Star Spangled Banner - Louis Armstrong

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?

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry",[1] a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.

The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London. "The Anacreontic Song" (or "To Anacreon in Heaven"), with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. Set to Key's poem and renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner", it would soon become a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today, with the fourth ("O! thus be it ever when free men shall stand...") added on more formal occasions.[2] The fourth stanza includes the line "And this be our motto: In God is our Trust".[3] The United States adopted "In God We Trust" as its national motto in 1956.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and the President in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1508, codified at 36 U.S.C. § 301), which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.

Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of American officialdom. "Hail, Columbia" served this purpose at official functions for most of the 19th century. "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", whose melody is identical to the British national anthem,[4] also served as a de facto anthem before the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner".[5] Following the War of 1812 and subsequent American wars, other songs would emerge to compete for popularity at public events, among them "The Star-Spangled Banner".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Louis Armstrong
• The Star-Spangled Banner

[TheAngeltoDemon]

So sad, this has 66 views only. This is the BEST rendition of the national anthem i've ever heard. Such in Louis' style.

[AmbassadorOutcast]

@TheAngeltoDemon I agree. He plays it straight. Nothing fancy. I am used to my videos not getting many views. :-) Thanks for the comments.

[TheAngeltoDemon]

@AmbassadorOutcast Thank you for posting, this is doing a service to america. Sad that pop acts get so much attention, like Justin Bieber with millions upon millions of views. If apple used this for some kind of 4th of july advert, i bet it would get a ton of views. When the greatest jazzman ever to live plays it straight, what makes all these others feel compelled to add all these embellishments. Louis knew what was really going on. Thanks again.

[AmbassadorOutcast]

@TheAngeltoDemon You're welcome. I am just happy somebody enjoys it. Yeah, the greats of Jazz never get the recognition they deserve. I have another version of him doing this song on The Chicago Concerts, I think. I may put that one up too. :-)

[TheAngeltoDemon]

Best ever rendition in my opinion. Straight forward but in Louis' unique style and phrasing, jazz and america