Posted on 09/14/2014 5:18:53 PM PDT by shove_it
~snip~
Key was on a British ship, part of a U.S. delegation to negotiate a prisoner release. He was kept on board to prevent the American forces from being tipped off about the forthcoming bombing by the British.
He was allowed to return to Baltimore on Sept. 14 and was so inspired by the U.S. pluckiness that he wrote a poem, "Defence of Fort M'Henry," which he published on Sept. 20, 1814.
~snip~
Neither Key's early hymn nor the Barbary War is widely taught in American schools anymore (except for the reference in the Marines’ Hymn: “To the shores of Tripoli”).
[...]
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Thanks for your BARFY article, Michael - bite me.
the Marines’ Hymn: “To the shores of Tripoli”).
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Nope its not called that...
I for one would like to see our National Anthem changed to “God Bless America” but I know that would never happen.
Count on the LA Slimes to flunk history every time.
What the education system can’t destroy, Pravda on the Pacific is willing and able to.
In that case, Los Angeles should immediately adopt it as its theme song. A position currently held, IIRC, by Randy Newman's I Love L.A.
“America the Beautiful” would also be a good choice.
Thanks for your BARFY article, Michael - bite me.
Language evolves. It meant something more in the early 1800's than today. Just FYI.
The US National Anthem was never a song about drinking and sex.
The music that the Star-Spangled Banner was set to might have been taken from such, but that other song was never our national anthem.
A similar story ran in Politico. I think I see a pattern here. I wonder who will chime in next.
Pluckiness is a terrible word to use, but here he does say IN the Marine’s Hymn, so that is not wrong.
This is the original version. You'll notice that the accidentals (sharps and flats) in the modern version do not exist, and neither do the dotted notes. It's still in 3/4 time, but it's not three straight beats to the bar. It's in minuet tempo: one-and-two-and-three-and... It's for tenor solo and TTBB male chorus.
It sounds like something that Handel might have written after one too many pots of ale.
Search ‘bravery’or ‘heroic’, words we use today and see where ‘plucky’ ranks.
I favor “America The Beautiful” - As for “God Bless America” I doubt it would survive any federal judge/court/school/you name it ....let alone any Atheist stand while it was sung. I like Ray Charles version of “America The Beautiful” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUjr8EVgBg
If we absolutely have to change the anthem to cut down on all the drinking and sex involved, I guess I could live with “God Bless The U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood.
I have nothing against God Bless America, but it does not do homage to the men who fought and died for our nation. I think it’s very proper for our citizens to be reminded every time they sing this song, the price paid so they can live like they do.
God Bless America is a great song. The Liberals are desperate to change to that song. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Ted Turner has made it known it’s what he wants to do, and has for about ten to fifteen years.
Imagine that, the Left wanting God mentioned in our National Anthem, after they go into melt down at the pledge because it has God’s name in it.’
It seriously grates the Left to have military language in our anthem. They don’t think military action should ever be used. Of course that’s until their team gets in charge, and then it’s okay to start wars, execute them terribly, and lose as many men as they can.
No thanks. The Star Spangled Banner is excellent.
Lots of songs that are part of our historical culture had bawdy origins.
What I want to know, with the original song, what was happening when the singer was hitting those high notes. It sounds very personal.
Most elementary school classes note that the music for "The Star-Spangled Banner" came from a British drinking song. But in his well-received book, historian Marc Ferris, author of “Star-Spangled Banner: The Unlikely Story of America's National Anthem” (Johns Hopkins University Press, August 2014) gives a more sophisticated reading.
“The words of ‘To Anacreon in Heaven,’ the song that Francis Scott Key borrowed for the melody of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' is a sly 1700’s paean to drinking and sex. Though understated, the line 'I’ll instruct you, like me to entwine; The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’s vine' is unambiguous,” he wrote.
For the record, Venus is the goddess of love and Bacchus, the god of wine, and "entwine" is defined in any dictionary.
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