Oh say can you see?

[semperfiona]

There's a group going around the country teaching people the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner"; they're visiting St Louis today. They claim 2 of 3 Americans don't know the words. I want to know where they are finding these people. Are they counting children and brand-new immigrants who wouldn't have had a chance to learn them yet? Or are they counting people who only know the first verse as "not knowing" the words? I'm boggled. I can't imagine growing up in the US and not knowing them (well, the first verse anyhow). So. A poll.

[Poll #672326]

I'm curious, also, whether non-USians "typically" know the words to their own national anthems, and how that might differ by country of origin. Please feel free to answer in comments.

Comments

[notshakespeare.livejournal.com]

I also know that the first 2 notes are a dotted eight sixteenth and not a triplet the way most people sing it.

I had that beaten into my head by a Canadian conductor in college.

[semperfiona]

Which two? "O-oh"? I wouldn't recognize the difference between a dotted-eighth and sixteenth and a triplet without a metronome.

[notshakespeare.livejournal.com]

Yep. The first note should be 3 times longer than the second, not 2 times longer.