2nd verse to the Star-Spangled-Banner...
 

I was asked to sing the National Anthem at an upcoming school event, only the catch is that they want me to sing 2 verses. I didn't even know that there was more than 1 verse, and figured many other people didn't know either, so I decided to post the lyrics here. I found the lyrics to be truly inspirational under the circumstances.

(sung to the same tune as the first verse "Oh, can you see..." etc.)

Oh thus it shall be
Now when free men shall stand,
Between their loved homes,
And the war's desolation.
Blessed with victory and peace,
May the God's rescued land
Praise the power that made
And preserved us a nation.
Then conquor we must,
When our cause it is just;
And this be our call:
"In God is our trust!"
Oh say does that Star-Spangled-Banner yet wave,
Over the land of the free,
And the home of the brave?

wow...i didn't know that, either. kinda comforting in a way...thanks for posting!

monica

those are beautiful words

Kind of fitting to read those words with what our country is facing right now.

Actually, that's not the second verse of the poem/song, that's the 4th verse, ie. the last one. Here is the complete poem:

The Star Spangled Banner
(The Defense of Fort McHenry)
September 20, 1814
By Francis Scott Key

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What 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 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?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Thanks Navane,

I hope you cut and copied that...it's a lot of typing.

All three of our kids sang the first and fourth verses in the select choir at their high school in their senior years. There is a really spectacular arrangement for the last verse -- but you have to have some really outstanding sopranos to pull it off.

It is really inspirational -- real goose bump material -- when done well.

did your children do it well? ;)
just kidding. everyone knows there is only one cute child in the universe and every parent has it ;) :D

Well, actually, there are four -- counting our 18 month old grandchild. And, our oldest and youngest sing and act professionally. Of course, the rest of the choir helped, too.

I think i know which arrangement you're talking about DeltAlum. The descant that the soprano's have IS incredible. It's just tough to find girls that can sustain notes above the staff and not be in nasal-y head voice!! I've never done it, but I've heard one that has a bunch of beautiful upper-harmonies (similar to the Franz Biebl version of "Ave Maria")
But ALAS! I'm an alto... which means I pretty much got to belt out the whole thing:) It went quite nicely, if I do say so myself.
It was odd though, singing melody, because every OTHER time I've sang the National Anthem it's been the HARMONY. :) hehehe

Gave me goosebumps!

Once again GCer's are amazing. I never knew there was more to the Anthem that what was sang at Sporting venues.


Hats off to all!

Ask on here and get an answer ASAP!:cool: