.' The Star-Spangled Banner' is the of the.
The lyrics come from the Defence of Fort M'Henry, a written on September 14, 1814, by the then 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet after witnessing the bombardment of by British ships of the in Baltimore Harbor during the in the. Key was inspired by the large, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the, flying triumphantly above the fort during the U.S. Victory.The poem was set to the tune of a popular song written by for the, a men's social club in London. ' (or 'The Anacreontic Song'), with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. This setting, renamed 'The Star-Spangled Banner', soon became a well-known U.S. Patriotic song.
With a of 19 semitones, it is known for being very difficult to sing. Although the poem has four, only the first is commonly sung today.' The Star-Spangled Banner' was recognized for official use by the in 1889, and by U.S. President in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a on March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1508, codified at ), which was signed by President.Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of U.S. ' served this purpose at official functions for most of the 19th century.
', whose melody is identical to ', the United Kingdom's national anthem, also served as a de facto national anthem. Following the War of 1812 and subsequent U.S.
Lyrics to 'American National Anthem' on Lyrics.com. Francis Scott Key. Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 – January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Georgetown who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is the national anthem of the United States.The lyrics come from the Defence of Fort M'Henry, a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the then 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.
Wars, other songs emerged to compete for popularity at public events, among them ', which itself was being considered before 1931, as a candidate to become the national anthem of the United States. 's original manuscript copy of his 'Defence of Fort M'Henry' poem. It is now on display at the.On September 3, 1814, following the and the, Francis Scott Key and set sail from aboard the ship, flying a on a mission approved. Their objective was to secure an exchange of prisoners, one of whom was, the elderly and popular town physician of and a friend of Key's who had been captured in his home. Beanes was accused of aiding the arrest of British soldiers. Key and Skinner boarded the British on September 7 and spoke with Major General and Vice Admiral over dinner while the two officers discussed war plans. At first, Ross and Cochrane refused to release Beanes but relented after Key and Skinner showed them letters written by wounded British prisoners praising Beanes and other Americans for their kind treatment.Because Key and Skinner had heard details of the plans for, they were held captive until after the battle, first aboard and later back on HMS Minden.
After the bombardment, certain British gunboats attempted to slip past the fort and effect a landing in a cove to the west of it, but they were turned away by fire from nearby Fort Covington, the city's last line of defense. The 15-star, 15-stripe ' that inspired the poemKey was inspired by the U.S. Victory and the sight of the large flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, had been made by together with other workers in her home on Baltimore's Pratt Street. The flag later came to be known as the and is today on display in the, a treasure of the. It was restored in 1914 by, and again in 1998 as part of an ongoing conservation program.Aboard the ship the next day, Key wrote a poem on the back of a letter he had kept in his pocket.
At twilight on September 16, he and Skinner were released in Baltimore. He completed the poem at the Indian Queen Hotel, where he was staying, and titled it 'Defence of Fort M'Henry'. It was first published nationally in.Much of the idea of the poem, including the flag imagery and some of the wording, is derived from an earlier song by Key, also set to the tune of '. The song, known as 'When the Warrior Returns', was written in honor of and on their return from the.Absent elaboration by Francis Scott Key prior to his death in 1843, some have speculated more recently about the meaning of phrases or verses, particularly the phrase 'the hireling and slave' from the third stanza. According to British historian, the phrase allude to the thousands of ex-slaves in the British ranks organized as the Corps of Colonial Marines, who had been liberated by the British and demanded to be placed in the battle line 'where they might expect to meet their former masters.' Mark Clague, a professor of at the, argues that the 'middle two verses of Key's lyric vilify the British enemy in the War of 1812' and 'in no way glorifies or celebrates slavery.' Clague writes that 'For Key.
The British mercenaries were scoundrels and the Colonial Marines were traitors who threatened to spark a national insurrection.' This harshly anti-British nature of Verse 3 led to its omission in in World War I, when the British and the U.S. Responding to the assertion of writer Jon Schwarz of that the song is a 'celebration of slavery,' Clague said that: 'The reference to slaves is about the use and in some sense the manipulation, of black Americans to fight for the British, with the promise of freedom. The American forces included African-Americans as well as whites. The term 'freemen,' whose heroism is celebrated in the fourth stanza, would have encompassed both.' Others suggest that 'Key may have intended the phrase as a reference to the British Navy's practice of (kidnapping sailors and forcing them to fight in defense of the crown), or as a semi-metaphorical slap at the British invading force as a whole (which also included a large number of mercenaries).' John Stafford Smith's music.
A memorial to in, EnglandKey gave the poem to his brother-in-law Joseph H. Nicholson who saw that the words fit the popular melody ', by English composer. This was the official song of the, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Nicholson took the poem to a printer in Baltimore, who anonymously made the first known printing on September 17; of these, two known copies survive.On September 20, both the Baltimore Patriot and The American printed the song, with the note 'Tune: Anacreon in Heaven'. The song quickly became popular, with seventeen newspapers from Georgia to New Hampshire printing it. Soon after, Thomas Carr of the Carr Music Store in Baltimore published the words and music together under the title 'The Star Spangled Banner', although it was originally called 'Defence of Fort M'Henry'.
Thomas Carr's arrangement introduced the raised fourth which became the standard deviation from 'The Anacreontic Song'. The song's popularity increased and its first public performance took place in October when Baltimore actor sang it at Captain McCauley's., then editor of the in Philadelphia, reprinted the song in November 1814.By the early 20th century, there were various versions of the song in popular use. Seeking a singular, standard version, President Woodrow Wilson tasked the U.S. Bureau of Education with providing that official version.
In response, the Bureau enlisted the help of five musicians to agree upon an arrangement. Those musicians were, Arnold J.
The standardized version that was voted upon by these five musicians premiered at on December 5, 1917, in a program that included 's Carillon and 's The Children's Crusade. The concert was put on by the and conducted by Walter Damrosch. An official handwritten version of the final votes of these five men has been found and shows all five men's votes tallied, measure by measure. National anthem. One of two surviving copies of the 1814 broadside printing of the 'Defence of Fort M'Henry', a poem that later became the lyrics of 'The Star-Spangled Banner', the national anthem of the United States.The song gained popularity throughout the 19th century and bands played it during public events, such as celebrations.A plaque displayed at Fort Meade, South Dakota, claims that the idea of making 'The Star Spangled Banner' the national anthem began on their parade ground in 1892. Colonel Caleb Carlton, Post Commander, established the tradition that the song be played 'at retreat and at the close of parades and concerts.'
Carlton explained the custom to Governor Sheldon of South Dakota who 'promised me that he would try to have the custom established among the state militia.' Carlton wrote that after a similar discussion, Secretary of War, Daniel E. Lamont issued an order that it 'be played at every Army post every evening at retreat.' In 1899, the U.S. Navy officially adopted 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. In 1916, President ordered that 'The Star-Spangled Banner' be played at military and other appropriate occasions. The playing of the song two years later during the of Game One of the, and thereafter during each game of the series is often cited as the first instance that the anthem was played at a baseball game, though evidence shows that the 'Star-Spangled Banner' was performed as early as 1897 at opening day ceremonies in and then more regularly at the in New York City beginning in 1898.
In any case, the tradition of performing the national anthem before every baseball game began in.On April 10, 1918, U.S. Congressman from Maryland, introduced a bill to officially recognize 'The Star-Spangled Banner' as the national anthem. The bill did not pass. On April 15, 1929, Linthicum introduced the bill again, his sixth time doing so.
On November 3, 1929, drew a panel in his syndicated cartoon, saying 'Believe It or Not, America has no national anthem'.In 1930, started a petition for the United States to officially recognize 'The Star-Spangled Banner' as the national anthem. Five million people signed the petition. The petition was presented to the on January 31, 1930. On the same day, Elsie Jorss-Reilley and Grace Evelyn Boudlin sang the song to the Committee to refute the perception that it was too high pitched for a typical person to sing. The Committee voted in favor of sending the bill to the House floor for a vote.
The passed the bill later that year. The passed the bill on March 3, 1931. Signed the bill on March 4, 1931, officially adopting 'The Star-Spangled Banner' as the national anthem of the United States of America. As currently codified, the states that 'the composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.' Although the National Anthem officially comprises all four stanzas of the poem, only the first stanza is generally sung, and the other three are much lesser-known.Modern history.
Crowd performing the U.S. National anthem before a baseball game atThe song is notoriously difficult for nonprofessionals to sing because of its wide range – a. Humorist referred to the song's difficulty in his book It All Started With Columbus:In an attempt to take Baltimore, the British attacked Fort McHenry, which protected the harbor. Bombs were soon bursting in air, rockets were glaring, and all in all it was a moment of great historical interest.
During the bombardment, a young lawyer named Francis Off Key wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner', and when, by the dawn's early light, the British heard it sung, they fled in terror.Professional and amateur singers have been known to forget the words, which is one reason the song is sometimes pre-recorded and lip-synced. Other times the issue is avoided by having the performer(s) play the anthem instrumentally instead of singing it. The pre-recording of the anthem has become standard practice at some ballparks, such as Boston's, according to the publication The Fenway Project.' The Star-Spangled Banner' has been performed regularly at the beginning of games since the end of by order of NFL commissioner, according to History.com. According to same article, the song has been intermittently performed at baseball games since after It has also been popular as performed by orchestra or soloists at other public gatherings. The and both require venues in both the U.S.
And Canada to perform both the and U.S. National anthems at games that involve teams from both countries (with the 'away' anthem being performed first). It is also usual for both U.S. And Canadian anthems (done in the same way as the NHL and MLS) to be played at and games involving the and the (respectively), the only Canadian teams in those two major U.S. Sports leagues, and in All Star Games on the MLB, NBA, and NHL. The of the NHL, which play in a city on the and have a substantial Canadian fan base, play both anthems before all home games regardless of where the visiting team is based.Two especially unusual performances of the song took place in the immediate aftermath of the United States. On September 12, 2001, broke with tradition and allowed the to perform the anthem at, London, at the ceremonial Changing of the Guard, as a gesture of support for Britain's ally.
The following day at a St. Paul's Cathedral memorial service, the Queen joined in the singing of the anthem, an unprecedented occurrence. 200th anniversary celebrationsThe 200th anniversary of the 'Star-Spangled Banner' occurred in 2014 with various special events occurring throughout the United States. A particularly significant celebration occurred during the week of September 10–16 in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Highlights included playing of a new arrangement of the anthem arranged by John Williams and participation of President Obama on, September 12, 2014, at Fort McHenry. In addition, the anthem bicentennial included a youth music celebration including the presentation of the National Anthem Bicentennial Youth Challenge winning composition written by Noah Altshuler.Adaptations.
O'er the ramparts we watch in a 1945 posterThe first performance of the anthem heard by the mainstream U.S. Was by singer and guitarist. He created a nationwide uproar when he strummed a slow, -style rendition of the song at in Detroit before game five of the, between. This rendition started contemporary 'Star-Spangled Banner' controversies. The response from many in the -era U.S.
Was generally negative. Despite the controversy, Feliciano's performance opened the door for the countless interpretations of the 'Star-Spangled Banner' heard in the years since. One week after Feliciano's performance, the anthem was in the news again when U.S. Athletes and lifted controversial while the 'Star-Spangled Banner' played at a medal ceremony. Another famous instrumental interpretation is 's version, which was a set-list staple from autumn 1968 until his death in September 1970, including a famous rendition at the music festival in 1969. Incorporating to emphasize the 'rockets' red glare', and 'bombs bursting in air', it became a late-1960s emblem.gave a -influenced performance at the and gave a soulful rendition before in 1991, which was released as a single that charted at number 20 in 1991 and number 6 in 2001 (along with, the only times the national anthem has been on the ).
In 1993, Kiss did an instrumental rock version as the closing track on their album, Alive III. Gave a controversial performance of the anthem at a baseball game at on July 25, 1990. The comedian belted out a screechy rendition of the song, and afterward, she mocked ballplayers by spitting and grabbing her crotch as if adjusting a protective cup. The performance offended some, including the sitting U.S. Has frequently performed the 'Star-Spangled Banner' in live sets, replacing the optimism in the end of the first verse with a new coda that alludes to the divisive state of the nation today. Both referenced parts of the anthem and played part of a hard rock rendition of the anthem on his song, ' on his 1986 solo album,. Also caused some controversy in 2001 (at the, to which he later issued a public apology) and again in 2012 (at the ) with renditions of the song with changed lyrics.
In 2016, performed a rendition before the nationally-televised Thanksgiving Day game lasting more than four minutes and featuring a host of improvizations. It would be one of Franklin's last public appearances before her 2018 death.singer gave a controversial performance of the anthem in 2018. Critics likened her rendition to a jazzy 'sexed-up' version of the anthem, which was considered highly inappropriate, with her performance compared to that of 's iconic performance of. Fergie later apologized for her performance of the song, citing that 'I'm a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone'.A version of 's and playing part of the song can be heard at the end of their version of ' on the album. The band gave an instrumental rock rendition of the anthem on their album.
The band made a version of the song as opening track from the album (2000).In March 2005, a government-sponsored program, the, was launched after a poll showed many adults knew neither the lyrics nor the history of the anthem. When our land is illumined with Liberty's smile,If a foe from within strike a blow at her glory,Down, down with the traitor that dares to defileThe flag of her stars and the page of her story!By the millions unchained, who our birthright have gained,We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained!And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall waveWhile the land of the free is the home of the brave.Alternative lyricsIn a version hand-written by Francis Scott Key in 1840, the third line reads 'Whose bright stars and broad stripes, through the clouds of the fight'. In honour of, wrote her version of an additional verse to the anthem. References in film, television, literatureSeveral films have their titles taken from the song's lyrics. These include two films titled Dawn's Early Light (2000 and 2005); two features titled By Dawn's Early Light ( and 2000); two films titled So Proudly We Hail ( and 1990); a (1977) and a (2005) titled Twilight's Last Gleaming; and four films titled Home of the Brave(, and ).
A 1936 short titled The Song of a Nation from Warner Brothers shows a version of the origin of the song. Customs and federal law. Plaque detailing how the custom of standing during the U.S. National anthem came about in Tacoma, Washington, on October 18, 1893, in the Bostwick buildingWhen the U.S. National anthem was first recognized by law in 1931, there was no prescription as to behavior during its playing.
On June 22, 1942, the law was revised indicating that those in uniform should salute during its playing, while others should simply stand at attention, men removing their hats. The same code also required that women should place their hands over their hearts when the flag is displayed during the playing of the national anthem, but not if the flag was not present. On December 23, 1942, the law was again revised instructing men and women to stand at attention and face in the direction of the music when it was played.
That revision also directed men and women to place their hands over their hearts only if the flag was displayed. Those in uniform were required to salute. On July 7, 1976, the law was simplified. Men and women were instructed to stand with their hands over their hearts, men removing their hats, irrespective of whether or not the flag was displayed and those in uniform saluting.
On August 12, 1998, the law was rewritten keeping the same instructions, but differentiating between 'those in uniform' and 'members of the Armed Forces and veterans' who were both instructed to salute during the playing whether or not the flag was displayed. Because of the changes in law over the years and confusion between instructions for the Pledge of Allegiance versus the National Anthem, throughout most of the 20th century many people simply stood at attention or with their hands folded in front of them during the playing of the Anthem, and when reciting the Pledge they would hold their hand (or hat) over their heart. Main article:The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute was a political demonstration conducted by athletes and during their medal ceremony at the in the in.
After having won gold and bronze medals respectively in the running event, they turned on the podium to face their flags, and to hear the American national anthem, 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. Each athlete, and kept them raised until the anthem had finished. In addition, Smith, Carlos, and Australian silver medalist all wore human rights badges on their jackets. In his autobiography, Silent Gesture, Smith stated that the gesture was not a ' salute, but a 'human rights salute'. The event is regarded as one of the most overtly political statements in the history of the modern. 2016 protests.
Main article:Politically motivated protests of the national anthem began in the after knelt during the anthem, as opposed to the tradition of standing, in response to police brutality in America, before his team's third game of. Kaepernick sat during the first two preseason games, but he went unnoticed. NAACP call to remove the national anthemIn November 2017, the California Chapter of the called on Congress to remove 'The Star-Spangled Banner' as the national anthem. Alice Huffman, California NAACP president said: 'it's racist; it doesn't represent our community, it's anti-black.' The third stanza of the anthem, which is rarely sung and few know, contains the words, 'No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:', which.
The organization was still seeking a representative to sponsor the legislation in Congress at the time of their announcement.TranslationsAs a result of immigration to the United States and the incorporation of non-English speaking people into the country, the lyrics of the song have been translated into other languages. In 1861, it was translated into German. The Library of Congress also has record of a Spanish-language version from 1919. It has since been translated into and by Jewish immigrants, Latin American Spanish (with popularized during ), French by of Louisiana, and Irish. The third verse of the anthem has also been translated into.With regard to the indigenous languages of North America, there are versions and Cherokee.
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,In fully glory reflected now shines in the stream:'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!And where is that band who so vauntingly sworeThat the havoc of war and the battle's confusionA home and a country should leave us no more?Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution!No refuge could save the hireling and slaveFrom the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.