Star Spangled Banner: Lyrics and History of the US Anthem

Say, can you see

By the dawn's early lightWhat so proudly we hailed

At the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars

Through the perilous fight

O'er the ramparts we watched

Were so gallantly, yeah, streaming?

And the rockets' red glare

The bombs bursting in air

Gave proof through the night

That our flag was still there

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

If you've ever attended a U.S. sporting event—professional, college, or high school—you know the routine.

People stand, sometimes with their hands crossed, men take off their hats, soldiers salute, and maybe a fighter jet roars overhead.

Then, the six most famous musical notes in American culture are played, and the crowd chants the first five words: "O say can you see..."

So, what's the history and meaning behind the iconic national anthem?

As reported by American Battlefield Trust, Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner” as a joyous poem after he was relieved that the United States had preserved against British attack.

During the War of 1812, the United States faced a critical moment when British forces attacked Baltimore in September 1814.

After setting Washington, D.C. aflame, the British turned their attention to Fort McHenry, which guarded Baltimore’s harbor.

Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and amateur poet, happened to witness the bombardment while aboard a British ship negotiating the release of a prisoner.

Trapped on the ship during the overnight attack, Key anxiously watched as the fort endured heavy shelling.

At dawn, he saw the massive American flag still flying proudly over Fort McHenry, a sign that the defenders had not surrendered.

Deeply moved, Key wrote a poem he titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.”

His words vividly described the survival of both the flag and the young nation, using the symbol of the “star-spangled banner” to capture the triumph.

For decades, it remained one of the few patriotic songs sung at public events, alongside "Hail, Columbia" and "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)."

In 1931, Congress passed a law making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem of the United States, a law signed by President Herbert Hoover.

Since then it has evolved into the national anthem for the United States and is played at official events, schools, and sporting events.