Estimated reading time 3 minutes
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The Spectacular US Star Spangled Banner (Lyrics and Song): What You’ve Got for Options
Do you want to know the words to the spectacular US Star Spangled Banner? Would you like to learn how to sing or play it? In this post, you’ll get the essentials: 1) all four verses for The Star Spangled Banner song lyrics, 2) a video of Whitney Houston’s version of the song, and 3) easy-to-read shape note sheet music with a sing along song track. Keep reading to learn the American national anthem lyrics and music.
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
The Spectacular US Star Spangled Banner (Lyrics and Song): The American National Anthem Lyrics (All Four Verses)
Here are the Star Spangled Banner song lyrics.
Verse 1:
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming;
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Verse 2:
On the shore dimly seen, thro’ 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, half conceals, half discloses
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star spangled banner – Oh, long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Verse 3:
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
‘Mid the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country they’d leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d 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.
Verse 4:
Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation;
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, “In God is our trust,”
And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The Spectacular US Star Spangled Banner (Lyrics and Song): Whitney Houston
Here is Whitney Houston’s version of the song, and the next section has the sheet music.
Video: Whitney Houston Singing the Star Spangled Banner
The Spectacular US Star Spangled Banner (Lyrics and Song): The American National Anthem Sheet Music (Including Lyrics)
The melody we’ll use in the post The Spectacular US Star Spangled Banner (Lyrics and Song) comes from sheet music published in 1886. Despite some slight variations on the melody, it’s much like current versions of the American national anthem.
Need a refresher on shape note singing? These posts cover the basics:
For a review of rhythm:
Here is the shape note notation for the song.
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
The Star Spangled Banner Sing Along Song Track:
The sing along song track uses synthetic voices rather than actual voices. Research has shown that this will help with the ability to identify and produce absolute pitch information. For more information:
The Spectacular US Star Spangled Banner (Lyrics and Song): Final Thoughts
This post gives you three choices on how to interact with the Star Spangled Banner lyrics and song:
- You can learn the Star Spangled Banner song lyrics.
- Alternatively, you can sing along with Whitney Houston’s video.
- Or you can use the easy-to-read shape note notation for the American national anthem.
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