Mark Polege
Keyboard Militia
For the past few days a video has been going around with a former Marine from Georgia beautifully singing one of the forgotten verses of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Here are the rest of the lyrics along with the 4th verse, with one phrase we do not hear enough, “In God We Trust.” I hope this is a verse which will ring out from many future events, Tea Party and otherwise.
The Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key
1814
First Verse
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro’ 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?
Second Verse
On the shore dimly seen, thro’ 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.
Third Verse
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 wash’d out their foul footstep’s 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.
Fourth Verse
Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Pow’r 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!
Thank-you Francis Scott Key
2 Comments
The words so inspire.
Our full story of our Founders should be thoroughly taught to every child so they might garner an understanding of just how much was sacrificed in obtaining our freedom. They sacrificed all they owned and, in many instances, their lives for this nation. And in their infinite wisdom, they constructed a government, our Constitution, which has held us in such good stead for so long.
It is only now, with the twisting and tainting of our Constitution, that we find ourselved in such uncertain times. It is just simply impossible for present and future generations to have any appreciation or understanding for, without know our history, what came before us, where we've come from, we are sure to be lost on the journey ahead.
As a child, I remember having to memorize the preamble to the Constitution… take a blank sheet of paper and write it out, word for word. So many years later, I wish I could thank that teacher for she did our country, and me, a great service.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
They then set about to write the most saged and far seeing document in modern history. The Preamble is an introduction informing the reader of the exact intent of this document, what it intends to achieve…and achieve it they did. It becomes exceeding important we seat Supreme Court judges who embrace our Constitution and it's initial intents, not to stretch, twist, and turn it into a document which supports their personal beliefs or their versions of social justice for, in fact, the premise of our judicial system is that justice is blind.
This is the history our children are being robbed of. The words in the Star Spangled Banner are filled with images of the struggle and supreme sacrifices of those who came before us. As Obama so states, "words have meanings," and so they do. These verses do not rhyme, they'd not conform in a rap song, but these words have deep and beautiful meanings.
The patriot above said: "These verses do not rhyme, they’d not conform in a rap song, but these words have deep and beautiful meanings."
Look, I don't like to nit-pick, but under-education is the symptom of this nations disease. EVERY LINE of the verses above ryhme–not forced or false–but true rhyme.
One of the biggest problems this country has is that we are not producing the thought leaders, the innovators, the producers in the world anymore. It is because there is a movement against education and intelligence.
Turn off your TVs! Read a book. Learn what words mean and use them intelligently. Our country was not founded on sacrafice, sacrifice was merely what it took for people unwilling to be held down by religious or aristocratic bullies.
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The Full Lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner…
I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog
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