This attribution was not proven beyond doubt until 1976 in an article by William Lichtenwanger. The music was written by an English church and award-winning popular song composer named John Stafford Smith. The tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is borrowed from “The Anacreontic Song,” which is an amateur musicians club anthem from London, England. Who wrote the music? Is the “Banner” a poem or a song? This is the title given to the first sheet music of the song, published in October or early November. The original published title of Key’s poem is spelled with a “c” in Defence the tune quickly became known as “The Star-Spangled Banner,” because this phrase is repeated in the final line of each verse. Thus he did not return to land and finish the lyric until September 16. He was on his own ship anchored on a tributary and no longer a prisoner at this time, but his ship could not head for Baltimore until the British fleet departed.

Francis Scott Key wrote the lyric “The Defence of Fort McHenry” inspired by the dawning of the American victory at the Battle of Baltimore on September 14, 1814.

What is the star spangled banner song