Francis Scott Key's beautifully inspired poem, originally titled "The Defense of Fort McHenry" was written at the height of the War of 1812.
As he witnessed the heavy bombardment of the American Fort, he was horrified for the men hidden behind its walls; he was sure that, as the attack continued through the night, the fort would surely fall to the full might of the unbeatable British navy.
Of course, we all know how the story ends: the Fort survived, and the American flag remained defiantly waving in the air. Key wrote his poem, which over the years grew in popularity, and finally combined to be sung with the British tune "To Anacreon in Heaven."
Herbert Hoover eventually officially declared the song our national anthem in 1931.
But while everyone knows the song by heart, a lot of people are surprised to learn that the original poem has an extra three whole verses, totaling four verses in all!
Singer and history lover Tom Callinan wanted to share "The Star-Spangled Banner" in its entirety. And at 1:29, he goes directly into the second verse. Every single American should listen to this incredible song.
The song was already quite difficult to sing, so when you add these three "new" verses its definitely a bit of a tongue twister and takes some serious practice. But we think Tom did a great job!
Please SHARE this incredible video with all of your friends who love America!
