. 1'')
15
16[[AC:Side One]]
17# "Overture" (2:18)
18# "Columbus Discovers America: It's a Round, Round World" (9:55)
19# "Pilgrim's Progress: Take an Indian to Lunch" (3:24)
20# "Thanksgiving Story (Under the Double Turkey)" (1:12)
21# "Sale of Manhattan: Top Hat, White Feather, and Tails" (5:55)
22# "Boston Tea Party" (1:44)
23
24[[AC:Side Two]]
25# "Declaration of Independence: A Man Can't Be Too Careful What He Signs These Days" (6:27)
26# "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" [[note]] Bonus track, not on the original LP [[/note]]
27# "Betsy Ross and the Flag: Everybody Wants to Be an Art Director" (2:58) [[note]] slightly longer version than original LP [[/note]]
28# "Discovery of Electricity" [[note]] Another bonus track not on the original LP [[/note]]
29# "Washington Crosses the Delaware (Command Decision)" (4:43)
30# "Yankee Doodle Go Home (Spirit of '76)" (4:04)
31# "The Battle of Yorktown" (4:04)
32# Finale: "So Long, Friend" (6:43)
33----
34!! ''Tropes, tropes, tropes (Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny)''
35
36* AccidentalMisnaming:
37-->"All right, there's the signal. Get on the horse, Levine."
38-->"That's Revere."
39-->"Revere, Levine, just so you ride a horse good. Now get goin'!"
40* AnachronismStew: ''Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America'' doesn't so much run on this as it is ''made'' of it.
41* BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: Freberg delights in mocking the stereotypical perception of Native Americans throughout ''Vol. 1''. (The reprise of "Round, Round World" includes the Indians singing the line "Yo ho ho [[LampshadeHanging and a buckskin sleeve]]," as one of ''many'' examples.)
42* BrickJoke:
43** The lines "Rumble, rumble, rumble. [[TheMutiny Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny]]." don't occur quite often enough to be a RunningGag, but they try.
44** Tyne Daly actually got cast for ''Vol. 2'' by leaning over to Freberg during the Grammy Awards the preceding year and muttering "Rumble, rumble, rumble."
45* ColonCancer: The original album was entitled ''Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America: Vol. 1: The Early Years''. The sequel was titled ''Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America: Vol. 2: The Middle Years''.
46* ConceptAlbum: The history of the United States of America as a Broadway-style [[TheMusical musical comedy]].
47* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The song "Planned Obsolescence" features a general with a PunnyName [[spoiler: "General...''Electric!'']] convincing UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison to change the design of his light bulb when he finds out it's designed to last forever.
48** Incidentally, that's TruthInTelevision: incandescent light bulbs really ''were'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel redesigned to burn out faster.]]
49* CrazyEnoughToWork: Charlie's [[NoNameGiven companion]]'s CatchPhrase: "It's just ''wild'' enough, Charlie, it's just ''wild'' enough."
50* {{Eagleland}}: Mixed flavor.
51* EnsembleCast: Freberg performs along with other actors, including Creator/PaulFrees, Creator/JuneForay, Peter Leeds, Walter Tetley, and Jesse White. Foray, Leeds, and White returned for ''Vol. 2'', where they were joined by such newcomers as Creator/TyneDaly, Creator/LorenzoMusic, Creator/HarryShearer, and Creator/DavidOgdenStiers.
52* FaceOnTheCover: Freberg, posing with a briefcase shaped like the 48 contiguous states. For the CD reissue containing both the original album and ''Vol. 2'', the older Freberg -- standing in a similar pose and holding the same suitcase -- is added alongside his younger self.
53* FlatEarth: The myth that Columbus set out to prove the earth was round against supposed disbelief is recycled in this. It's unknown though if Freberg believed this, or simply [[PlayedForLaughs played it for laughs]].
54* GeniusBonus: George Washington's half-hearted "run it up the flagpole, see if anybody salutes" during the Betsy Ross scene was a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_it_up_the_flagpole phrase]] often used by Madison Avenue ad men. (Freberg enjoyed a second career as a ad man himself.)
55* HistoricalDomainCharacter: All of the main characters, e.g. Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, etc.
56* InThePastEveryoneWillBeFamous: While the main characters all being historical figures should make this trope not applicable, Queen Isabella refers to UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus' "friend, [[Creator/LeonardoDaVinci Da Vinci]]," bringing this work right back in line with this trope.
57* MediumAwareness: All of the characters are aware that they're characters in a musical, though only occasionally do they comment on it. Also, see RunningGag.
58* MightyWhitey: Parodied throughout the first half of ''Vol. 1''. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] with the reprise of "Round, Round World:" "Step aside, pal/Meet the new/Big cheeses of this/Round, Round World!"
59* NiceJobBreakingItHero: UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln convinces Harriet Beecher Stowe to rewrite ''Literature/UncleTomsCabin'' in a much darker tone than she'd originally intended. The new version is blamed for the American Civil War.
60-->'''Lincoln:''' Yes, terrible book. Awful.
61* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Freberg uses a Creator/LionelBarrymore type voice for Creator/BenjaminFranklin.
62* PunnyName: General Electric. Running Water.
63* RefusalOfTheCall: Barbara Fritchie thinks "Stonewall" Jackson can find something to shoot other than her old, grey head.
64* RuleOfFunny: Everything. To wit: Why is Creator/NormanRockwell in the American Revolution? Why are the same two guys responsible for multiple events in world history? Why would there be a General named [[PunnyName Electric]] interested in the first light bulb? RuleOfFunny.
65* RunningGag:
66-->''[Fanfare]''
67-->"What was that?"
68-->"French horns."
69* SelfDeprecation: From the ''Vol. 1'' liner notes:
70-->As you listen to this album you'll soon begin to understand why Creator/StanFreberg flunked American history in high school.
71* SingleStanzaSong: In two places.
72** The Tin Pan Alley sketch in ''Vol. 2'' consists of two failed Tin Pan Alley songwriters doing a medley of their greatest hits.
73** The song "[[TemptingFate There'll Never Be Another War]]" consists of two different versions of the chorus, depending on which sketch it follows.
74* TemptingFate: Both UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar and UsefulNotes/WorldWarI end with the song "There'll Never Be Another War."
75* TheThemeParkVersion: The events in the album are ostensibly based on American history.
76* TitleDrop: An entire sketch about Stephen Foster having writer's block consists almost entirely of nothing but titles of his songs.
77* ThoseTwoGuys: Charlie and his companion are the cause of numerous catastrophes, from the minor (making the wrong bird at the first Thanksgiving) to the major (sinking the ''[[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI Lusitania]]'').
78* TravelingSalesman: During his Midnight Ride, UsefulNotes/PaulRevere is mistaken for one of these by one annoyed townswoman.
79-->'''Woman:''' I got all the pots and pans I need, sweetie.
80-->'''Revere:''' But... what about the British?
81-->'''Woman:''' As far as I know, they got all the pots and pans ''they'' need, too! ''[slams door]''
82* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: '''''Very''''' loosely. Creator/NormanRockwell wasn't alive during the American Revolution.
83* WaxingLyrical: During the "Sale of Manhattan":
84-->'''Real Estate Agent:''' Make it $25 even, we'll toss in the Bronx.
85-->'''Peter Tishman:''' Nah, I couldn't possibly see my way clear.
86-->'''Chief White Cloud:''' We throw in Staten Island.
87-->'''Real Estate Agent:''' You hear that? Is that a generous Indian? [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_(song) You'll have Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, too!]] ''[phone rings]'' Hello? Yeah, Dick. Mmm-hmm. We use any more, we'll have to pay a royalty, huh? All right, sweetie, we'll knock it off. Right. Okay. Yeah, okay. ''[hangs up]''
88-->'''Peter Tishman:''' I'll give you $24.
89-->'''Real Estate Agent:''' Sold! But none of that cash stuff. The chief's wife wants strictly junk jewelry.
90-->'''Chief White Cloud:''' Mmm. [[Theatre/{{Kismet}} Baubles, bangles, bright shiny beads]]...
91-->'''Real Estate Agent:''' Yeah, hold it, baby, will ya? You're layin' yourself wide open for another phone call.
92* WhoWritesThisCrap:
93-->'''Columbus:''' We going out on that joke?
94-->'''Indian:''' No, we do reprise of song, that help.
95-->'''Together, sadly:''' But not much, no.
96* YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe:
97-->'''Franklin:''' ''[reading]'' "...that among these are Life, Liberty and ''the purfuit of Happineff"?!''
98-->'''Jefferson:''' That's "pursuit of Happiness".
99-->'''Franklin:''' Well, all your s's look like f's here.
100-->'''Jefferson:''' Well, it's stylish.
101-->'''Franklin:''' Oh, I see.
102-->'''Jefferson:''' It's "in". It's ''very'' "in".
103-->'''Franklin:''' Oh, well, if it's "in"...
104
105----
106-> ''"Rumble, rumble, rumble. Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny."''

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