Part of why “The Star Spangled Banner” became the national anthem is because it’s rousing, it’s motivating, and it’s energizing in a way that, say, “America the Beautiful” is not. The song does require a heroic commitment. Often it was sung by a professional actor, someone equivalent to a Broadway singer today. The melody comes from a song sung at a musician’s club in England and was intended to be a rousing, challenging tune that really highlighted the skills of club members. It’s entirely the range required: The distance between the lowest and highest notes is unusually wide. For me, calling the country to account and calling Americans to live up to our ideals is really a function of the song, and it doesn’t disrespect it to call attention to where the country falls short. In a way, the anthem started as a protest song because it created a vision of a united future that didn’t exist in 1814. What do you make of protesters who take a knee during sporting events? An upbeat song of victory has become a solemn hymn of national devotion.
We have made the ritual last longer: We sing the anthem at a slower tempo today than would have been the case in Key’s day. One writer for The Independent called it "one of the country’s most known and treasured songs." One writer for Deseret News said singing the song in unison at sports games takes advantage of "the chance to create greater unity in our country.Citrus crisis: As an iconic Florida crop fades, another tree rises Opinions from left to right agreed that the song inspires unity and shared values of freedom. Voices on all sides analyzed the national anthem, its history, meaning, and role in U.S. pride is inherently connected to racism and bigotry. As is typical around the issue of patriotism, many on the right celebrated national pride enthusiastically, while some on the left questioned whether U.S. Opinion pages across the political spectrum featured perspectives on the Fourth of July and U.S. Music historians say this tradition began after World War II, when Americans took inspiration from how Canada played its anthem before hockey games. Key's words, which he wrote after witnessing the British Royal Navy bomb Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, were then set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a London men's social club. Today, the anthem is sung before U.S. As Americans honor the country's birthday this Fourth of July, voices across the political spectrum are reflecting on the national anthem and what it means today.įirst written in 1814 by poet Francis Scott Key, Congress named The Star-Spangled Banner the U.S.
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