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6.10.18
"The Star Spangled Banner": Lyrics and Chords
Here’s the complete lyric to "The Star Spangled Banner," along with the chord progression in the key of C major (melody composed by John Stafford Smith):
As discussed in the introduction to modulation in Chapter 5, “The Star Spangled Banner” uses a tonicization or two, but doesn’t really modulate (Figure 91).
FIGURE 91: Chord Map of “The Star Spangled Banner” (Words by Francis Scott Key, 1814; Music by John Stafford Smith, ca. 1773)
As the above chord map shows, the strength of the chord progression—derived from an exceptionally well-constructed melody—resides in its robust seconds and descending fifths.
Third progressions appear only briefly.