Edens Degener`s diatribe regarding Joan Beck`s ”put-down” of the
”Star-Spangled Banner” (Voice, Jan. 26) revealed a bit of naivete.
Francis Scott Key did indeed write the martial lyrics, but they were set to the tune of an old English drinking song, ”To Anacreon in Heaven.” A sample of some of the original words shows that this ”Heaven” was a bit orgiastic: ”And, besides, I`ll instruct you like me to entwine, the Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus` vine!”
”Banner`s” range of an octave and a fifth makes it almost impossible for anyone to sing unless trained. I think it is very odd that an ”anthem”
with such a war-like theme should have been set to music in three-quarter
(waltz) time. A marching band would have to waltz down the street in any parade.
”America the Beautiful,” the music of which was composed by Samuel A. Ward, and lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates, is unquestionably fitted to be our national anthem. Bates was a U.S. author and professor of English literature at Wellesley College. ”America the Beautiful” and other poems appeared in 1911. The song is musically and lyrically far superior to ”Banner.”
Why should our national anthem be borrowed musically from any drinking song whose message is obviously Bacchanalian? Wherein lies the dignity of such a song? If we would like a more spirited anthem, how about ”Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean”? That`s a great piece of music. Anyway, it`s high time that Americans have a truly American national anthem, written both musically and lyrically by Americans.
