Regardless of how you feel about America, the Olympics has a way of stirring up feelings of patriotism in us all. As the American Olympians win gold medals, the national anthem is played to commemorate the moment. However, I have discovered that many Americans do not even know their own national anthem or any information relevant to it. So, I want to challenge my fellow Americans to find out "How American are you?" by considering what they know about the National Anthem. See if you can answer the following questions and fill in the blanks to the song?
2. What tune is the National Anthem set to?
3. How many verses are there to the National Anthem?
4. What year was the National Anthem written?
5. What year was "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially made the National Anthem?
And now.... can you fill in the words to the National Anthem?...
Oh! say, can you see, by the ________ early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the ________ last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the ______ fight,
O'er the _________ we watched were so _________ streaming?
And the __________ red glare, the _______ bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our _______ was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet ______
O'er the _______ of the free and the ________ of the brave?
So, how American are you? What do you know about your National Anthem? Some of you may feel ashamed of what you do not know. But, you should not be, there are many Americans who never learned the National Anthem. Besides, we have all witnessed singers who forgot the words while singing the song. It was not always because of nerves, but because they recently had learned the song before the performance. Anyway, I hoped you learn something that you did not know. Here are the answers:
1. Francis Scott Key;
2. Anacreon in Heaven;
3. Four Verses;
4. 1814;
5. 1931 by Congress
Here are the lyrics to the National Anthem:
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, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' 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?
