The Anacreontic Song

[Redlon7]

I find it ironic that brits used to fall down to this song, and in America we have to stand up whenever we hear it.

[54markl]

Dr. Anacreon, the famous Tarot card Reader, wrote this song around 1701 as an innocent drinking song, the 18th century Louie Louie. And just look what happened!

[jedihunter176]

Yeah, it's a drinking song. a BRITISH drinking song. Which means we took one of the British's means of making folly and turned it against them, making a not-quite-subtle mock at the British and then making the original song unable to sing without thinking of the anthem.

[clockstop554]

Sounds like someone was too busy hanging out in British drinking clubs when they were supposed to be writing a national anthem. Maybe he was drunk when he proposed using this, too. Haha, but The Star Spangled Banner's lyrics are better! Only, I still don't know what a rampart is...

[BasilFawlty4444]

@clockstop554 A rampart is an antiquated term for a part of a wall on a castle or fort.

[quarkwrok]

Maybe the Star Spangled Banner should be called the Anachronistic Song?

[PetitePerson]

BRITAIN'S UNIT AND CLAIM THE RIGHTS! The tune is stollen property. So by claiming the rights britain's could distroy the states lol like they did when they burned down the white house.

[BasilFawlty4444]

@PetitePerson By all means, keep the tune.

[LouPanetta2]

I'm a Social Studies teacher and it's amazing to me how many people don't realize our close ties to the British. Even in the years immediately following the American Revolution and War of 1812, we were more closely allied to Great Britain than any of our allies from those wars, including the French, without whom the United States of America would not exist.

[RawJobber]

@LouPanetta2 Great post and the first done by somebody over the age of 21 going by other comments haha! American War of Independance aside, we continue to share very close political links and supporting each other. I might be wrong, and please correct me, but in immigration terms isn't English third (only behind Irish and German ) when it comes to people's family roots in the States? Atleast according to the 2000 USA census anyway.

[RawJobber]

@LouPanetta2 Amazing really. Most of the Founding Fathers had English descent, Thanksgiving originating from English settlers to Plymouth colony, good old Apple Pie landed in New England from English settlers who came over from East Anglia (East of England), first baseball game was recorded by a guy who came from Surrey and all you need to look at are people's surnames in America; Smith, Johnson, Williams, Pemberton, Brown, Jones, Miller, Johnson, Davies etc. They will likely have English roots.

[waddle200x]

@pateaston I know right, God Save The Queen sounds like our country is dying (well it practically is thanks to that twat who calls himself 'David Cameron'. Land of Hope and Glory was so much better, even if it is outdated.

[dudeproductions100]

this is why you can find an alcoholic drink in any store in the US.

[sherifam]

So, wait... our anthem... was made by drunk people?

[Iceman5164]

@sherifam

Was written to be a Poem and than sang to the tune of a Drinking song... Yes... a British drinking song so there's the irony in that

[superdan1875]

@sherifam

drunk British people with bad teeth, just like me and my buddies in the pub lol

[BasilFawlty4444]

@superdan1875 British people don't have bad teeth. I don't have a clue where that myth came from.

[Twistednerver]

@sherifam Just the melody.

[dbeiswenger]

@sherifam anthem made by drunk people = best anthem EVAR!!!!

[BasilFawlty4444]

@dbeiswenger That's BRITISH drunk people.

It's a little known fact that we're the biggest drunks in Europe. Most people think it's the Irish, but I'd bet money that the average Brit could drink an Irishman under the table.

[MickeysEvilTwin]

@sherifam only in America.

[Rotavator06]

@sherifam Explains a lot, doesn't it?

[pyrnrd]

Leave it the US to use a drinking song for the melody for its national anthem....

welp...time to PAR-TAY!!

[RawJobber]

i'm proud of our alliance. Yes, we've been to war but only to gain independance. Since then, we've forged a bond that no other nation can come close too. USA have giving Britain and England so much and Britain have giving USA so much.

There remains so many British-Americans and English-Americans who live in the states. Most of the Founding Fathers have English roots.

As an Englishman who has had the pleasure to visit your country I love you America :D

[ajsaccount1991]

this song...it sounds familiar;)

[MegaJumbo7]

I love drinking, America and Britain. Goodwill to all men!

[YouveBeenKicked]

@pateaston type in bill bailey we are most amused i am certain u will change your mind

[YouveBeenKicked]

@pateaston Pink Panther

[YouveBeenKicked]

what i find funny about some americans hating that teen celebritity for fucking up the words of the american national anthem is that the nmber 1 googled thing from the american web adress is "What is the american national anthem lyrics"

[KewreL]

@YouveBeenKicked Teen celebrity? It was Christina Aguilera and she is 30.

[YouveBeenKicked]

@KewreL To be fair i dont care about what happens in america so i only understand the jist that some celeberity got the anthem wrong

[MrTaikutsu]

@pateaston She messed it up too.

[FpsGamer43]

How the fuck do you drink to this?

[Shatnerpossum]

Don't forget we Yanks stole 'God Save the Queen.' It wasn't out of a lack of creativity, it was just an enormous middle finger.

[clayfromsanantonio]

yes you british wankas, we know it was a british drinking song. you see what had happened was... we heard it and said REMIXXXXX!!!!!! we did the same thing with Yankee Doodle...

[thatpecinalgirl]

@clayfromsanantonio lmao!! now that's funny!

[xlmp96]

@clayfromsanantonio It hurts, doesn't it, to know that most of your country's origins come from Great Britain ;-) Whatever America was, is or will be, always remember we were there first and stamped our mark all over the USA, even your flag originated from us. Not bad for a little country.

[clayfromsanantonio]

@xlmp96 no... not at all. my best friend is british. i use british slang now because of him. we use wanka as a joke though, so we changed that one too lol

[PatrioticEagle50]

@xlmp96 Actually, the flag didn't come from england. It is very similar to the east india trading flag the british used, but Americans would have never seen that flag, since it was only allowed to be used around india, not america. Our flag, although we use the same colors, is just a flag we made, and its similarities to the british east india trading flag is just a coincidence. The thirteen striped represent the colonies, and the stars represent each state.

[SlimeballProductionz]

@clayfromsanantonio Only British people can say Wanker... You stick to fag and ass and other words that don't mean anything over here.

[XboxBasherAvailable]

@clayfromsanantonio I'll have you know it's spelt "Wanker" i'm surprised you didn't know, I expect you've been called it many a time.

[jedispy]

@clayfromsanantonio And the TV show Friends

[sweetmystique32]

I’ll bet a lot of Brits don’t know that a lot of Americans DO know that the tune is originally British. But that’s ok, we don’t hold their ignorance against them, never have before. It’s curious tho, one wonders what Francis Scott Key was thinking when he chose this British drinking song. Could it be it was sort of a little joke, on the Brits? So that every time we hear this song, those in the know will forever have an image of sloppy British drunks in a pub making fools of themselves. Hmm maybe

[rosati222]

@sweetmystique32 "making fools of themselves"? it's a free country, we're aloud to do that. we're not as conditioned over here

[sweetmystique32]

@rosati222 lol ok

[gamefreek41795]

It's nothing new that something in America came from Britain or any country for that matter. America came from Britain. Don't act so surprised, people.

[MoaiMaea]

Hey, the caterwauling of the drunkards of this back then probably wasn’t too different from the average patriot’s bawling today.

[XxxzWONDERKIDZzxxX]

You know, The de factor national anthem of America is actually God Save the Queen, rewritten as 'My Country Tis of Thee'.

[accent77]

@XxxzWONDERKIDZzxxX Yes, early Americans didn't have much talent for crafting original music. See Yankee Doodle.

[migduh]

1:21 anyone else think a flute player flubbed a note?

[ItsBiwiPwice]

Its funny how the national anthem is named after a British drinking song, and the whole country is named after a Welshman (Richard Amerike)

[33dgtp]

@ItsBiwiPwice I thought it was Amerigo Vespucci .

[ItsBiwiPwice]

@33dgtp Countrys were never named by the persons first name, so it should be Vespuccia or something if it was Amerigo.

[33dgtp]

@ItsBiwiPwice I didn't know that.... You may be wrong.. the person who edited the wikipedia article is of a different opinion , but I've heard of Vespucci from Geography Class...

[ItsBiwiPwice]

@33dgtp I didn't get it from Wikipedia, and the Richard Amerike discovery is pretty recent, and quite convincing. Though not everybody believes it.

[33dgtp]

@ItsBiwiPwice Well... most of the time, I prefer non-recent stuff... but this does seem convincing...

[zeratul78]

Wow, had no idea. Makes sense though. It's a wonderful melody/anthem.

[doctorpsycho1960]

I couldn't hear the lyrics :{ )

[jedispy]

What's funny is how today this would be considered plagiarism. However in the early 19th century when this was written, copying materials as such was tolerable.

[GoldenZealot21]

The point: Star Spangled Banner is only decent when you're drinking. Other than that, it's really a shitty anthem XD.

[pogo506]

I feel so dumb I am an american I Inever know that the star spangle Banner was based off of this

[jrcadet4]

Yep, the melody to Our National Anthem started out as (essentially) 18th Century Karaoke---and it's not fair to inflict the thing on cold-sober vocalists, IMHO.

[Aktron1986]

Come on Poland and Yugoslavia shared one anthem melody for several decades... there's no problem americans have anthem originated in a british song.

[eightday]

Where are the lyrics?

[dmkavidelly]

@eightday Lyrics:

Oh, 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 thru the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

[dmkavidelly]

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 in the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

[dmkavidelly]

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!

[dmkavidelly]

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved 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!

[eightday]

@dmkavidelly I meant what are the lyrics to the english drinking song. The star spangled banner is based on an english drinking song.

[dmkavidelly]

To ANACREON in Heav'n, where he sat in full Glee, A few Sons of Harmony sent a Petition, That He their Inspirer and Patron wou'd be; When this Answer arriv'd from the JOLLY OLD GRECIAN

"Voice, Fiddle, and Flute, "No longer be mute,

"I'll lend you my Name and inspire you to boot,

"And, besides, I'll instruct you like me, to intwine \"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS's Vine.

[dmkavidelly]

The news through OLYMPUS immediately flew;

When OLD THUNDER pretended to give himself Airs_

If these Mortals are suffer'd their Scheme to pursue,

The Devil a Goddess will stay above Stairs. "Hark! already they cry, "In Transports of Joy "Away to the Sons of ANACREON we'll fly, "And there, with good Fellows, we'll learn to intwine "The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.

[dmkavidelly]

"The YELLOW-HAIR'D GOD and his nine fusty Maids

"From HELICON'S Banks will incontinent flee,

"IDALIA will boast but of tenantless Shades,

"And the bi-forked Hill a mere Desart will be

"My Thunder, no fear on't,

"Shall soon do it's Errand,

"And, dam'me! I'll swinge the Ringleaders I warrant,

"I'll trim the young Dogs, for thus daring to twine

"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.

[dmkavidelly]

APOLLO rose up; and said, "Pr'ythee ne'er quarrel,

"Good King of the Gods with my Vot'ries below: "Your Thunder is useless_then, shewing his Laurel,

Cry'd. "Sic evitabile fulmen, you know!

"Then over each Head

"My Laurels I'll spread

"So my Sons from your Crackers no Mischief shall dread,

"Whilst snug in their Club-Room, they Jovially twine

"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.

[dmkavidelly]

Next MOMUS got up, with his risible Phiz,

And swore with APOLLO he'd cheerfull join_

"The full Tide of Harmony still shall be his,

"But the Song, and the Catch, & the Laugh shall bemine

"Then, JOVE, be not jealous

Of these honest Fellows,

Cry'd JOVE, "We relent, since the Truth you now tell us;

"And swear, by OLD STYX, that they long shall entwine

"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.

[dmkavidelly]

Ye Sons of ANACREON, then, join Hand in Hand;

Preserve Unanimity, Friendship, and Love!

'Tis your's to support what's so happily plann'd;

You've the Sanction of Gods, and the FIAT of JOVE.

While thus we agree

Our Toast let it be.

May our Club flourish happy, united and free!

And long may the Sons of ANACREON intwine

The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.

[btlfn723]

remember is school, being smart wasn't cool, I think that that is where we went wrong, by hiding it....

[JJL1204]

did all of you british people know that the british were a bunch of barbarians who were in seek of culture so they stole most of their ideas from the French?

[AltaicSupremacy]

Minimalist design has been highly influenced by JAPANESE traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl(DUCTHMAN) artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work.

[AltaicSupremacy]

Be careful who you call barbarian. The whites used to call the Native Americans barbarians and savages with no real culture. But of course today we know that the Native Americans had plenty of culture and heritage, more meaningful and original than what any bullshit American can copy from Europe.

[AltaicSupremacy]

LOL, this proves how much of a bastard nation the USA is, no culture of its own, just plagiarized British culture. The USA flag, completely copied from the East India Company flag. Hahahaha, USA blows.

[Danman917]

What about Jazz, Blues, Rock n Roll, Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, all their authors ( Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald ) , Movies,it's cuisine (BBQ, Tex Mex, Kettle food, and so on) etc. You know nothing about America, your just as narrow minded as you perceive the Americans to be.

[AltaicSupremacy]

All those things you mentioned had some European influence or was derived from European works. Nothing is original from the USA, it's all plagiarized from other cultures, mainly European.

[Danman917]

but isn't all art theft?

[qruei]

not if it was 300 years ago. I don't think they copyright songs that long ago.

[AltaicSupremacy]

Jazz is a musical form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of AFRICAN and EUROPEAN music traditions.

[AltaicSupremacy]

There is ample evidence that both the word and cooking technique migrated out of the CARIBBEAN and into other languages and cultures, with the word (barbacoa) moving from Caribbean dialects into Spanish, then French and English.

[AltaicSupremacy]

"Tex-Mex" is a term used to describe a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans influenced by the cuisines of MEXICO.

[AltaicSupremacy]

Blues, created from instruments that were never invented by Americans. Americans musical theory came mostly from Europe. True "American" that is original are from the Native Americans, but they are all are gone from the ethnic cleansing of the 1800s. Americans can't create culture, but they can sure destroy it.

[gamekilla15]

Yeah right! walk into any highschool or middle school and i bet 95 % dont even know the words by memory,much less the origin and history!

[gamekilla15]

Wow! this is so interesting! i just read about this in wikipedia. I bet alot of american people dont even know that the origin or their anthem melody is actually from a british song. funny!

[randallscott25]

I bet alot of us do

[netsurferx1]

Not only is it just a British song, it was a british DRINKING song!

Trufax!

[skater7744]

@netsurferx1 if you could still sing in key, then you weren't drunk enough and needed another drink.

[MrTheBeast]

all american songs are british

they have no creativity

[flippysnotze]

You do relise that they were British?

[MrTheBeast]

i just said that moron

it shows the lack of creativity and the lack of ability to spell words like you

[tacticalplanner]

even less know it has 4 distinct stanzas

[btlfn723]

lol, My Country T'is of Thee was set to the UK national Anthem "God Save The Queen."

[btlfn723]

@qruei oops....damn spellcheck lol

[DonMeaker]

I know some 6 verses...

I like the one with "hireling and slave" it .

[qruei]

I really should delete my answer...geez. I was only responding to that one comment, and I think it was deleted too.

[qruei]

Turns out I was responding to the wrong comment.. oh well.

[btlfn723]

@qruei lol and on the last verse...."oh say does that star spangled banner ye-et wave" Ye-et is not a word in our langauge, the word is "yet"....just needed to fill in the blanks of the melody...true...lol

[btlfn723]

@qruei just suffer through the "Star Spangled Banner" and you'll hear "ye-et" on the ending lol

[btlfn723]

@qruei it isn't feeble knowledge, most Americans know this...don't be swayed by the clever editing on the "Tonight Show man on the street" weeding out the point that they aren't trying to prove...give it a go...alright?

[btlfn723]

@qruei btw. huge fan of Smashmouth too

[nimportekoiTheory]

The Americans took it, put their lyrics over it and made it so much better.

The British are quite the drunkards; I concede that point.

[money226156]

@gamekilla15 true that!! haahh!!

[8835855]

@gamekilla15 Same goes for the song "My Country Tis Of Thee". It's the same as "God Save The Queen" just with different lyrics. :-)

[jedispy]

@gamekilla15 What's also amazing is that most Americans don't know that Ameriglish is actually from the British language known as English.

Just messing with you. The truth is that the USA is extremely British. The truth is that we Americans owe a lot to UK for our culture and political system. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm proud that my ancestry is British, and that I was born in the USA. Our two nations make for wonderful allies.

Thank you Britain for all you've given to us.

[Celestion321]

@jedispy Political system? All we took was the idea of a bicameral legislature. The UK is not a federalist system, does not elect its head of government, has a useless figurehead for a Head of State, has a supreme court without the power overturn laws, and lacks a codified constitution. What does this mean? No checks and balances, or anything like it, and a government prone to political chaos because all of the power is centered on the House of Commons.

[jedispy]

@Celestion321 Perhaps. It wouldn't be the first time we took an idea from the Brits and made it better (The Office, Friends, Driving on the right side of the road, straight teeth, etc...).

[phsycocat]

@jedispy

Hahaha, straight teeth.

[RonnieStigg]

@jedispy Friends is shit the U.S office is shit and you drive on the wrong side of the fucking road

[jedispy]

@RonnieStigg LOL

[RonnieStigg]

@Celestion321 you're a poof 

[ssssroryssss2]

@Celestion321 Actually we have a lot more open society than Fox News leads your to believe. Then Queen is just a garden gnome for the tourists to smile at as she has no real power. All laws are debateable in the house of lords. Anybody, no matter which country you live in can attend debates in the House of Commons. The Magna Carta does state the rights of the puplic, so it technically is a constition. The house of Commons does not have direct control over a lot of local council issues.

[Haus2288]

@ssssroryssss2 Dude, no. Neither of us has an open society. The higher-ups love backroom decisions, and the media are indebted to various contributers with motives made to be set. PR has never been so manipulative since WWII, and right now they are battling the freedom of the internet. You're kidding yourself if you think the people are in control in western culture, we're just content and apathetic. It will bite us in the ass eventually, and HARD (China).

[ssssroryssss2]

@Haus2288 Where is your evidence? You do know that under British law, the government is not allowed to search your computer by any means without a warrant? There are good people in high levels of government as well as bad people. It makes it extremely extremely difficult for those bad people to do anything. e.g. Did you know the PM can be arrested for any offence? I could write an essay on why the NWO conspiracy is complete crap. Don't be fooled by American right-wing propaganda.

[RawStreams]

@Haus2288 haha americans are so paranoid about China

[xlmp96]

@Celestion321 Stop kidding yourself, you're all just the British on holiday!!! It's ok we undestand, you think you're better,.... we know we are..... :-)

[trollionaire]

@jedispy whats funny though is that lately most if not all famous british singers use american accents when they sing. i dont know if its intentional to "conform" or that the american accent is actually the normal neutral form of english but lennon, beckham, spice girls, radiohead, etc they all sound like americans

this a good tune by the way, i bet key was thinking the same thing as me that theres no better melody for an anthem than this, although AMERICA! FUCK YEAH! comes pretty fucking close

[Smegalus]

@jedispy Dawwwww! We love you guys really, even if we don't show it!

[JPaxton1616]

@jedispy Agreed. We are England's younger brother. God save the Queen!

[Superchad245]

@jedispy dont forget about the influences the Roman Republic had on the US

[jedispy]

@Superchad245 True, but I think that was more intentional on the part of our nation's founders. They sought a balanced system of democracy and borrowed a little here and there. Definitely Roman and Greek democracy are major ingredients in the American governmental stew

[BladeValant546]

@jedispy Thank you, no prouder of an Empire than the British. It was their fighting spirit that won our Independence.

[badben76]

@jedispy

Yes, Britain gave us many things that we should be proud of... Like the English language...

[jedispy]

@badben76 And democracy (US Congress is based on the British Parliament) and lots of other things. Heck they gave us good rock and roll music even.

[garciagar64]

@jedispy The British just happened to be one the first to arrived here. Dumb ass comment.

[dreamcore]

@garciagar64 No, that would be the Spanish.

[therealuptheass]

@jedispy This guy knows what he's talking about. Without England there would not be an America.

[Supermassively]

@therealuptheass We're getting along just fine without England.

[RandyRobbo]

@Supermassively we'll just take back harry potter land then! XD actually i wish we could :(

[VirFortunaeLucisque]

@jedispy You're such a wig.

[bryanguy1]

@gamekilla15 America is the only country that has forgot about all of their great history they anthem of today is not even sung all the way thru people dont even know the words of the first part America Fails lol

[TheIceman567]

@bryanguy1 i know the whole song and i'm american but yet you never been or met an american i'm sure. america ftw.

[bryanguy1]

@TheIceman567 ok exception for military families who hasnt met an american they r everywhere

[TheIceman567]

@bryanguy1 yeah because the world is ours

[bryanguy1]

@TheIceman567 no its just everyone is moving out of the US just like everyone left the once great city detroit hahaha lol

[TheIceman567]

@bryanguy1 detroit was never great.

[bryanguy1]

@TheIceman567 lol ha ha ur right just like America mmhhhuuuahahshs

[TheIceman567]

@bryanguy1 And again you fail to see that millions come into America everyday.

[bryanguy1]

@TheIceman567 yea arab muslims and you failed to see the latest Census Numbers mmhhhuuaahaahaa

[TheIceman567]

@bryanguy1 well yes i have were becoming a beaner nation not a arab one.

[MoldyWarts]

@bryanguy1 What are the words to the first part then?

[bryanguy1]

@MoldyWarts hometheaterforum./forum/thread­/6846/star-spangled-banner-com­plete-and-original-recordings



[bryanguy1]

@bryanguy1 put ww and also put com at the end of forum

[hommieJMC]

@gamekilla15 i knew it was a british song, but im not american