You probably know a lot of songs by heart. Some of them may play on the radio over and over again but others have been a part of your life since you were very young. Perhaps one of the best known songs for those who live in the United States is the national anthem, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’. It was written by Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old poet and lawyer about what he was seeing when the British troops invaded Baltimore Harbor during the war of 1812.
According to the recollection of Francis Scott Key, he was inspired by a large American flag that was waving above the fort when the United States was victorious after the battle. Eventually, it was put to the tune of a popular British song, written by John Stafford Smith. That song had already gained popularity in the United States and together, it became a national anthem that people learn to sing from the time they are very young. Apparently, it happens younger than most of us realize.
Most people would readily admit that the national anthem is challenging to sing, at best. The baritone voice of the father in this video does it justice.
The focus of the video is not the father, however, it is a little baby who is watching every move that the father makes. It only takes a few notes of the song before the baby has to join in.
In 1889, the Star-Spangled Banner became the official song of the United States. It was recognized by the U.S. Navy in that year and then in 1916, US Pres. Woodrow Wilson also gave it recognition. It was on March 3, 1931, however, that a congressional resolution made it the national anthem.
The father starts this incredible duet by singing the lyrics that most people can recite by heart. The baby starts singing with him almost immediately.
“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 brights stars through the perilous fight. O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?”
As the father continues singing, the baby pats the table of the highchair and tries to sing along.
If you listen carefully, it actually sounds like the baby is getting close to pronouncing some of the words. About 48 seconds into the song, the baby starts really getting into it, waving their arms all around and holding them high up in the air. The more excited the father gets, the more excited the baby becomes.
When the father hits the peak of the first verse, the baby really starts going. Those words are:
“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?”
This is the concert of the century. You can check it out for yourself here:
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