‘The Star-Spangled Banner’
The importance of the United States’ official national song is a no-brainer. It is sung at every public occasion that seeks to stir collective pride.In 1814, Francis Scott Key witnessed the British bombard Fort McHenry with more than 1,500 cannonballs. When the defenders raised their flag the following morning, Key felt inspired and began scribbling a verse on the back of a letter. He had the resulting poem published with instructions to sing it to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heaven.”
Inspired by Anacreon, an ancient Greek poet who wrote in praise of wine, this had been the official song of a British social club called the Anacreontic Society. The tune was written by John Stafford Smith. The lyrics circulated within the club’s oral tradition for several years before being published in 1778.
Besides I'll instruct you, like me, to intwine The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’s Vine.
... became these soul-inspiring lines:O say does that star-spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the Land of the free and the home of the brave?
The song quickly caught on. Before the year was out, at least 17 newspapers had printed it. It gained further popularity during the Civil War, when citizens turned to Key’s lyrics to help cope in a time of crisis. By the end of the 19th century, the military began using it in ceremonies, and in 1931, the song became official.‘Yankee Doodle’
This is one of America’s oldest songs. And like many old things, this tune also originated outside of America.
Brother Ephraim sold his cow And bought him a commission, And then he went to Canada To fight for the nation.
But when Ephraim he came home He proved an arrant coward, He wouldn’t fight the Frenchmen there For fear of being devoured.
British soldiers later sang it while marching during the American Revolution. Colonial troops, in response, began singing it back to the British. They changed the lyrics yet again, making fun of their foes in turn. One such set of lyrics praised George Washington:And there was Captain Washington
...
Upon a slapping stallion, He set the world along in rows, In hundreds and in millions.
The lyrics, in their final version today, are well-known:Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy, Mind the music and the step, And with the girls be handy.
What exactly does the phrase, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” mean? Well, no one exactly knows the origins of the word “Yankee.” One plausible explanation is that it was it was derived from “yengees,” the Native American pronunciation of “English.” “Doodle,” a word from the 17th century, meant a foolish person. “Dandy” originally meant a person who is overly concerned about fashionable appearances. As sometimes happens with insults, though, Americans adopted it with their new song and began using it as a synonym for “excellent.”‘God Bless America’
Irving Berlin lived to be 101 and composed more than 1,000 songs. One of his most beloved is “God Bless America.”
After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1918, Berlin was stationed at Camp Upton, New York, where he wrote “Yip, Yip, Yaphank,” a musical comedy, to boost morale. For the finale, he composed “God Bless America.” He ended up setting it aside, though, thinking it too solemn.
Twenty years later, with war looming again, Berlin dug the song out of an old trunk. He spent three days revising it into a patriotic anthem. Singer Kate Smith introduced it on her radio show for Armistice Day, where it became an instant hit.
God bless America, Land that I love, Stand beside her and guide her Through the night with the light from above;
From the mountains to the prairies, To the oceans white with foam, God bless America, My home, sweet home.
‘Simple Gifts’
The tune of this song rivals the “Star-Spangled Banner” in its iconic representation of the American spirit. It originated among the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing—or, as they are better known, “Shakers.” This celibate religious sect reached its height in the mid-19th century. “Simple Gifts” is one of many hymns dating from this period. It was first sung in 1848 by Joseph Brackett Jr., the leader of a Shaker village in Alfred, Maine, who performed it during a moment of spontaneous inspiration during worship.The song remained obscure until, in 1940, the composer Aaron Copland came across an old Shaker songbook, “The Gift to be Simple.” He ended up incorporating the title song into the score of his orchestral work “Appalachian Spring.”
People would often tell Copland that they could “see the Appalachians” when they heard his suite. Copland replied that he didn’t know the title when he composed the music, yet their perceptions remained unchanged.
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free, ‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
“Appalachian Spring” won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1945. Since then, the melody has come to symbolize rural America, with its associations of folk traditions and values.‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’
While technically an instrumental piece rather than a song per se, America’s official national march deserves a nod on this list.
On Christmas Day in 1896, while returning from Europe, Sousa heard a sad piece of news. His friend David Blakely had died, the man who had first approached him with the seemingly dubious idea to resign from the Marine Corps and start a band. His homesickness for the “glorious” sight of his native flag inspired the idea for a new march, and upon getting back home he put “Stars and Stripes Forever” to paper.
Hearing Sousa perform the piece himself was a thrilling experience. Virtually the whole population of Philadelphia would turn out for his concerts. When “The Stars and Stripes Forever” started to play, an electric light flag would turn on above the band. The audience would stand as if listening to the national anthem, erupting with cheers after the brass played the finale. Sousa received their prolonged tributes graciously, bowing over and over.
While Francis Scott Key’s lyrics tend to launch patriotic events, Sousa’s masterpiece often closes them, bringing the good feelings full circle.
