Star-Spangled Banner: New Words, Old Tune

Two hundred years ago, in 1814, the anthem of the United States was born from a poem written by Francis Scott Key. A 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Key called his poem “Defense of Fort McHenry.” He wrote the poem after he witnessed the overnight bombardment of the U.S. fort in an attack from ships of the British Royal Navy.

The fort was located near the Chesapeake Bay, and it survived the assault during a battle in the War of 1812, Baltimore, MD. Key watched the bombs and rockets exploding throughout the night. That experience inspired him to write the poem the next day while he was held by the British for a short time.

It’s ironic that the music Key selected was a popular British song from 1777. The song was originally written for a men’s social club in London. Several lyrics were set to the music that was popular in the United States at the same time. Key set his poem to the English tune, and it became “The Star Spangled Banner.”

The anthem became popular quickly as a patriotic song even though it was difficult to sing. It has a musical range of more than an octave and a half. Even the first word “Oh” is stretched into two syllables that are unnatural to sing. At the end of the first sentence the word “see” goes up to a level too high for most people who don’t have trained voices. Key wrote four stanzas for the National Anthem, but only the first one is commonly sung.

Before 1931, other songs often served as hymns of American freedom. “Hail, Columbia” was sung at official functions for most of the 1800’s. “My Country, Tis of Thee” was sung as an unofficial anthem. It shows an ironic cross-over from the British because its melody is identical to their national anthem “God Save the Queen.”

The U.S. Navy established “The Star-Spangled Banner” as its national anthem early on in 1889. It wasn’t until March 3, 1931, when President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution that Key’s song became the official anthem of the United States. 

Sporting events usually open with a local person or a celebrity singing into a microphone nervously for less than two and a half minutes needed to get through the first stanza. Adding to the pressure felt by singers is the typically poor public address systems in stadiums. Most PA systems are designed to amplify announcers, not singers. Inadequate sound systems and nervous performers result in recordings of the National Anthem that make the news because they sound so bad.

Embarrassing moments happen often when both professional and amateur singers forget the words. Many singers, however, provide performances that leave the crowd and even professional ball players teary-eyed. This performance by Carrie Underwood is among the best presentations of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Thank you for reading this blog. Come to this site later this month to read about another patriotic subject. We’ll be explaining the meaning of the red, white and blue in the U.S. flag. 

Check my web site at www.joevlatino.com for information about buying my book “The Device.” It’s a group of short stories, and you can read a sample on the site. It’s available in e-book from Amazon.