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O say can you hear? : a cultural biography of "The Star-spangled banner" / Mark Clague.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2022Edition: First editionDescription: xvi, 325 pages : illustrations, map, music ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780393651386
  • 039365138X
Subject(s):
Contents:
Prologue -- American Dreams : Francis Scott Key and the Writing of The Star-Spangled Banner -- Origins of a Melody : The Music of The Star- Spangled Banner -- Banner Ballads : The Many Lyrics of The Star- Spangled Banner -- The Banner at War : A Song Sanctified -- Play Ball! : The Banner in Sports -- Singing Citizenship : A Tradition of Dissent -- Nation in Translation : Language and the Politics of Belonging -- The Anthem and Black Lives : An American History Restored -- Performing Patriotism : Musical Style as Social Symbol -- Postlude. Composing Nation.
Summary: "The fascinating story of America's national anthem and an examination of its powerful meaning today. Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don't know is the story of how this everyday "broadside ballad," one of thousands of such topical songs that captured the events and emotions of early American life, rose to become the nation's one and only anthem and today's magnet for controversy. In O Say Can You Hear? Mark Clague brilliantly weaves together the stories of the song and the nation it represents. Examining the origins of both text and music, alternate lyrics and translations, and the song's use in sports, at times of war, and for political protest, he argues that the anthem's meaning reflects-and is reflected by-the nation's quest to become a more perfect union. From victory song to hymn of sacrifice and vehicle for protest, the story of Key's song is the story of America itself. Each chapter in the book explores a different facet of the anthem's story. In one, we learn the real history behind the singing of the anthem at sporting events; in another, Clague explores Key's complicated relationship with slavery and its repercussions today. An entire is chapter devoted to some of the most famous performances of the anthem, from Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to Roseanne Barr at a baseball game to the iconic Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl. At every turn, the book goes beyond the events to explore the song's resonance and meaning. From its first lines Key's lyric poses questions: "O say can you see?" "Does that banner yet wave?" Likewise, Clague's O Say Can You Hear? raises important questions about the banner; what it meant in 1814, what it means to us today, and why it matters"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Notes Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction 782.4215 C584 Available staining on edge of pages near back of book. 11/23/2022 33111010986996
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 782.4215 C584 Available 33111010853469
Adult Book Adult Book Northport Library NonFiction 782.4215 C584 Available 33111009439031
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don't know is the story of how this everyday ?broadside ballad,? one of thousands of such topical songs that captured the events and emotions of early American life, rose to become the nation's one and only anthem and today's magnet for controversy.

In O Say Can You Hear? Mark Clague brilliantly weaves together the stories of the song and the nation it represents. Examining the origins of both text and music, alternate lyrics and translations, and the song's use in sports, at times of war, and for political protest, he argues that the anthem's meaning reflects?and is reflected by?the nation's quest to become a more perfect union. From victory song to hymn of sacrifice and vehicle for protest, the story of Key's song is the story of America itself.

Each chapter in the book explores a different facet of the anthem's story. In one, we learn the real history behind the singing of the anthem at sporting events; in another, Clague explores Key's complicated relationship with slavery and its repercussions today. An entire is chapter devoted to some of the most famous performances of the anthem, from Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to Roseanne Barr at a baseball game to the iconic Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl. At every turn, the book goes beyond the events to explore the song's resonance and meaning.

From its first lines Key's lyric poses questions: ?O say can you see?? ?Does that banner yet wave?? Likewise, Clague's O Say Can You Hear? raises important questions about the banner; what it meant in 1814, what it means to us today, and why it matters.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-305) and index.

Prologue -- American Dreams : Francis Scott Key and the Writing of The Star-Spangled Banner -- Origins of a Melody : The Music of The Star- Spangled Banner -- Banner Ballads : The Many Lyrics of The Star- Spangled Banner -- The Banner at War : A Song Sanctified -- Play Ball! : The Banner in Sports -- Singing Citizenship : A Tradition of Dissent -- Nation in Translation : Language and the Politics of Belonging -- The Anthem and Black Lives : An American History Restored -- Performing Patriotism : Musical Style as Social Symbol -- Postlude. Composing Nation.

"The fascinating story of America's national anthem and an examination of its powerful meaning today. Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don't know is the story of how this everyday "broadside ballad," one of thousands of such topical songs that captured the events and emotions of early American life, rose to become the nation's one and only anthem and today's magnet for controversy. In O Say Can You Hear? Mark Clague brilliantly weaves together the stories of the song and the nation it represents. Examining the origins of both text and music, alternate lyrics and translations, and the song's use in sports, at times of war, and for political protest, he argues that the anthem's meaning reflects-and is reflected by-the nation's quest to become a more perfect union. From victory song to hymn of sacrifice and vehicle for protest, the story of Key's song is the story of America itself. Each chapter in the book explores a different facet of the anthem's story. In one, we learn the real history behind the singing of the anthem at sporting events; in another, Clague explores Key's complicated relationship with slavery and its repercussions today. An entire is chapter devoted to some of the most famous performances of the anthem, from Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to Roseanne Barr at a baseball game to the iconic Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl. At every turn, the book goes beyond the events to explore the song's resonance and meaning. From its first lines Key's lyric poses questions: "O say can you see?" "Does that banner yet wave?" Likewise, Clague's O Say Can You Hear? raises important questions about the banner; what it meant in 1814, what it means to us today, and why it matters"-- Provided by publisher.

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