[Rhodes22-list] Drugs, Fex, and Rock 'n Roll

[Bill Effros]

Tom,

I don't know if I'm answering your question.

The music had been around for 50 some odd years.  Key wrote his poem to match the meter of the music in 18...14 (thank you, Google, thank you).  The poem probably would have been forgotten (the subject matter certainly has been--it was about the British Invasion of 1812, it was not about the Revolutionary War as most people assume--look at coverage of 9/11--"The first time a war has been fought on our own shores..." etc.)  had it not been for the music.  The only stanza somewhat remembered is the first.  Slim, can you sing it all the way through--from memory?

Anyhow, it did not become "The National Anthem" until 1931.  There was a dispute at the time about whether it was appropriate for us to use a bawdy British drinking song as our National Anthem. 

"My Country T'is of Thee" was also suggested, but rejected because it used the same music as the British National Anthem, "God Save the Queen".

Many people felt "America the Beautiful" would have been a better choice because both words and music were of American origin, it was easy to sing, it did not have a military theme, it was a very positive and inspirational song that encompassed the whole country -- "from sea to shining sea".  

"God Bless America" (in the form popularized by Kate Smith) and "This Land is Your Land" were both written after Congress decided "The Star Spangled Banner" would be the National Anthem.

Bill


----- Original Message ----- 
From: SVTRITON at aol.com 
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org 
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Drugs, Fex, and Rock 'n Roll


bill
im confused..whatever happened to francis scott key 's poem
tom
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