The Star Spangled Ballad

Lyrics

[Intro] Oh say, can you see...? [Verse 1 – spoken] It was August in 1814 Along the Chesapeake Bay The British had takenWashington Andset to theWhite House than day Along the mouthof the Potomac In a sloop named The Benjamin B Was a man by the name of Francis Scott On his way to set a friend free Now, the British were at that river And they took his boat in tow And said: "When we've captured McHenry's flag – We'll be glad to let you go." [Chorus – sung] Ohhh! Fifteen bars and fifteen stars Flying in the wind Over Fort McHenry's stone Waving like a friend The red, the white, the battle blue And the star spangled sky Standing for a nation Where men could live free lives [Verse 2 – spoken] British troops landed at Northpoint To hit McHenry's flank As the Navy set up rockets Along the riverbank At the Patapsco River The Union Jack did sail They had a message for Old Glory Flying bombs are what they'd mail Eighteen-hundred bombs Were sent deep into the night Francis Scott was worried His flag was lost from sight It was the morning of the 14th When silence finally fell The British powder had done its worst Now the dawning light went down Through the mist, and the drizzle A lonely figure stood On deck – staring speechless His heart was still as wood A smile reached his lips As the dawn light revealed The flag – the flag had withstood The rain of smoke and steel [Chorus – sung] Ohhh! Fifteen bars and fifteen stars Flying in the night Over Fort McHenry's stone Through the raging fight The red, the white, the battle blue And the star spangled night Stood proudly for a nation Where freedom was a right [Verse 3 – spoken] In his heart, Scott felt a fever A fire deepened with pride And on the pages of a loved one's letter He wrote what he felt inside The words came quickly as he sailed From ship to shore, that morn And when he reached the mossy bank The nation's song was born [Chorus – sung] Ohhh! Fifteen bars and fifteen stars Flying in the night Over Fort McHenry's stone Through the raging fight...