| Whether played by a marching band, an | | | | audiences have been greatly moved by the R&B |
| orchestra, or a rock group, there are patriotic | | | | version by Ray Charles, a truly wonderful blending |
| tunes that everyone in America finds familiar, | | | | of emotion with what musicians call "the |
| exciting and uplifting. But how much do you know | | | | groove.""Rally 'Round the Flag," George F. Root, |
| about how these songs were created? And what | | | | 1862. |
| do you know about the people who wrote | | | | Written for the Union army and its supporters |
| them?There are some surprising facts behind all | | | | during the Civil War, the song was hugely popular |
| of this glorious music.So, fire up the barbecue grill, | | | | in the North. This didn't prevent Confederate |
| look up at the fireworks, and strike up the band | | | | troops from writing their own lyrics and singing |
| as we reveal the secrets behind the most | | | | the song throughout the South."When Johnny |
| influential nationalistic musical moments of all | | | | Comes Marching Home," Louis Lambert, c. 1863. |
| time."Star Spangled Banner," Francis Scott Key, | | | | Lambert was a pseudonym for Union Army |
| 1814. | | | | Bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore. His lyrics, set to an |
| Schoolchildren in America all learn how Key | | | | old Irish folk song, were popular through the |
| watched the British bombardment of Fort | | | | whole Reconstruction Era (1865-1896). It appears |
| McHenry during the War of 1812 and so admired | | | | in an extended instrumental version on the |
| the courage of the beleaguered American forces | | | | soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick's film "Dr. |
| that he wrote four stanzas of "The Star Spangled | | | | Strangelove.""Battle Hymn of the Republic," Julia |
| Banner" (only the first is usually performed). Key | | | | W. Howe, 1861. |
| based the melody on an English drinking song | | | | Howe is another lyricist who succeeded by |
| called "To Anacreon in Heaven." The song has | | | | utilizing a pre-existing piece of music, in this case a |
| only been the national anthem since 1931, and | | | | camp meeting tune of the 19th century (which |
| there was a strong movement to replace it with | | | | also became "John Brown's Body"). The profound |
| one of the other songs on this list."America (My | | | | power of the words combined with the compelling |
| Country 'Tis of Thee)," Samuel F. Smith, 1832. | | | | melody cannot be denied, and it was sung at the |
| The music was composed in the 1700s, | | | | funerals of Winston Churchill, Robert Kennedy, and |
| sometimes attributed to Henry Cary. First popular | | | | Ronald Reagan."Overture: 1812," Petr Ilyich |
| in Great Britain as "God Save the King (Queen)," | | | | Tchaikovsky, 1880. |
| the song became bi-continental in 1832. Modern | | | | |