The original song

This month marks the 200th Anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, which became the USA’s national anthem in 1931. I learned quite young that the melody was “an English drinking song called ‘To Anacreon in Heaven’”, as I always put it, but I’d never actually heard the original version.

Until today.

The Chicago Tribune posted a story about the song’s origins, and they included the video above. Naturally, I had to share it.

I always thought that maybe drinking would make it easier to sing that melody, and, while I haven’t actually tried that, I kind of doubt it. Still, it’s nice to have that picture completed.

Play ball!