#the star-spangled banner

[clove-pinks]

A new depiction of the bombardment of Fort McHenry on September 14, 1814 by historical artist Don Troiani.

Before the attack on Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key, a Georgetown Federalist who had come to Baltimore with a volunteer artillery company, had visited the main British squadron at the mouth of the Patapsco River to secure the release of a civilian prisoner, Dr. William Beanes. The British high command had already decided to release Beanes, but the Americans were not permitted to leave until the assault on Fort McHenry was over. Key paced the deck of his truce ship all night, watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry some eight miles away. The next morning, Key noticed that the British squadron was headed his way. He also saw that the huge garrison flag (measuring 30 by 42 feet) had been run up above the fort. With this he realized that the bombardment had been a failure and that McHenry was still in American hands.

Key was so moved that he wrote a poem entitled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” The poem was distributed as a broadside, which suggested that it could be sung to a British drinking song, “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The new song, which was later renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” appeared in newspapers up and down the coast and ultimately became the national anthem. (“The bombs bursting in air” were the British mortar shells that exploded above the fort, and “the rockets’ red glare” referred to Congreve rockets.)

— Donald R. Hickey, The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict

The original song and lyrics is worth a listen—and absolutely a party song, making it historically correct to get blasted on the 4th of July.

[originaljediinjeans]

My art: "The Star-Spangled Banner", watercolor pencil

"O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there, O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

"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 full glory reflected now shines in the stream, ’Tis the star-spangled banner - O long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

"O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation! Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto - “In God is our trust,” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

~Francis Scott Key

[falseandrealultravival]

United States National Anthem (The Star-Spangled Banner)

During WW2, when Japan was fighting the USA, an official in Kagoshima Prefecture ordered his subordinates to "broadcast brave music." His subordinates chose the USA national anthem. At the time, Japan was sensitive to information from enemy countries, and although it is unclear whether this subordinate was punished, it was as if Japan had lost. The USA's song of victory had been played. And it came true.

アメリカ合衆国国歌（星条旗）

WW2で日本がUSAと戦っていたとき、鹿児島県で、役人が部下に「勇ましい音楽を放送しろ」と命令した。そこで部下が選んだのは、UＳＡ国歌だった。敵国の情報には神経質だった当時の日本、この部下が処罰されたかどうかは定かではないが、あたかも日本が負け、ＵＳＡの凱歌が演奏されたかのようだった。そしてそれは実現された。

[rabbitcruiser]

Francis Scott Key completed his poem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” on September 16, 1814, which would become the official national anthem of the United States on March 3, 1931.

[krispyweiss]

Alice in Stars and Stripes: Jerry Cantrell Plays National Anthem in Seattle

Freed from Alice’s chains, guitarist Jerry Cantrell played “The Star Spangled Banner” in Seattle (natch) Oct. 29 before the Seahawks beat the Cleveland Browns.

Thankfully instrumental, Cantrell’s National Anthem stayed true to the melody. It had plenty of wah, but no mucking about until the guitarist added a touch of on-stage rock ‘n’ roll to wrap the number.

“Thank you, Jerry,” the emcee said as the final note faded. And Dead Heads everywhere got excited for a moment.

11/4/23

[silvermun]

i still think one of the funniest and weirdest things 4kids ever did was make an entire segment where a bunch characters from shows they aired sang the us national anthem

[mimi-0007]

[moon-x0]

Petition to rename ‘Independence Day’ ‘Captain America Day,’ reblog with your name to sign

[eretzyisrael]

Source

[toss-a-coin-to-your-stan-account]

listen... we didn't get "my ugly one" or the actual "dear friend" letters (the fucking episode title and "this is my... dear friend" from geralt in s2 don't count) brought over from the books to the show until s3 even though we expected them way sooner... but we still fucking got them... and geralt is finally at a point where he's being openly soft and caring about jaskier so my point is here's how "you must be insane with fear if you could think I'd leave you" can still w

[nofatclips]

Stand for Peace by Neil Young - Director: Daryl Hannah

[rabbitcruiser]

Francis Scott Key completed his poem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” on September 16, 1814, which would become the official national anthem of the United States on March 3, 1931.

[tigergingicat]

A New National Anthem

BY ADA LIMÓN

The truth is, I’ve never cared for the National

Anthem. If you think about it, it’s not a good

song. Too high for most of us with “the rockets

red glare” and then there are the bombs.

(Always, always, there is war and bombs.)

Once, I sang it at homecoming and threw

even the tenacious high school band off key.

But the song didn’t mean anything, just a call

to the field, something to get through before

the pummeling of youth. And what of the stanzas

we never sing, the third that mentions “no refuge

could save the hireling and the slave”? Perhaps,

the truth is, every song of this country

has an unsung third stanza, something brutal

snaking underneath us as we blindly sing

the high notes with a beer sloshing in the stands

hoping our team wins. Don’t get me wrong, I do

like the flag, how it undulates in the wind

like water, elemental, and best when it’s humbled,

brought to its knees, clung to by someone who

has lost everything, when it’s not a weapon,

when it flickers, when it folds up so perfectly

you can keep it until it’s needed, until you can

love it again, until the song in your mouth feels

like sustenance, a song where the notes are sung

by even the ageless woods, the short-grass plains,

the Red River Gorge, the fistful of land left

unpoisoned, that song that’s our birthright,

that’s sung in silence when it’s too hard to go on,

that sounds like someone’s rough fingers weaving

into another’s, that sounds like a match being lit

in an endless cave, the song that says my bones

are your bones, and your bones are my bones,

and isn’t that enough?

Ada Limón, "A New National Anthem" from The Carrying. Copyright © 2018 by Ada Limón.