Star Spangled Flower
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(c) September 15, 2001
Adapted from original lyrics of "The Star Spangled Banner"
Additional lyrics by Richard & Linda Hefner
Music is from the traditional song "Wildwood Flower"


Oh say, can you see,
by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed,
at the gleaming twilight,
The rockets' red glare,
the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night,
that our flag was still there.

And where is that band,
who so vauntingly swore,
'Mid the battle's confusion
and havoc of war,
But conquer we must,
for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto,
"In God is our trust!"

No refuge could save,
from the terror of flight,
The foe's evil plan,
turned the day into night.
Midst the rubble arose,
our great symbol of pride,
Flying higher than ever,
with God on our side.

Oh say, does that Star
Spangled Banner yet wave,
With the cost of our freedom,
the lives that they gave.
You can hear 5000 voices,
all shouting from the grave,
It's still the land of the free
and the home of the brave.

--------------------------------
[Below in brackets are some notes
about the meanings of some of
the lines in the song.]


Oh say, can you see,
by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed,
at the gleaming twilight,
The rockets' red glare,
the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night,
that our flag was still there.

And where is that band,
[the band of hijackers]
who so vauntingly swore,
'Mid the battle's confusion
and havoc of war,
[the confusion of the airplane passengers]
But conquer we must,
for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto,
"In God is our trust!"

No refuge could save,
from the terror of flight,
[the flight of the airplanes
and the terror of the passengers]
The foe's evil plan,
turned the day into night.
Midst the rubble arose,
our great symbol of pride,
[refers to the flag that was
flown on what was left of the WTC]
Flying higher than ever,
with God on our side.
[the flag flies higher than it did
on the WTC because of the unity of
the American people]

Oh say, does that Star
Spangled Banner yet wave,
With the cost of our freedom,
the lives that they gave.
You can hear 5000 voices,
all shouting from the grave,
[the 5000 victims of the attack...
we know now it more like 3000
so you can change it if you want to.]
It's still the land of the free
and the home of the brave.