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The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
Oh, 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, and the bombs in air
Gave us proof through the night that our flag was still there
And our flag marked with blood, with the blood of our hands
And our hands marked with death, with the blood of the man
And the man on the cross, and the cross on our hearts
Has it done nothing more, than to drive us apart?
And the rockets red glare and the bombs in the air
Gave us proof through the night that our flag was still there
And our flag marked with blood, with the blood of our hands
And our hands marked with death, with the blood of the man
And the man on the cross, and the cross on our hearts
Has it done nothing more, than to drive us apart?
Oh say, does that star
(Oh say, does that star)
Spangled banner yet wave
(Spangled banner yet wave)
O'er the land of the free
(O'er the land of the free)
And the home of the brave?
(And the home of the brave?)
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?
Gave us proof through the night that our flag was still there
And our flag marked with blood, with the blood of our hands
And our hands marked with death, with the blood of the man
And the man on the cross, and the cross on our hearts
Has it done nothing more, than to drive us apart?
Gave us proof through the night that our flag was still there
And our flag marked with blood, with the blood of our hands
And our hands marked with death, with the blood of the man
And the man on the cross, and the cross on our hearts
Has it done nothing more, than to drive us apart?
(Oh say, does that star)
(Spangled banner yet wave)
(O'er the land of the free)
(And the home of the brave?)
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I feel like his rendition of this song is a critique of how our so-called patriotism, fueled by our apparent religiosity, gives us the feeling of just cause to go ahead and ruin other people's lives, and ours in the process. Yet it begins with the first verse of the US National Anthem, which details the beauty and poignancy of the birth of this patriotism. Wow.
If anyones curious, this song has at least been played in concert. I dont know if it's on any CD anywhere.
You can legally download this song for free by going to www.archive.org and searching for "sufjan stevens." Download or stream the concert at "Lee's place in Toronto." This song is about 56 minutes and 20 seconds into the concert.
What an amazing song. Probably the most powerful rendition of a patriotic song Jimi Hendrix's version of the same song at Woodstock. This might even be more powerful than that version. Well down, Sufjan.
The line is actually "Has it done nothing more, then to drive us apart?"
this is haunting. it's so beautiful.
Really good version of the song, best one I've ever heard.
Played at the Sasquatch Music Festival. 5/27/06 http://youtube.com/watch?v=7VsOO7cIWuM Played in San Francisco sometime in July 06. http://youtube.com/watch?v=BvBwF4bU9CE
"and the man on the bus" "and the cause on our hearts" is what I hear before "Has it done nothing more than drive us apart.
Also, I hear "the blood of the lamb".
Sounds like we have stained our flag with the blood of Christ, and this had done nothing more then to drive us apart...
"Our flag marked with blood, with the blood of our hands; our hands are marked with death, with the blood of the man; the man on the cross, and the cross on our hearts; has it done nothing more then to drive us apart..."
Do not confuse patriotism with your religious belief, it does nothing more then to drive us apart.