The star-spangled Anacreon May 1, 2006
Posted by mwj as poetry, politics. trackback.So apparently the American national anthem is based on a drinking song entitled To Anacreon in Heaven.
Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics originally as a poem about the defense of Baltimore in a key battle of the War of 1812, but they were soon adapted to this stylishly bawdy song honouring the early Greek poet Anacreon. The melody had become a theme song for The Anacreontic Society, a group which was “dedicated to “wit, harmony, and the god of wine.”
Thanks to KnowledgeNews for this one.
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I’ve heard that a good lot of old church hymns were based on drinking songs.