Was there a national anthem before Star-Spangled Banner?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

And don't be a smartass and say some other counties anthem.

[Frink]

And don't be a smartass and say some other counties anthem.

Unofficially it was Hail, Columbia, IIRC.

If that's wrong I'm sure TrueFederalist will be able to steer you in the right direction.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I guess there weren't "official" anthem and Hail Columbia indeed played this role unoficially.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

And don't be a smartass and say some other counties anthem.

Unofficially it was Hail, Columbia, IIRC.

If that's wrong I'm sure TrueFederalist will be able to steer you in the right direction.

I appreciate the confidence.

Hail, Columbia is the oldest of the unofficial anthems, altho several other songs vied for the honor before the drinking song finally got the nod.

Personally, I would prefer either Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean which is by far the most rousing of the contenders or America the Beautiful which is the least jingoistic of them to be our anthem. My Country, 'Tis of Thee isn't too bad, but sharing the same music as God Save the Monarch makes it unsuitable.

I also would have preferred that Hail, Columbia remained the Presidential March instead of being demoted to use by the Vice President.

[Mikestone8]

My Country, 'Tis of Thee isn't too bad, but sharing the same music as God Save the Monarch makes it unsuitable.
[/quote]


If adopted pre-1912, MCToT could have created an interesting situation at the Olympics.

Had a Brit, an American and a German - in any order - got the first three places in an event, you'd have heard the same tune played three times, as God Save The King, My Country, 'Tis Of Thee and  Heil Dir Im Seigeskrantz

[The Mikado]

Technically, that song's called America.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Technically, that song's called America.

That's the other title for it, but there are other songs with the title America including Neil Diamond's and the two versions for West Side Story.  (The stage and film versions had quite different lyrics for America.)