The 4th Verse of the Star-Spangled Banner

Few people realize, or choose to not realize, that the national anthem was written to have 4 verses. The first 3 verses ask questions. Can you see the flag? Does the banner yet wave? What is that breeze? Where is the band of soldiers? Take the first verse for example. As I’m sure you know, it reads:

O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

The verse ends in a question mark. OUR "national anthem" ENDS IN A QUESTION MARK. That's because it's not the anthem. It's 1/4th of it. The verse consists of two questions asking about if the flag is still high. It doesn’t answer anything. And yet, this is the verse we sing. I bet that 98% of people in the United States don’t even know the lyrics to any of the other verses.

It is the FINAL verse that ANSWERS the questions. It proclaims things! It’s bold. It’s awesome. It reads:

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust;”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Do you see that? It ends in an exclamation! Freeman shall stand! War’s desolation, VICTORY, PEACE, Conquer we must, In God is our trust. The banner SHALL wave, and this is the land of the free and brave. The 4th verse is amazing. It answers all the questions of the first 3 verses.

Please, please can we sing the 4th verse at baseball games or in church or at all the events that we sing it? Francis Scott Key MEANT to put the best verse last. It is the verse that says what we are. It’s amazing. I sing it with pride. The first verse asks two questions and says nothing.

Sorry to be controversial, but please, let’s sing the 4th. It’s part of the anthem just as much as the 1st verse. And it’s epic.

Grandpa Jay

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to talk with my Grandpa Richardson one final time. I called up Grandma and she put me on speaker so that I could just talk with Grandpa one on one. He wasn’t able to speak back but I really felt like he could hear and understand what I was saying. I thanked him for some of the good memories I had had in Arizona in the dentist chair or at reunions or of him visiting Ohio. I thanked him for his great example. I felt most impressed though to thank him for the great posterity that he has raised. He gave me my wonderful mother. He had sons and daughters who became very influential and wonderful examples as my aunts and uncles. And the grandchildren that he has influenced have become some of my very best allies and friends. His influence will continually be felt for generations.

Thanks Grandpa for your humble example of goodness and for keeping your priorities in the right place for your whole life. I'll love and miss you!