Patriotic Songs
I was reading the paper this morning, and there was an article on how few Americans know the words to The Star Spangled Banner. (Which is the national anthem. Apparently there are people out there who actually think that "America the Beautiful" is, or even that "The National Anthem" and "The Star Spangled Banner" are two different songs.) I did really well. I don't make the most common mistake, which is singing "For the land of the free" instead of "O'er the land of the free". In fact, I was suprised to find that I actually have the lyrics memorized correctly. Here are the lyrics if you want to check yourself:Lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” by Francis Scott Key:
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ 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?
I was thinking about it, however, and this song doesn't really seem to capture it for me. It does give me goosebumps to think that we can still answer "yes" to Key's question of whether our flag still waves proudly over our land. I just think that "America the Beautiful" probably does have more of an anthemy feel to it. I mean, it does talk about America itself and how great it is, not just about our flag.
Does anyone else giggle every time they sing "My Country Tis of Thee" and think of "God Save the Queen"? I mean, that was balsy. It's got to make them mad that that song stuck.
posted by Jen @ 9/14/2005 07:35:00 AM
5 Comments:
I actually really am proud that the words to "America the Beautiful" were written by a Wellesley grad. You know the tune to the Star Spangled Banner is stolen, too, right? I want to say it's an old English melody, maybe from a folk song. I don't think they were trying to be ballsy as much as didn't have professional musicians that were supported by the colonies yet. Look at how long it took to get a real artistic tradition going here. . .anyway.
I think our National Anthem is just fine, and you are obviously a commie bastard since you don't like it.
Move back to Russia, you socialist scum!!!
:P
Shan, I will deal with you when I get home.
Ebeth - I hadn't thought of it that way. It does make sense to have just used the tunes they knew well. Still funny, though. Especially when you think about how few people know about it.
Ebeth...truly...I can't imagine, as they were fleeing persecution, their first thought was going to be, "Holy shit our theme song has to be great!"
Who cares, anyway? If someone doesn't like it, we'll Goddamn bomb them! ;)
They should have used sponge bob. It's got a nice marching cadence to it...
And I fully realize cartoon shows, not to mention spongebob, weren't exactly around then. But if I were to make my own country, the theme song'd have to be Spongebob. Just cuz.
Post a Comment
<< Home