It was on this day back in 1814, that Francis Scott Key, a 35 year old lawyer and amateur poet, wrote the lyrics as a poem after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, by British ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812.
Set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven," a popular British drinking-song, it became well-known as an American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being notoriously difficult to sing.
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Originally Posted by funkyguitar
