[TexaninVA]

Originally Posted by Choro&Swing

Whoever wrote that the third verse is confusing is right. I’ve spent the past 43 years teaching students how to analyze poetry. Here is my take on it.
Verse:

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The first three lines asks what has happened to the British army that boasted the war would take away our home and country. In line four the answer is found: our soil was polluted by their foul footsteps, but that pollution has been washed out by their blood. “Hireling and slave” in line five refers to the British troops: mercenaries (hirelings) and drafted or “impressed” poor men (though they weren’t actually slaves, they were forced to serve against their will after being essentially kidnapped). So lines five and six mean that the British troops were running for their lives and dying because they couldn’t find a place to hide. Lines seven and eight concludes the tale of what happened to our enemies by saying our nation’s flag still waves over our land and home.

There! That wasn’t so hard, was it? (Laughing). Beyond question, it’s not an easy verse to understand. I think it would be hard to sing with feeling. It’s almost like singing in a foreign language. However, if you think about it, you’ll see that the first verse is nearly as difficult. Most people who have it memorized would probably have a hard time explaining what is happening, to whom, and when.

I love our National Anthem, but I don’t consider Key a good poet or lyricist. I don’t mind working to figure out a piece of poetry, but good lyric poetry meant to be sung is usually more straightforward so the singers have a better idea of what they are singing about.

Excellent and informed post