

So they were not to be released until after the battle was over, held on a ship about four miles from the battle front for their safety. However, Key and Skinner were held for the duration of the battle as they’d had occasion to observe the strength and apparent strategy of the British forces. During dinner with Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane, Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn, and Major General Robert Ross, Key and Skinner plead the case for the release of the prisoners, which they eventually got the British to do in the case of the elderly Dr. Key was a temporary prisoner aboard a British ship, along with his companion Colonel John Stuart Skinner, as they’d been sent there to try to secure the release of a few Americans, including an American doctor being held by the British, Dr. The lyrics that ultimately became the most historic to use the tune were those written by attorney Francis Scott Key while he sat on a British ship at a distance from the Battle of Fort McHenry that took place on September 13-14, 1814 during the War of 1812. The tune to this little ditty became wildly popular and was adapted to a variety of other lyrics, as was the practice at the time. “May our Club flourish Happy, United, and Free!Īnd long may the Sons of Anacreon intwine, You’ve the sanction of Gods, and the Fiat of Jove. ‘Tis yours to support what’s so happily plann’d Preserve Unanimity, Friendship, and Love! Ye Sons of Anacreon then join hand in hand
#Lyrics for the star spangled banner song full#
‘The full tide of Harmony still shall be his,īut the Song, and the Catch, and the Laugh,Ĭry’d Jove, “We relent since the truth you now tell us Īnd swear by Old Styx, that they long shall intwine, The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’s Vine.’Īnd swore with Apollo he’d cheerfully join. While snug in their clubroom, they jovially twine,

So my sons from your Crackers no mischief shall dread, Your Thunder is useless” - then showing his laurel, Good sing of the Gods with my Vot’ries below:

I’ll trim the young dogs, for thus daring to twine,Īpollo rose up and said, “Pry’thee ne’er quarrel, Idalia will boast but of tenantless Shades,Īnd the bi-forked hill a mere desert will be.Īnd damme I’ll swing the Ringleaders I warrant, The Yellow-Haired God and his nine lusty Maids,įrom Helion’s banks will incontinent flee, The Devil, a Goddess, will stay above stairs. If these Mortals are suffered their scheme to pursue, When Old Thunder pretended to give himself airs. The news through Olympus immediately flew The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’s Vine.” I’ll lend you my name and inspire you to boot,Īnd besides I’ll instruct you like me, to intwine, When this answer arrived from the Jolly Old Grecian That he their Inspirer and Patron wou’d be To Anacreon in Heav’n, where he sat in full glee, The full lyrics to To Anacreon in Heaven are:

The society chose the famed Greek poet Anacreon as their “patron saint” as he was particularly known for composing odes to merrymaking, women, and wine- among the Anacreon Society’s favorite things. The music was composed by John Stafford Smith and the lyrics are thought to have been written by Ralph Tomlinson, president of the Anacreon Society, which was a popular gentleman’s club in London whose membership were dedicated to “wit, harmony, and the god of wine”. The song itself was first publicly published in The Vocal Magazine in 1778 in London. The original song that used the melody was To Anacreon in Heaven, written sometime between 1760 and the late 1770s, expounding on the virtues of wine. It is known to have been used for at least 84 popular songs in the United States alone, including Adams and Liberty – The Boston Patriotic Song and the subsequent tune Jefferson and Liberty, written after Jefferson was elected President. The melody that would be borrowed for the Star Spangled Banner was extremely popular and well known at the time the future U.S. The actual flag that flew over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, helping to inspire the Star Spangled Banner
