​到底哪一首才是美国国歌

到底哪一首才是美国国歌

说到美国人的爱国，就不得不提美国为数不少的爱国歌曲们。首先要介绍的，当然就是美国国歌本人了。

其实这一段写于英美二次独立战争时期的《The Star-Spangled Banner》，共有四段歌词，但是通常只会演唱其第一段歌词。

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 rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

这首被称为《星条旗永不落》曲子虽然是美国国歌（National anthem），但是可能是因为名字太相似的关系，常常被跟“进行曲之王”苏莎（Sousa）所作的国家进行曲（National march） 《The Stars and Stripes Forever》 搞混。其实这两首曲子虽然名字相近，但是听起来可是完全不一样呢。

是否听起来很耳熟呢？相信各位读者一定有在记忆里的某个场合听过，可能是国小升旗的进场音乐，也有可能是某个游乐园的旋转木马或者马戏团音乐。尤其如果有参加过国小或国中管乐团的读者，大概不会对这首苏莎的代表作陌生。有趣的是，苏莎的姓氏正好是 SO-USA，被趣称为非常爱国的作曲家。

不过除了这首因为名字很类似而被搞混的国家进行曲之外，还有另一首爱国歌曲，似乎也很想找美国国歌的碴，那就是经常在大型活动或者运动赛事时演唱的《God Bless America》。

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free.

Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,

As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:

God bless America, land that I love,

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans white with foam,

God bless America, my home sweet home.

God bless America, my home sweet home.

《God Bless America》由于经常在公开场合被演唱，因此也常被误会为是美国国歌。你以为就这样完了吗？不，还有一首《American The Beautiful 》因为歌词优美，且朗朗上口，和《God Bless America》同样有第二国歌之称。

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

事实上一直有许多 《American The Beautiful 》的支持者想要推动换歌，把美国国歌改成这首。支持者的理由包括：旋律较为优美、更容易唱，还有正式国歌 《The Star-Spangled Banner》 的创作背景是在战争时期，因此歌曲不但有大量的战争写照，还有仇视英军的部分。