The Stars And Stripes Forever

Album: Strictly Sousa (1896)
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Songfacts®:

  • John Philip Sousa is a famous American composer known for his marches, and this is his most famous song. It's a patriotic anthem, with the stars and stripes referring to the American flag. In his autobiography Marching Along, Sousa explained that he wrote the song on a boat while returning from a vacation in Europe where he found out that his band manager David Blakely had died. Wrote Sousa: "I was pacing on the deck, absorbed in thoughts of my manager's death and the many duties and decisions which awaited me in New York. Suddenly, I began to sense a rhythmic beat of a band playing within my brain. Throughout the whole tense voyage, that imaginary band continued to unfold the same themes, echoing and re-echoing the most distinct melody. I did not transfer a note of that music to paper while I was on the steamer, but when we reached shore, I set down the measures that my brain-band had been playing for me, and not a note of it has ever changed." >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • On May 3, 1897, a statue of George Washington was unveiled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To mark the occasion, a parade was organized, and one of the highlights of the event was the first public performance "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Sousa had specifically composed the march for the occasion, and it quickly became one of Sousa's most popular and enduring works.

    During the unveiling ceremony, President William McKinley was present in the audience, adding to the significance of the event.

    Sousa's march was played by the United States Marine Band, also known as "The President's Own," which contributed to the patriotic atmosphere surrounding the occasion.

    In 1987, "The Stars and Stripes Forever" was designated the official march of the United States.
  • "Stars and Stripes Forever" is used as an emergency alert at the circus. When they play the song, it means there is a fire and that the performers and circus hands should go to their emergency stations and start evacuating people.

    "Stars and Stripes Forever" was chosen for this purpose because it is a well-known and recognizable tune.

Comments: 6

  • Qurare from Illinoisthis song is intensely meaningful to me as an American. ashamed to say that until now i only knew "web-footed friend" lyrics. somehow that just seems disrespectful
  • Wendy from WisconsinFor many years, I only knew the lyrics for the trio (it was in a children's music textbook my family had). I was an adult before I learned that the rest of the song had lyrics, too, penned by Sousa himself. Pity you rarely hear the trio sung; I don't think I've ever heard a recording of the rest being sung.

    Though I like the Carol Burnett version:
    "You may think that this is the end
    Well, it is."
  • Pj Williamson from Weaverville NcIt is the best song and for my preschoolers
  • Taylor from Missouri For my music appreciation class I had to find a song from a certain time period, so I chose stars and stripes forever. For my project one of the things I had to find was the meaning of the song. After I had looked for the meaning of the song, and couldn't find it anywhere I found this website. Then I found the meaning, and it was very meaningful.
  • Leah from Brooklyn, NyThose words were used at the end of the program every week by the Singers on the on the SING ALONG WITH MITCH Show (1961) Lalah.
  • Lalah from Wasilla, AkThere are words to this : "Be kind to your webfooted friends, For aduck may be somebody's mother. Be kind you your friends in the swamp. Where the wheather very, very damp. Now you may think that this is the end. But it goes on a little bit further. Then it stops." Ok, they're not official but every time we played it in band, we sung along to the middle -repeat.
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