The national anthem of the United States is called The Star-Spangled Banner, and it has been in its current form since 1931. The lyrics were written in 1814 by American poet Francis Scott Key, while the music was composed by John Stafford Smith. Originally, the melody was a popular pub song. Before 1931, the United States did not have an official anthem established by law. Instead, patriotic events commonly featured My Country, ‘Tis of Thee and Hail, Columbia as unofficial anthems.
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U.S. National Anthem
🔊 Audio
The U.S. national anthem is available in both instrumental and vocal versions on Wikipedia. You can listen to and download it in MP3 and other formats in a variety of renditions. One of the best versions is the instrumental performance by the United States Navy Band, which you can download in MP3 format.
The advantage is that the audio file is in the public domain, making it available for nearly any use.
You can also download a historical version of the U.S. national anthem from 1914, performed by opera singer Thomas Hardie Chalmers.
🎥 Video
A popular rendition is from Super Bowl 50, where Lady Gaga performed the U.S. national anthem. Twenty-five years earlier, Whitney Houston delivered a legendary rendition at the same event.
YouTube offers a variety of versions of the American anthem with lyrics.
🗎 How the U.S. National Anthem Is Sung
The full version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” consists of four verses, but typically, only the first verse is sung. The second through fourth verses are almost always omitted.
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Original Lyrics of the U.S. National Anthem
O! 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 watch’d, 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?On the shore dimly seen through 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,
‘Tis 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 washed 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 home and the war’s desolation,
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land,
Praise the Power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it 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. -
Fun Facts About the U.S. National Anthem
⚪ The Melody of the U.S. National Anthem Originates from an English Drinking Song
The melody of the anthem comes from an old drinking song that was popular in English pubs during the 18th century. “To Anacreon in Heaven” was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, a gentlemen’s club composed of amateur musicians in London.
Historical records suggest that the composer of “To Anacreon in Heaven” was British musician John Stafford Smith. The lyrics of the original English song were first published in the London magazine The Vocal in 1778.
⚪ Why the U.S. National Anthem Is Played Before Sporting Events
In the U.S., it is customary for the national anthem to be played before the start of NHL, NFL, NBA, and other sporting events.
The exact origin of this tradition is uncertain, but several theories exist. One theory suggests that it began during the 1918 World Series in Chicago. At that time, World War I was ongoing, and during the seventh-inning stretch, a military band began playing the anthem in a show of patriotism.
The spectators in the stands spontaneously started singing along, making a strong impression on Chicago Cubs officials. Starting in 1919, The Star-Spangled Banner was played at home games at Wrigley Field, and other teams gradually adopted the practice.
⚪ How “The Star-Spangled Banner” Got Its Name
The anthem’s title refers to the American flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. Francis Scott Key, who wrote the lyrics, witnessed the event firsthand. This historic moment in September 1814 inspired him to write the anthem’s lyrics.
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