QUESTIONS
1. Did Francis Scott Key compose the music to the "Star Spangled Banner"?
2. How many stars and stripes were on the flag that inspired Key?
3. The lyrics to the "Star Spangled Banner" include the phrase "o'er the ramparts we watched." What is a rampart?
4. How many stanzas does the "Star Spangled Banner" have?
5. When did the "Star Spangled Banner" become our official National Anthem?
6. Why is it played at sporting events?
7. What is the proper etiquette while the National Anthem is being played?
8. What popular contemporary musician created controversy by publicly performing an updated version of the "Star Spangled Banner" in 1968?
9. Has the "Star Spangled Banner" ever been a pop hit?
ANSWERS
1. Key wrote the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry" after witnessing Royal Navy ships attack Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. The poem yielded the lyrics; the tune was a popular British drinking song of the era.
2. 15 stars and 15 stripes. The actual banner was 30 feet by 42 feet, making it the largest battle flag ever flown.
3. A rampart is an embankment built for defensive purposes, referring to Fort McHenry's walls. (And spangled means to be adorned with small, shiny objects.)
4. Four. The first stanza is the one and only stanza commonly sung. Oliver Wendell Holmes added a fifth stanza in 1861 to express his outrage over the start of the Civil War.
5. President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution to make the "Star Spangled Banner" the official National Anthem on March 3, 1931. Previously, "My Country,' Tis of Thee" was frequently used as a national anthem.
6. The song was played at the World Series in 1918 as a patriotic gesture to American troops fighting in France. The tradition of playing the "Star Spangled Banner" spread to other sports during World War II.
7. The U.S. Flag Code states: "During rendition of the National Anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there."
8. Singer/guitarist Jose Feliciano shocked the crowd at a 1968 World Series game by playing a blues-inspired, slower version of the National Anthem. Jimi Hendrix included the National Anthem in his set playlist as early as August 1968, but became best known for his iconic interpretation of the song after performing it at Woodstock in August 1969.
9. Yes, twice. Whitney Houston performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. The version was so beloved by fans, it was released as a single and hit Number 20 on the Billboard charts. It hit Number 6 when it was re-released in 2001.
1. Did Francis Scott Key compose the music to the "Star Spangled Banner"?
2. How many stars and stripes were on the flag that inspired Key?
3. The lyrics to the "Star Spangled Banner" include the phrase "o'er the ramparts we watched." What is a rampart?
4. How many stanzas does the "Star Spangled Banner" have?
5. When did the "Star Spangled Banner" become our official National Anthem?
6. Why is it played at sporting events?
7. What is the proper etiquette while the National Anthem is being played?
8. What popular contemporary musician created controversy by publicly performing an updated version of the "Star Spangled Banner" in 1968?
9. Has the "Star Spangled Banner" ever been a pop hit?
ANSWERS
1. Key wrote the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry" after witnessing Royal Navy ships attack Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. The poem yielded the lyrics; the tune was a popular British drinking song of the era.
2. 15 stars and 15 stripes. The actual banner was 30 feet by 42 feet, making it the largest battle flag ever flown.
3. A rampart is an embankment built for defensive purposes, referring to Fort McHenry's walls. (And spangled means to be adorned with small, shiny objects.)
4. Four. The first stanza is the one and only stanza commonly sung. Oliver Wendell Holmes added a fifth stanza in 1861 to express his outrage over the start of the Civil War.
5. President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution to make the "Star Spangled Banner" the official National Anthem on March 3, 1931. Previously, "My Country,' Tis of Thee" was frequently used as a national anthem.
6. The song was played at the World Series in 1918 as a patriotic gesture to American troops fighting in France. The tradition of playing the "Star Spangled Banner" spread to other sports during World War II.
7. The U.S. Flag Code states: "During rendition of the National Anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there."
8. Singer/guitarist Jose Feliciano shocked the crowd at a 1968 World Series game by playing a blues-inspired, slower version of the National Anthem. Jimi Hendrix included the National Anthem in his set playlist as early as August 1968, but became best known for his iconic interpretation of the song after performing it at Woodstock in August 1969.
9. Yes, twice. Whitney Houston performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. The version was so beloved by fans, it was released as a single and hit Number 20 on the Billboard charts. It hit Number 6 when it was re-released in 2001.