Analysis Of The Star Spangled Banner

With every aspect of our lives we are making a point, arguing a belief, or refuting some other aspect of our existence. Aesthetic pieces, most avidly poems and songs, argue a message both in the lyrics and in the meaning posed between the lines. “American Pie,” in a multitude of ways, argues that American lives and memories are closely intertwined with the music of the time period. Not only does “American Pie” argue a message it also pulls many generations together. Today, thirty years after the initial release, “American Pie” still has an effect in our music and continues to be popular with all age groups. Don McLean accomplishes this task through using the context of the time period, placement of words, the words

When songwriters begin to pen the lyrics of a song, I believe their ultimate goal is to transcend time in hopes of reaching listeners for generations to come. J.R. Cash, professionally known as Johnny Cash, wrote a song that did just that. “Ragged Old Flag” is a patriotic song that speaks to every generation. Written in 1974, “Ragged Old Flag” was meant to tell the story of our country. Johnny Cash recorded “Ragged Old Flag” live at the House of Cash. Cash wanted the song to be recorded live because it was raw, untouched, and unapologetically real. The basis of this analysis is to show how patriotism spans generations, but also why a song such as, “Ragged Old Flag” is an important part of patriotism in the United States of America.

Since the Constitution of the United States was written, Americans have practiced their right to freedom of speech as a way to express their point of view on issues facing the country. Over time, voicing one’s opinion went from outspoken newspaper articles to large rallies, and during the Vietnam War, music was a prevalent tool in aiding the protests. Allowing political messages to be shared nationally, the music had touched the lives of the younger generation. Author Jerome L. Rodnitzky explains in his journal, “The Sixties between the Microgrooves: Using Folk and Protest Music to Understand American History, 1963-1973”, how music was “trying to be all things

The ground is not constant in every part of the world. Grass, sand, dirt, rocks, and everything in between is always changing underneath our feet. The sky is always shifting when new shapes and colors pass above our heads as we carry out our lives. It is baffling to think that people surrounded in a world of change believe it is possible to stick to one way of living. The belief in following a tradition can come from multiple ideals. The United States has an abundance of these traditions, and sometimes it is hard to notice when you are within one. The Star Spangled Banner is a prime example of a long-standing tradition in the United States, where it is usually played before national sporting events. Americans believe that the national anthem represents the greatness of America, and some believe that it honors our fallen soldiers and military. It is traditional to stand with our hands on our hearts, facing the flag while the anthem plays. The recent phenomenon of NFL players kneeling at the national anthem is a call to attention for the victims affected by racial inequality and police brutality within our country. Interestingly, NFL players weren’t required to be on the field during the anthem until 2009. Regardless, this show of taking a knee seems to many as a menace to their tradition. Some people were thoroughly opposed to these protests, including our own country’s leader. The president of the United States calling these gestures a “total disrespect of our

As The Star Spangled Banner is heard through the speakers of the football stadium, pride fills the hearts of all the Americans while they stand tall. The sole purpose that the song was written was to get America through a time of war and to instill a sense of strength and pride. The songs main focus is on the star spangled banner or the American flag. When people think of America they picture the red, white, and blue flag with the fifty stars. The American flag gives America something that represents them and that is why they wave the flag around proudly when given the chance. That very same pride that fellow Americans get when waving the flag is the same pride that Francis Scott Key felt as he seen the flag flying over Fort Henry. These following lines of The Star Spangled Banner is proof that Americans should be proud to live in America, “What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last

“Many commentators have since claimed that peace and good will arose not in spite of disaster, but because of it. The hunger, rain, mud, and unserviced toilets conspired to create an adversity against which people could unite and bond” (Cooke 178). Most of the fans present expressed how they felt about the war in riots and violence. “Woodstock Ventures retained its exclusive rights, but the memory of Woodstock Nation belongs to the world; it is irrevocably imbedded in American culture” (Cooke 179). Not only was the war an influence, but the gathering itself influenced the historical outcome. “The most common feeling among all parties-producers, musicians, audience, town, and nation-was the sense of history in the making. It was the largest group of people ever gathered, and the greatest roster of musicians ever assembled, and it became the defining moment of a generation” (Cooke 178).

For instance, the song “Ohio” seems to lament the Kent State shootings at the surface level, but from a more analytic perspective, condemns Richard Nixon and the United States military for their irresponsible and unwarranted actions in the Vietnam war, which will be discussed more later in the paper. The mood and tone of the song, which captures the frustration that the youth of America felt regarding Nixon regarding the war in Vietnam when this song, parallels the mood and tone of Starr’s motown classic, “War.” Much like “Ohio,” “War” also delivers a clear and powerful mood and tone of frustration towards the powers that be regarding the war and its drastic effects on society. “War” differs from “Ohio” in the method that it uses to portray this mood, in that “Ohio” utilizes a somewhat typical chorus-verse style to deliver its message, while “War” relies on audience involvement through the use of a call-and-response technique. Throughout the song, Starr takes on the role of a feux-preacher, begging his audience to join with him as they sing, equating their beliefs that the war in Vietnam is worthless and detrimental to society. In spite of these similarities in mood and tone, the two songs could not be more different from a musical perspective, as “Ohio” uses

“Once the audience was seated, a soprano would come forward and sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’” (Miller 297). This is a line describing a public execution from “Get it Right: Privatize Executions” by Arthur Miller. In his Article, Miller paints a rather disturbing picture for the audience. Miller describes a hypothetical public execution whereas the audience would consume the event similar to how we would a sporting event.

The Star - Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key as he watched his fellow Americans stand strong in their darkest hour. For over twenty four hours Fort McHenry was bombarded by British Navy, but the American troops fought, and so did their families. The Americans rallied around the singular flag that stood high in the fort, and a flag that was a target for the British armada. They planned to destroy the flag to disrupt moral, but the Americans refused to let it fall. They used that singular flag as motivation, and motivation that eventually won them the battle. The flag still holds the same purpose today. To remember those who have fought, or are currently fighting in our armies. It also serves as a source of pride, motivation, and patriotism towards our country. Knowing what our flag means to our history and our country, we can’t possibly keep letting our countries source of pride be disrespected by those attempting to promote their own cause. Are nations athletes that choose to display their displeasure with our nation’s current state, and disrespect what our flag means for our country.

The year of 2016 has been a very crazy year for the United States. With the election of Donald Trump as our new president, the label of cops as racists and last but far from least, the National Anthem Protest that broke out during the pre-season of the National Football League. All of these happenings have broke out of proportion and causing many americans to turn against each other. However, I would like to talk over the National Anthem Protest as it is a huge deal.

The United States has a storied musical history, shaped by a massively diverse population and geography. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Dixie’s Land” are two of the most important songs to American popular music history, and shaped the outcome of the Civil War and much of the past two centuries. Historically they represent entirely opposite ideals, but they interact immensely over the course of American history. Their complicated evolving relationships with society and each other represent the changing politics and culture of the United States from the Civil War to present day.

The music scene also called into question issues of race and Black presence in a music scene dominated by White musicians. The audience, especially since Hendrix decided at the last minute to put together and perform with an all-black band at Woodstock. I will focus on Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsies’ closing performance, specifically on Hendrix’s legendary rendition of the nation’s anthem, the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and how his solo is a symbolic reflection of the era’s shared experience of the Vietnam War draft, peace protests, political critique, and motivated cultural changes as well as the grappling of the racial divide that pervaded the nation. Although Hendrix experienced overwhelming success in Britain, it wasn’t until the returned to America in June 1967 that he ignited the crowd at the Monterey International Pop Festival with his incendiary performance of “Wild Thing”

The first stanza chunks all of the speaker’s many criticisms of obtuse patriotism together. The second stanza reveals that blind patriots essentially swallow down the words, just as the speaker “drank rapidly a glass of water” (14). With one line, this stanza provides a contrast that is powerful enough against the preceding thirteen lines to show that no matter how many lines it takes to show why this blind patriotism is irrational, what is said is easily ignored. The structure is important in conveying how easily the government and its propaganda can create blind patriots who fail to listen to harsh but true realities of

Throughout all the anti-war protests and marches during the Vietnam War, it is interesting to note the changes in the music of that time. From the beginning of the war, where support and loyalty from Americans was present in songs, to the end of the war, where anger and distrust was evident in musical lyrics, American’s opinion changed about the war. This change in opinion was easily recognized by the altering of musical lyrics about the war when Americans grew tired of the constant sending of U.S. troops to Vietnam. The growing dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War led to increasing levels of anger and hostility in the popular music of the time.

“But when I played Woodstock, I'll never forget that moment looking out over the hundreds of thousands of people, the sea of humanity, seeing all those people united in such a unique way. It just touched me in a way that I'll never forget.” That quote said by Edgar Winter gives just a broad statement about the atmosphere and accommodation shown at Woodstock. The Woodstock Festival of 1969 was a generational festival influencing peace, love, and music that became an icon of the 1960’s hippie counterculture.