The Star-Spangled Banner
In remembrance of the Fourth of July, which is the day that the United States of America gained its independence from England in 1776, I want to bring attention to a very important song that often rouses and evokes great pride in those who hear it. I am of course talking about the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
It’s the song that goes, “oh say can you see…”
“The Star-Spangled Banner” is a song we’ve all heard either during grade school, at a sporting event or during campaign season. Many people have sung it, from the average folk to the biggest musical talents in the country. Being chosen to sing the national anthem is an honor and a task that the chosen one must not take lightly, which is why so many who hold the song dearly expect it to be performed with great love and respect.
A little bit of history
The lyrics to the song were written 1814 by amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, during the War of 1812. From a ship in the harbor, Key saw American troops defending the fort with such dedication that it inspired him to write his four famous stanzas that make up the poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry.” On that day, American victory and the flag (with its 15 stars and 15 stripes) flew triumphantly in the sky.
Years later, Key’s poem was set to the tune of a popular English drinking song titled “To Anacreon in Heaven” by John Stafford Smith. The result was the song as we know it today.
Although the song was popular in the states and many saw it as a fighting song of some sorts, it wasn’t until 1889 that it was first used officially by the U.S. Navy, then by president Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and then finally made into the national anthem by Congress in 1931, while President Herbert Hoover was in office.
The song itself
The melody of “The Star-Spangled Banner” has always been a popular one. As stated above, it’s actually from a well-known English drinking song titled “To Anacreon in Heaven,” which is essentially a hymn to Anacreon, a Greek poet who was famous for his drinking songs and erotic poems. It’s pretty interesting that the U.S. national anthem has roots in a bar.
The song is played in the key of B-flat major and holds a time signature of 3/4 or sometimes 4/4. Although the original poem has four stanzas, only the first one is sung. It is the one that reminds those of the things that make America worth fighting for.
Performances
The first ever recording of the national anthem’s melody was in 1898 by John Philip Sousa’s band. It was first recorded with lyrics in 1905 by Emma Eames. From then on it seems like everybody who gets the opportunity to sing it wants to sing it better than the last person. It also gives them a chance to add their own unique style to it but with caution, as straying too far from tradition can have embarrassing consequences. I mean that to say that while every artist has the right to sing it how he or she wants to, at the end of it, their performance will always be judged harshly due in fact to it being the beloved national anthem.
Below are a few memorable national anthem performances.
Whitney Houston at Superbowl XXV in 1991
Whitney Houston’s performance is considered one of the best because it was sung alongside a live marching band, which is appropriate for a ballgame performance. She also did it with expreme passion but didn’t overdo it with falsettos and other gimmicky vocal techniques. In other words, she let the song do its thing.
Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock 1969
This was an important performance because he meant to play the national anthem as a political statement against the Vietnam war that was going on at the time. Jimi took a simple melody and turned it inside out and upside down in a fashion only he could do. When asked why he played the national anthem in such an unorthodox way, he responded with: “All I did was play it […] I’m American, so I played it . . . it’s not unorthodox. I thought it was beautiful.”
Final thoughts
With 4th of July around the corner, I just thought it would be of interest to tell you a little bit about the song. It’s true that we hear it often (depending on the events that we attend) so if all you took from this blog was that it was inspired by the American defense of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, then it’s all good. The lyrics speak accurately about Americans and their way of living, their freedoms and bravery – at home and across the world.