Friday, July 04, 2008

Happy Fourth of July Everyone...The Star Spangled Banner

I am posting very late on the 4th, I wish you all a happy independence day. Please make sure to take a moment to reflect what it means to be an American. You are living in the greatest nation on God's green earth. We owe all of it to 55 men (all wealthy) who gave their lives and their fortunes for our liberty.
I was listening to FM radio the other day (I tore my self from talk radio this week) and heard a dj on a local station ask his listeners if they knew the words to the star spangled banner. I was stunned, disgusted and disappointed in how many callers he went through before he finally found someone who knew the lyrics / words to our National Anthem. Maybe its a sign of my age, hopefully not, but it appeared that not many people knew the words (I wonder what a national poll would be reveal).

I was taught in grade school along with saying the Pledge of Allegience everyday and the entire class sang America the Beautiful every morning Needless to say, I knew the Star Spangled Banner as well... So that's how I am honoring the Independence day, posting the words/lysics. Conduct your own poll, I plan to. Ask people in conversation if they know the words of our National Anthem. Personally, anytime I hear the song, I get chills. Do you?

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 the ramparts we watch'd, 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
For the land of the free and the home of the brave
Happy Independence Day!

8 comments:

Paul Nichols said...

God Bless America and God Bless Janell.

Jim said...

Hi Janell -- Wasn't Blogstock great! It was nice to meet you and Renee. I've a few Friday pictures on my July 4 post. The last one is Cliff singing Karaoke with Terry.
They sang the Woodie Guthrie song in church the Sunday before the 4th.
..

Scarlet said...

I just asked my hubby if he knew the words to the Star Spangled Banner and he does. I couldn't remember the ramparts we watched part. It's all Fidel Castro's fault! :)

Rachel said...

Hi Janell!! It was so great meeting you and Randy at Blogstock!! I hope you got your cherries home safely and glad we were able to get them pitted. Glad we got to go horseback riding together too! What fun meeting everyone and I have to say that you Nebraska folks are sure nice!!

LZ Blogger said...

Janell ~ Just wanted to stop by and say how nice it was to be able for Sherry and I to meet you at BlogStock '08. You were quite the Horsewoman out there, but from your blog. I can tell it wasn't your first time on a horse! ~ jb///

Janell said...

God bless you, too, Paul. I need to point out that it was my blog-partner, Joe who posted this about our National Anthem.

Thanks Joe. I wish you could have come to Blogstock - everyone wanted to know more about you.

Jim - yes it was such fun - it was like a family reunion.

Scarlet - that darn Fidel! I'll try and post the story of how the words came to be written, that will help you remember the "ramparts" line.

Rachel; truly one of the highlights of my weekend was going horseback riding with you. The cherries are in the freezer and will be jelly by the end of the week. I love the sound of your voice and your soft Kentucky drawl.

LZ - thanks for the visit - come back again soon. We missed you on Saturday.

Mary Connealy said...

hi, I haven't checked in in a while. Life has been crazy. Hope your computer quits torturing you soon.
We watched the Decatur Fireworks on July 3rd sitting on our boat in the river. Excellent. Had all four girls home...not all at the same time.
Grilled and cherry pie and homemade ice cream.
Really such a great 4th of July weekend that we ought to just stop celebrating, because we'll never do as well again. :) But we'll keep trying.

Anonymous said...

Scarlet, Fidel will be pushing up daisies soon enough. Funny thing is, I bet that commie knows the words to the star spangled banner. He'll no doubt be spending the rest of eternity in hell. Maybe his punishment will be to be sing the Star Spangled Banner for the rest of eternity in a barbershop quartet. Let me see.. hmmmm...

Fidel, Saddam, Yasser Arafat and Stalin. Imagine them all in those cute little red hats singing and saluting Old Glory.

Future Back up Singers, the hell quartet backups will be, Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il

He he