HELLO.
TODAY, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT FRANCIS SCOTT KEY,
THE MAN WHO WROTE THE N--
AMERICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM,
[laughs]
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY,
A VERY PROMINENT LAWYER IN BALTIMORE
DURING THE 1812 WAR.
ONE NIGHT, HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW SHOWS UP, AND HE SAYS,
FRANCIS, THE HONORABLE DR. BEANES
HAS BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE ON A BRITISH WARSHIP.
DR. BEANES IS A VERY UPSTANDING MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.
HE HELPED EVERYBODY. [laughs]
- HE'S DR. BEANES. - HE'S DR. BEANES.
HE'S AMAZING.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY GOES TO PRESIDENT JAMES MADISON,
WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT AT THE TIME.
HE SAYS, LISTEN, THE HONORABLE DR. BEANES HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED.
PRESIDENT JAMES MADISON IS LIKE,
THE--IT'S LIKE A TERRIBLE-- LIKE, YEAH.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
[laughing]
AND SO HE HOOKS HIM UP WITH A GUY NAMED JA--
JOHN SKINNER, A PRISONER EXCHANGE AGENT.
AND THEY SET SAIL TO THE BRITISH HEADQUARTERS,
WHICH IS A [bleep] BOAT.
UNDER THE CONTROL OF VICE "ADMIRABLE--"
UH, VICE "ADMIRABLE"--
UH, F--SORRY.
ADMIRAL A-- OH, OKAY, LET'S BACK UP.
VICE ADMIRAL ALEXANDER COCHRANE.
MAN, I'M [bleep] DRUNK.
I GOT TO DRINK MORE.
THE BRITISH WINE THEM, AND THEY DINE THEM,
AND KEY AND SKINNER AND WERE LIKE,
YOU'VE GOT THIS FRAIL, OLD DOCTOR MAN
SITTING IN HIS CELL OR WHATEVER.
IT'S LIKE, LET THE GUY GO, YOU KNOW?
THEY MADE A REALLY GOOD CASE.
AND MAJOR GENERAL ROSS WAS LIKE,
SOUNDS GOOD.
LET'S LET DR. BEANES GO.
THEY WINED AND DINED A LITTLE BIT MORE.
EVENTUALLY, KEY AND SKINNER HEAR SOME BRITISH SOLDIERS SAYING,
YOU KNOW WHAT?
NEXT WEEK, WE'RE GONNA BE ATTACKING BALTIMORE.
WE'RE GONNA BE ATTACKING BALTIMORE.
AND THEY SAW MAPS AND PLANS
OF HOW THEY WERE GONNA DO IT.
COCHRANE TELLS KEY AND SKINNER,
YOU KNOW TOO MUCH.
HE AND SKINNER WERE HELD PRISONER FOR A FULL WEEK.
THEY WOULD TEASE THEM AND SAY THINGS LIKE,
HEY, I HOPE YOU TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THAT FLAG OVER THERE,
BECAUSE, UM, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THERE.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE GONE.
[laughs] SORRY.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY IS THINKING--
[sighs] WELL, THIS SUCKS.
- OH, WAIT, NO. THAT'S YOUR--THAT'S YOUR MIC.
JUST KEEP THAT IN YOUR POCKET. - ALL RIGHT.
I'LL PUT THAT IN MY POCKET.
- HERE, LET'S--LET'S GO INSIDE, SO--
- [laughs] OKAY.
I'M ALL GOOD.
[clatter]
AND BY THE WAY--
- YOU OKAY? - I'M GOOD.
- YOU'RE-- - [laughs]
SO SEPTEMBER 13, 1814 ROLLS AROUND.
THE ATTACK BEGINS ON BALTIMORE.
[imitates explosions booming]
CANNONS JUST RAINING FIRE,
BOMBARDING FORT MCHENRY.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY STAYS UP ALL NIGHT
AND WATCHES IN SUSPENSE AS THIS HAPPENS.
EVENTUALLY, SKINNER AND BEANES WAKE UP,
AND THEY'RE JUST LIKE,
UM, IS THE FLAG STILL THERE?
AND KEY'S WATCHING, AND THE DAWN'S LIGHT BREAKS.
THE SMOKE CLEARS,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
KEY SEES THIS GIANT, HUMONGOUS AMERICAN FLAG
OVER FORT MCHENRY.
AND KEY IS LIKE, YEAH, IT'S STILL THERE.
IT'S WAY [bleep] THERE.
AND KEY IS SO BLOWN AWAY BY THE EMOTION OF IT,
HE STARTS JUST WRITING A POEM.
EVENTUALLY, COCHRANE SAYS, "YOU'RE FREE,"
AND THEY LET 'EM GO BACK TO BALTIMORE.
THE BRITISH RETREAT.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SPENDS THE WHOLE NIGHT FINISHING HIS POEM.
THE NEXT MORNING, HE CALLS HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW.
AND HE SAYS, I GOT THIS POEM, AND YOU NEED TO SEE THIS.
HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW LOOKS AT IT, AND HE'S LIKE,
THIS IS THE BEST POEM EVER.
WE HAVE TO PUBLISH THIS NOW.
LIKE, RIGHT NOW.
IT SHOULD BE PUT TO THAT MELODY, THE
A BRITISH DRINKING SONG.
SO THEY DISTRIBUTED THE SONG TO EVERYBODY,
AND PEOPLE IN THE TOWN WOULD BE KIND OF LIKE,
♪ OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE ♪
I GET THIS. I DIG IT.
IT--THIS IS--THIS'LL WORK.
AND THE SONG WOUND UP BEING A--
PRETTY MUCH AN AMAZING HIT.
AND IT'S CALLED
AND IT'S AMERICA.
[laughs]
WHO ARE ANY OF YOU PEOPLE?