text:  Give. Advocate. Volunteer. Live united. Take the pledge at unitedway.org. Brought to you by United Way, the Ad Council, and the National Football League. Happy Fourth of July from Seems Like Old Times. In 1940, Bing Crosby recorded the patriotic cantata, Ballad for Americans. Back then, it took up four sides on two discs. But nowadays, we can listen to it in its entirety without having to stop and flip the record over.