"That he their Inspirer and Patron would be."įrom heaven - in the midst of who knows what debauchery - Anacreon sends a reply: "I'll instruct you, like me, to intwine, The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's Vine."īacchus, as in drink. The song is a plea - for inspiration in both departments. He was known, especially, for drinking songs and erotic poetry.
It was composed by John Stafford Smith, and its original lyrics ran: "To Anacreon in Heav'n, where he sat in full Glee, A few Sons of Harmony sent a Petition …" (Try singing it to the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner.")Īnacreon was a Greek poet. "The Anacreontic Song," also called "To Anacreon in Heaven," was the anthem of an 18th-century British gentlemen's club. It is from a song of - shall we say - questionable character. You probably know the tale of our national anthem - 1814, Francis Scott Key, siege of Fort McHenry, the American flag still flying in the morning. Yada yada yada.īut did you know where the tune comes from? It feels good."īehind every one of these star-spangled songs is a story. We're coming together emotionally, rather than rationally. "We're not debating the Constitution, or talking about the makeup of Congress. "These songs work on us on an entirely different level," Gillespie said. Even if, in these divisive times, we don't seem to agree on much else.
"There's something about a song that is unique, because it combines words and music, so it speaks to our emotions," said Angus Kress Gillespie, a professor of American studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. "America the Beautiful," "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," "You're a Grand Old Flag," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Yankee Doodle," "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," "God Bless America," "This Land is Your Land," "The Yankee Doodle Boy" and, of course "The Star-Spangled Banner." And that's just for starters. There have probably been more love songs dedicated to Uncle Sam than to all the girls named Marie in all the country songs ever written. Watch Video: Lady Gaga sings national anthem on Inauguration Day
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