The Stars and Stripes Forever

For other uses, see Stars and Stripes Forever (disambiguation).

"The Stars and Stripes Forever"
Song
Published	1897 (1897)
Genre	Patriotic, American march
Composer	John Philip Sousa

"The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march widely considered to be the magnum opus of composer John Philip Sousa. By act of Congress, it is the National March of the United States of America.^[1]

History

In his autobiography, Marching Along, Sousa wrote that he composed the march on Christmas Day 1896. He had just learned of the recent death of David Blakely, then manager of the Sousa Band. Sousa was on a ferry in Europe at the time, and he composed the march in his head. He committed the notes to paper on arrival in America.^{[citation needed]}

Music

The Stars and Stripes Forever follows the standard American march form. Its trio is the most famous part of the march. Most bands adopt the Sousa Band practice of having one or three (never two) piccolo players play the famous obbligato in the first repeat of the trio.^{[citation needed]} In the second repeat (marked "Grandioso"), the low brass joins the piccolo players with a prominent countermelody. The official version, as played by the United States Marine Band, is performed in the key of E-flat.

Lyrics

Sousa wrote lyrics to the piece, although they are not as familiar as the music itself.^[2]

Sousa's lyrics

Let martial note in triumph float
And liberty extend its mighty hand
A flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers,
The banner of the Western land.
The emblem of the brave and true
Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak
The never-ending watchword of our land;
Let summer breeze waft through the trees
The echo of the chorus grand.
Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Other lyrics

Many other sets of lyrics, patriotic and otherwise, have been written for the last strain. Two of the most widely known such sets begin with the words "Three cheers for the red, white and blue" and "Be kind to your web-footed friends". The "web-footed friends" parody, was sung at the end of every episode of the popular 1960s TV series Sing Along with Mitch.^[3] It was recorded by Homer and Jethro in 1955 as "Crazy Mixed Up Song".^[4] It was also heard in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode Hollywood Plucky, and an episode of Sesame Street; these parody lyrics are themselves are well-known enough to have spawned many other parodies of their own.

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue

Three cheers for the red, white and blue,

For the red is the blood of our brothers.

The white is the light of the star

That has led us to where we are.

The blue is the hue of the sky

Where on high the Almighty falters never.

Our banner for two hundred years!

Oh pioneers! Here's to the stars and stripes forever!

Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friends

Be kind to your web-footed friends

For a duck may be somebody's mother

Be kind to your friends in the swamp

Where the weather is very, very damp [pronounced to rhyme with "swamp"]

Now, you may think that this is the end...

WELL, IT IS! [abrupt cut to closing credits]

Variations and notable uses

The Stars and Stripes Forever is featured in many U.S. musical performances:

• There are several orchestral transcriptions of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" including one by Conductor Leopold Stokowski and one by Keith Brion and Loras Schissel.
• The tune is widely used by soccer fans, with the chorus sung with the words "Here We Go". The supporters of Spanish side Valencia CF use to sing it with the words "Xe que bó!" which means something like "Oh! How good" in Catalan, and those words has become a symbol for the team.
• In show business, particularly theater and the circus, this piece is called "the Disaster March". It is traditional code signaling a life-threatening emergency. This helps theater personnel to handle events and organize the audience's exit without panic. Circus bands never play it under any other circumstances. One memorable example of its use was at the Hartford Circus Fire in July 1944.
• The student band Strindens Promenade Orchester in Trondheim, Norway, has the world record in "speed playing" of The Stars and Stripes Forever (absolutely all notes must be played). The band calls their speedy rendering of the march Stars and Stribes, and performs the march at all Saturday parties at the Trondheim Student Society. Set during the fall term of 1999, the record time is 50.9 seconds (nominal time is 3 minutes 50 seconds). For this, the band is noted in the Norwegian edition of the Guinness Book of Records.
• A 1952 biographical film, Stars and Stripes Forever, gives an account of the composer's life and music.
• The Russian born pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who lived most his life in the United States, wrote a famous transcription of The Stars and Stripes Forever for solo piano to celebrate his becoming an American citizen. In an interview, Horowitz opined that the march, being a military march, is meant to be played at a walking tempo. He complained that many conductors played the piece too fast, resulting in music that is "hackneyed."
• The song is usually played for the President of the United States after he gives a speech at a public forum, event or ceremony, whereas Hail to the Chief is played when the President is introduced.
• In 2008, the Muppets performed a web version starring Sam the Eagle, Beaker, a clucking chicken, Bobo the Bear, The Swedish Chef, and Crazy Harry.

Media

• Stars and Stripes Forever

  A 1909 Edison Records recording of Sousa's Band performing Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever.

  Stars and Stripes Forever

  The United States Marine Band performs Stars and Stripes Forever

• Problems listening to the files? See media help.

See also

• The Maple Leaf Forever

References

1. ^ "US Code: Title 36, 304". Cornell Law School. 2006-10-30. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode36/usc_sec_36_00000304----000-.html. Retrieved 2006-11-02. 
2. ^ Bierley, Paul E., “The Works of John Philip Sousa” Integrity Press, Westerville, OH, 1984.
3. ^ "Audio CD, Mitch Miller And The Gang". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000024QD. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
4. ^ RCA 47-5708