MARION - Oh, say, can you…recite the lyrics to the National Anthem?

If you can't, you apparently are in the majority.

Today is the 191st anniversary of the writing of the National Anthem of the United States of America, the "Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key. A recent Harris Interactive survey showed two out of three Americans don't know all the words. The survey said of those who did know the lyrics, 58 percent had received musical instruction in a classroom.

Educators are even more concerned with the results of an ABC News poll that indicated one in three teens don't even know the name of the National Anthem. Less than 35 percent could name the author of the "Star-Spangled Banner," and only about 15 percent could recite the words from memory.

Local schools are taking those survey results to heart.

Students at Marion's Jefferson and Lincoln schools and Marion High School were to sing the anthem this morning in celebration of the song's anniversary. At Jefferson, students were to be accompanied by former principal Guy "Pete" Peterson and former music teacher Yolande Peterson.

Students at Lincoln School planned to sing in their classrooms and at the high school, the Singing Wildcats, under the direction of Elizabeth Byasee Shore, planned to lead the school in the National Anthem over closed-circuit television.

Shore said the Marion schools are participating in today's sing-along - part of the Musical Educators National Conference National Anthem Project - to get more students to sing the Star-Spangled Banner.

In addition, Shore said the Marion High School Singing Wildcats are available, either as a full chorus or a part of the group, to sing the National Anthem at community events.

National Anthem short history

Francis Scott Key was a lawyer in Georgetown when the United States and Great Britain were fighting the War of 1812. The British had already burned the White House and were prepared to attack the city of Baltimore and Fort McHenry.

Key and negotiator Col. John Skinner approached the British to secure the freedom of Dr. William Beanes, a loved and respected citizen of the Baltimore area. The three had to wait out the battle behind enemy lines at sea.

They spent a day and into the night watching the massive bombardment of the battle. In the pre-dawn, as the story goes, all became quiet. Key and his companions feared the worst. However, when daylight came at last, the flag over Fort McHenry - an extra-large one with stars measuring 2-foot across - was still there.

Inspired, Key wrote the words that were to become the National Anthem on the back of a letter.

The lyrics were put to a melody popular at the time for patriotic songs. The melody was actually an English drinking song known as "To Anacreon in Heaven."

The song was adopted as the national anthem on March 3, 1931.

Lyrics hard to remember

A number of national celebrities have forgotten the words to the Star-Spangled Banner during live events, such as the start of sporting events.

But some "everyday folks" seem to have a tough time singing the song when put on the spot.

Ryan Hayes, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale student from Pecatonica said he learned the lyrics "for a social studies class like American Government or something."

Zach Huling from St. Louis, another SIUC student, never learned the song formally but at least hums along at the hockey and baseball games at which he learned it.

"I take off my hat," he said. "If I heard the music, I'd know the words. I think it's like a memory thing - you hear the music and you remember the words."

Wendy Barlow of Carbondale agrees. She learned the song at school and at church. Though she initially had the National Anthem - which is the Star-Spangled Banner - confused with "My Country 'Tis of Thee" she was able to recite the lyrics for a few lines before jumping ahead to the "ramparts" part.

"We sing it every Fourth of July," she said. "We stand and put our hands over our hearts and sing it out loud."

andrea.hahn@thesouthern.com

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