NEWS: 'Oh say can you,' la, la, la

Although the American anthem, The Star-Spangled-Banner, was wrote in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, it seems that many Americans don't even know the lyrics to the anthem. Although it is sung at every baseball game, hockey game, and, at any other American sports event that is televised, it is not sung by everyone who stands, but being hummed along to instead.



I can't say I am surprised by this since I watch a lot of sports and hum along with the song also when it is being sung.
Even though the song is almost 200 years old, no-one knows all the words, or, that their is four verses, and not one. Does anyone know all four verses of the anthem......I don't.

[edit on 15-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

[edit on 15-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

This is not a surprise to me .....

I saw some of the people they showed on American Idol trying to sing it.

I have the first verse memorized, but not all four.

Here's the whole thing: www.infoplease.com....

Hey, you yanks should be grateful...

You have no idea how bad the Australian anthem is....

"GIRT BY SEA", WTF is "GIRT BY SEA"!!!

We also have a second verse that no one remembers.

I used to think it was something my grandmother wore...None of us kids had a clue what girt meant

I can remember the second verse. The anthem itself though isn't exactly the most patriotically inspiring song. especially with the world "girt" in it.

Oh, 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, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' 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 thro' 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 on the stream:
'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth 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 homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause 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!

History: In 1814, about a week after the city of Washington had been badly burned, British troops moved up to the primary port at Baltimore Harbor in Maryland. Frances Scott Key visited the British fleet in the Harbor on September 13th to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes who had been captured during the Washington raid. The two were detained on the ship so as not to warn the Americans while the Royal Navy attempted to bombard Fort McHenry. At dawn on the 14th, Key noted that the huge American flag, which now hangs in the Smithsonian's American History Museum, was still waving and had not been removed in defeat. The sight inspired him to write a poem entitled Defense of Fort McHenry; later the poem was set to music that had been previously composed by a Mr. Smith. The song was immediately noted as an inspiring song that should be the national anthem of the United States of America. It was accepted as such by public demand for the next century or so, but became even more accepted as the national anthem during the World Series of Baseball in 1917 when it was sung in honor of the brave armed forces fighting in the Great War. The World Series performance moved everyone in attendance, and after that it was repeated for every game. Finally, on March 3, 1931, the American Congress proclaimed it as the national anthem, 116 years after it was first written.


Now, anyone here who is American , or, watches sports can learn it......hehe

Originally posted by rapier28
This is not a surprise to me .....

I saw some of the people they showed on American Idol trying to sing it.

lol...You have....I haven't...it's a hard song to sing.

Originally posted by rapier28
Hey, you yanks should be grateful...

You have no idea how bad the Australian anthem is....

"GIRT BY SEA", WTF is "GIRT BY SEA"!!!

We also have a second verse that no one remembers.

I am roaring here...what is a 'Girt?"

I have never heard that word before.....?

Originally posted by Mayet
I used to think it was something my grandmother wore...None of us kids had a clue what girt meant

I vote you the 'funniest poster'..for that reply..lol

I just read all four verses and no wonder no-one knows them.........they are awful!..lol..A Girt, doesn't sound too bad now after all.

sol mi do mi sol do^ mi^ re^ do^ mi fa sol
sol sol mi^ re^ do^ ti la ti do^ do^ sol mi do
sol mi do mi sol do^ mi^ re^ do^ mi fa sol
sol sol mi^ re^ do^ ti la ti do^ do^ sol mi do
mi^ mi^ mi^ fa^ sol^ so^ fa^ mi^ re^ mi^ fa^ fa^
fa^ mi^ re^ do^ ti la ti do^ mi fa sol
sol do^ do^ do^ ti la la la re^ fa^ mi^ re^ do^ do^ ti
sol sol do^ re^ mi^ fa^ sol^ (do^^--high note) do^ re^ mi^ fa^ re^ do^

the whole song, as is written to be sung in any key, lol...
It's not hard, just covers a bit more than 2 octaves with the high note.
The best part is that used to be a tavern song???? Which means that we've lost a lot as a country in the music area. This would not be a hard song to deal with if we had more music education in the schools.

It's the same with the British Anthem 'God Save The Queen', it's always funny seeing the England football team trying to look like they know the words when they blatantly don't!

I prefer the guys with the look on their face that's kind of "who gives a crap about the queen???!!!" and just don't say a word.

As for the American anthem, I've never saw it the same way since watching Saving Private Ryan. When they have that Nazi soldier in the ditch and he doesn't want to be killed so starts saying he loves America, singing "oh say can you see...oh say can you see" followed by "F*** Hitler!!!" hehe that always makes me laugh, although I'm sure it's not meant to be funny.

[edit on 15-3-2005 by John Nada]

why is it you know the words to the 1st verse of the star spangled banner when you sing but in my chours class we had to right it and my mind went blank....... any way as long as i haev the musci playing i can sing


Hitty out

most sports fans are probly too drunk a the time to be able to sing it properly

O' Canada, seems to be a song of patriotic self mastrubation

I tell you what it's a shame that our children can not sing the National anthem but they are force to recited the pledge to the legion every morning in school.

Why not our anthem first.

Girt: To prepare for action

Girt by Sea

To prepare for action by Sea

=-=-=-=-=

As for the SSB, I didn't even know all the words to the first verse. I remember bombs bursting in air though. Just warms my heart. Damn you Britain! Always inspiring the Americans.

[edit on 3-15-2005 by ShadowHasNoSource]

Originally posted by marg6043
I tell you what it's a shame that our children can not sing the National anthem but they are force to recited the pledge to the legion every morning in school.

Why not our anthem first.

Pledge to the Legion?
there really is an education crisis in this country

Originally posted by rapier28
This is not a surprise to me .....

I saw some of the people they showed on American Idol trying to sing it.

and if you recall, most of those people were not American Born Citizens...

Originally posted by Big Erle

Originally posted by marg6043
I tell you what it's a shame that our children can not sing the National anthem but they are force to recited the pledge to the legion every morning in school.

Why not our anthem first.

Pledge to the Legion?

there really is an education crisis in this country

No there isnt. Marg is hispanic. Multi language people sometimes encounter slight problems. Understand?