The Tune Behind the Star Spangled Banner: The Anacreontic Song

"To Anacreon in Heaven" with various lyrics, was popular in the United States as a drinking song. Francis Scott Key's poem "The Star Spangled Banner" was set to this music. From: MPT and WBAL's "Star Spangled Sailabration" program, broadcast on June 13, 2012

[@Dave68Goliath]

Can't get more British than the US national anthem.

[@Demonetization_Symbol]

The guy singing at the beginning was a good actor. He really slurred his words.

[@johnnyramblefinely2430]

Don't forget Pomp and Circumstance which is used at US college graduations but which is a British patriotic song called Land of Hope and Glory.

[@elisaholloway77]

This is hilarious and uplifting I too love historic songs and this is one of the best. Thank you.

[@GrigoriZhukov]

what nobody wants to admit is this is sung more easily when one has had some potables in ones systems. i.e. 'e's 'alf plastered 'e is!

[@ericasimonson8737]

This did not age well🤣😉

[@Localnomadmovies]

I thought the first things the US stole from the UK was “The Office” TV show. How wrong I was.

[@nightw4tchman]

Get ready to learn about Magna Carta mate.

[@Demonetization_Symbol]

Oh, and My Country T'is of Thee is stolen from God Save the Queen.

[@clever_girl_766]

Actually lots of countries used god save the queen as their national anthems and national songs

[@Localnomadmovies]

nightw4tchman 🤦‍♂️

[@fakhrianuar9264]

@@clever_girl_766 and British not the first to use it

[@whatabouttheearth]

it was based on a tavern song because it was written by a US Marine, a branch that was literally started in a bar lol Francis Scott Key was the leader of the Marine Corps band...Uncle Sams Misguided Children

[@redoubtnodoubt9702]

The American Navy was started by a Scotsman. Fact before fiction please!

[@thorazine8402]

A drinking song for a national anthem? I’ll take it any day.

[@scottandrewhutchins]

I once heard Dr. Demento play a recording with these drunken choristers that reminded me of the Ratigan song in The Great Mouse Detective. He said that anyone offended by it should know that those are the original lyrics.

[@granskare]

Yes, we have other songs such as American the beautiful.

[@francinehines7765]

Also a tavern song

[@cmdrproixius7807]

...and don't forget 'My Country 'tis of Thee'

[@Demonetization_Symbol]

@@francinehines7765 can I have a link to the original song?

[@redoubtnodoubt9702]

America the beautiful Not American.... the beautiful :)

[@Alex-bq2vs]

Yea! It's GOD SAVE THE KING(QUEEN)

[@curledup]

So badass

[@Kimbefly]

DJ - That was "Rondo a la Turque" by Mozart.

[@32peartree]

Lol - Boozed up Brits gave the Yanks their National Anthem. The irony. Actually drinking songs are really rousing numbers. Some newly created country should put some patriotic lyrics to the tune of Lilly the Pink.

[@Dayepipes]

Boozed up RICH brits

[@jayeisenhardt1337]

and then we had prohibition

[@richiebeard994]

Cheers!

[@prun8893]

Of course when Sardinia finally wins her independence, her anthem will be to the tune of "Shad uppa your face".

[@waterskippers]

Interesting, but isn't Francis Scott Key's poem called The Defense of Fort McHenry?

[@AlexusDelphi]

water_skipper yep

[@rdhorsey9081]

Did George Harrison's lawyers use this as an argument in their court case of "My Sweet Lord" vs "He's So Fine"?

[@punk_rock_music_teacher]

Rep Maryland and the DMV 🤘

[@megaperez8547]

1:29

[@phenylmusic]

why does the score say it’s in 6/4?

[@avinavar4818]

nowadays the Star Spangled Banner is performed in 3/4, so just cut the 6/4 bar in half. pretty much the same. The 6/4 makes sense, as it fits in each phrase into one bar. maybe thats why?

[@DudeKembro69]

What is tune he plays on the piano here at 1:29?

[@camronweatherall435]

DJ some say he is still waiting

[@camronweatherall435]

DJ but I got you fam It's Turkish March by mozart

[@kenzoyo8705]

DJ Mozart

[@JonnyVision88]

No we call it a rip off it is a well know song hear no imagenaton

[@mrtulipeater]

Still think this is an unmasked inside joke. The pub songs I know are not so stuffy.

[@ushoys]

They were 250 years ago

[@TheMusicalGameroriginal]

One of the shittiest anthems imo. I wish we would change it to something more epic.

[@lethalbydefault]

Seriously? Go watch a video of Jim Cornelison sing the National Anthem at a Chicago Blackhawks game. Absolutely moving.

[@alitlweird]

lethalbydefault better yet: *F---ING *GO** TO A BLACKHAWKS HOME GAME AND PARTICIPATE!!!*. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (FRIDAY OR SATURDAY *EVENING* GAME, preferably) 😎

[@alitlweird]

The Musical Gamer so like...you're intimately familiar with the other couple hundred national anthems around the world to make this call? 🇺🇸😜

[@coltonmyers4945]

The Musical Gamer listen to the Djibouti anthem

[@RindraNekoVlogs]

The Musical Gamer russian anthem is stil the best

[@th3gr81]

Omg white people, you’re hilarious.

[@Dryhten1801]

Your people lived in mud huts

[@tsothtims1364]

Americans being unoriginal? no way! The black national anthem is probably the only original meaningful design.

[@anthrocoon]

Another song with changed lyrics: My Country Tis of Thee is based on God Save the Queen (not to be confused with the Sex Pistols song!).One time C-SPAN covered an appearance by Queen Elizabeth in Toronto and it was a bit bizarre to hear what most Americans know as My Country Tis of Thee played in the background...

[@Boccaccio1811]

On a similar note... J-Lo's "On the Floor" was originally a traditional-style Andean song called "Llorando se fue"... in case anyone gives a shit

[@pontiuspilot5887]

Bob, I was watching a performance i the Hollywood Bowl on TV and they opened with My Country Tis of Thee. I couldn't believe that they were playing the old God Save. It was years later that i found out the difference. I did a bit of a search years ago and found that the composer of My Country... may not have known of the British connection. It seems that the last king of Hawaii hired a German to conduct his orchestra and compose music. He used this following tune for a Hawaiian song. The Composer of My Country may have got his tune from this. Peace and Love kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKvNqaxnp9eepMk

[@Demonetization_Symbol]

God Save the Queen was based on "Grand Dieu Sauve le Roi".

[@benywidodo]

It's Queen's song tho

[@setonix9151]

@@Demonetization_Symbol It's a good story but there's no good proof of that. Please provide some if you are claiming such