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“OVER MY SHOULDER”

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"...Over My Shoulder..."
by
Steve H Kehoe
"On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes......And where is that band who so vauntingly swore...?" Strange words, indeed! But they should not be totally unknown-that is-to any student of American history, for these two phrases are the first lines to the second and third stanza of the four-stanza (have you ever heard, or sung, all four of them?) national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, which has been our country's "signature song" since an act of Congress made it so in 1931. But how many of you, dear readers, know the "real story behind" young lawyer Francis Scott Key's penning of the words that wound up representing our young country? In truth, 35-yr-old barrister F.S. Key, himself being held by the Brits on the H.M.S. Minden under a flag of truce on a mission to free British prisoner Dr. Beanes-who had been accused of aiding in the arrest of British dragoons-approved by President Madison, was so impressed by the bombardment of Ft. McHenry in Baltimore harbor, that he, an amateur poet himself, wrote the words to what was first called "In Defense of McHenry". Key gave the words, scribbled on the back of a letter, to his bro-in-law, one Judge Nicholson, who saw to it that the words were set to the music of a popular British drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven", which had first been published in 1780, credited to British composer Sir John Stafford Smith. In point of fact, the tune and words themselves, popular even in the former colonies of the United States, was dated back to the sixteenth century! Herewith is the first of four stanzas' lyrics to "To Anacreon in Heaven", and for Heaven's sake I cannot see how the words fit the melody. You try it! To Anacreon in heaven where he sat in full glee,A few sons of harmony sent
a petition,
That he their inspirer and patron would be,
When this answer arrived from the jolly old Grecian:
Voice, fiddle, and flute, no longer be mute,
I will lend you my name and inspire you to boot!
And besides I'll instruct you like me to entwine
The myrtle of Venus and Bacchus's vine.

Huh? To be precise, Anacreon was a Greek poet (circa 582-485 BC) who wrote lovingly about the goddess of love and the god of wine. The Anacreontic Club of London consisted of a group of wealthy Britishers who met to celebrate just that: music, good times, and fine wine! (I'll just bet that this group of "boys" had every bit as much fun-and maybe a whole lot more-than the woodcarvers, veterans, fishermen, dart throwers, or any other worthy group here at Holly Lake Ranch ever did!) Anyhoo, the lyrics were co-authored by Sir Ralph Tomlinson, no doubt a member of such a fine club, comprised of landed gentry who just were out for a jolly good time, eh what? In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that The Star Spangled Banner, as it was by then known, be played at all military and other "appropriate" occasions; but it wasn't ‘til two years later, played in the seventh-inning-stretch of the 1918 World Series, that it gained nationwide popularity. It had been performed as the SSB back in 1897 at baseball's opening day ceremonies in Philadelphia (how appropriate!), and then even more regularly at the Polo Grounds in The Big Apple, beginning in 1898. But it wasn't ‘till WW2 that the tradition of playing what by then had become the national anthem (1931) before the beginning of most all sporting events in the nation. Pressure from Robert Ripley (author of Ripley's Believe it or Not) and none other than John Philip Sousa in 1929 led to a law signed by President Hoover, and the SSB became our national anthem! One not-necessarily-good outgrowth of the song came shockingly in 1968, before the opening game of the St.Louis-Detroit World Series, by Jose Feliciano. His bluesy interpretation led to many copycat artists' performing their arrangement(s) of the song, which in this writer's opinion (and presumably others) tends to "diss" the tune. As this was the painful time of the war in Vietnam, many veterans groups and even "sunshine patriots" protested vehemently, but the djinn was by then out of the bottle, and was hard to stuff back inside!

So there you have it: The "rest" of the story, as the late great Paul Harvey would say.
Betcha didn't know that our revered national anthem had its beginning as a variation of a British drinking song commemorating an ancient Greek poet devoted to the god of wine!
This proves once again the old adage that "The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction!" Cheerio...and "Bottoms Up!"
Steve H Kehoe This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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"Over My Shoulder....."
by
Steve H Kehoe

Note: This begins a new series of columns, the intent of which is to not only do review of movies and plays, but also occasional restaurant reviews, and (hopefully) humorous social commentary. As such the masthead is changed from "Silver Screenings" in order to reflect this new purpose. We hope you enjoy this expanded format-comments are welcomed:

"Para su gusto!"
(For your pleasure)

My "B.W."* and I ventured to Tyler today for 4 ½ hours of doctors' appointments and tests. Once concluded, we opted to have lunch at one of our favorite little places, which we wish to share with you now. Located at 1327 East Front Street, on a hilltop just off the Hospital District, stands "Margarita's Mexican Restaurant". For us, it's been "tried and true" for several years now (they opened for business in May of '04), and has never disappointed. Their cuisine, according to owner Margarita Compos, is "authentic" Mexican, which of course means a taste difference from the more common "Tex-Mex" that one so often (maybe too often) finds here in East Texas. For those like me who don't discriminate when it comes to cucina Mexicana, Tex-Mex is available, as are a number of platos Americanos. MMR features daily (except Sunday) luncheon specials, and is open from 10:30 to 9:00 p.m. six days, and till 5:00 on Sundays. Like most successful Mexican restaurants, only fresh ingredients are used; Margarita's also serves a zesty dipping "red" salsa and a delightfully mild avocado-based "green" sauce, with the usual basket of warm chips. Table service is swift, and the waitstaff gladly explain both the specials and the "favorite" dishes for patrons and new diners alike.

One thing they do serve already insures my continued patronage: Mole, which is available in a chicken breast dinner as well as a topping for enchiladas con polo. If you haven't tried Mole, you are missing a taste sensation bordering on the fantastico!
My bride opted for a large Mexican salad con polo, while I enjoyed tacos pescado. Both were pleasing to the palate, and served in a colorful manner. The entire restaurant is gaily decorated with bright colored banners and accoutrements, but, unlike some "chain" places, stops short of being over-done. Other delightful menu items include Chicken a la parrilla, sopa Columbiana, & caldo de Mariscos. All expected hot and cold beverages are available, including agues Horchata, melon, limon, tamarindo, sandia & Pina.
I give this delightful little place a 3.5 out of 5.0; You should try in on your next Tyler trip. Mucho gusto, Steve H Kehoe
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it *="Beautiful Wife