Happy Birthday To My Favorite Song!
Ah, the lyrics of "Defence of Fort M'henry" and that timeless melody of "Anacreon in Heaven" came together on this day 200 years ago to create the song which would become our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner. For as much as I love Christmas songs, there is one song which I treasure above all others. I have sung along to it countless times as I gazed upon and saluted my beautiful Stars and Stripes.
It has accompanied the Flag of the United States as I celebrated with military friends getting promoted, while others changed command, and most significant to me when I said goodbye; whether they were retiring from service or draping the coffin of a buddy who had paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
Few people have ever sung the whole thing. You may not know the song has 5 stanzas; the part we sing is just the first. Another thing you may not know is the first stanza, our recognized "National Anthem" ends in a question mark. It's closing line says:
"O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
It has accompanied the Flag of the United States as I celebrated with military friends getting promoted, while others changed command, and most significant to me when I said goodbye; whether they were retiring from service or draping the coffin of a buddy who had paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
Few people have ever sung the whole thing. You may not know the song has 5 stanzas; the part we sing is just the first. Another thing you may not know is the first stanza, our recognized "National Anthem" ends in a question mark. It's closing line says:
"O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
The whole first stanza is really a series of questions from a young man (Francis Scott Key) who was absolutely amazed that after such a heavy bombardment by the British, the flag still flew at old Fort McHenry in Maryland. He recognized the significance of that moment when a young, fledgling republic stood up to the most formidable navy in the world and said "I will not kneel to you." The flag, tattered and broken, still waved.
I think there is a second meaning in that song. I think that question mark is a reminder to future generations that freedom was not secured forever that day. It was a warning to future generations that each would have to pay its own price for freedom and liberty and that if we were to survive as a republic of the people, for the people, we would all have to work together.
In this era of partisan politics where my social media feeds are full of angry, ragestick-banging vitriol, I worry. I worry we have forgotten what the point was of this social experiment called democracy. I am concerned close friends and family whom I love cannot sit at the table of compromise, roll their sleeves up, and figure out how to tackle our problems, together.
As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of our Star Spangled Banner, maybe, just maybe, we can put our political differences aside for just one day and focus on making true the very last line of the song from it's fifth and final stanza:
"And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"
I think there is a second meaning in that song. I think that question mark is a reminder to future generations that freedom was not secured forever that day. It was a warning to future generations that each would have to pay its own price for freedom and liberty and that if we were to survive as a republic of the people, for the people, we would all have to work together.
In this era of partisan politics where my social media feeds are full of angry, ragestick-banging vitriol, I worry. I worry we have forgotten what the point was of this social experiment called democracy. I am concerned close friends and family whom I love cannot sit at the table of compromise, roll their sleeves up, and figure out how to tackle our problems, together.
As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of our Star Spangled Banner, maybe, just maybe, we can put our political differences aside for just one day and focus on making true the very last line of the song from it's fifth and final stanza:
"And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"
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