Hail to musical adaptation: how a lusty boat song became presidential
January 5, 2017 9:20 PM   Subscribe

The upcoming transfer of power in the United States will be a time with much pomp and music, with people singing along to "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America," but "Hail to the Chief" remains instrumental, even though there are lyrics, as sung by the Mormon Tabernacle. And if we sang those lyrics, we'd be missing its origin as a song to celebrate Roderick Dhu, or Black Roderick, a fictional medieval Scottish outlaw, which was re-written a number of times before becoming the song that Julia Tyler, wife of President John Tyler, requested for presidential entrances.

This all goes back to 1809, when Scott began writing The Lady of the Lake in August while holidaying with his wife, Charlotte, and daughter, Sofia, in the Trossachs and along the shores and islands of Loch Katrine (Google maps).
The influences of the poem are both extensive and diverse, given that both the last name taken by the leading African-American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, and the Ku Klux Klan custom of cross burning derive from the influence of the poem (through the film Birth of a Nation.) But, the Fiery cross or Crann Tara was a device for rallying people in Scotland and did not carry racist connotations.
And in one early scene, Roderick’s pike-wielding, tartan-clad clansmen serenade him with a lustyBoat Song” (YouTube reading of the poem, text of the poem on Google books), the source of our national tribute: “Hail to the Chief who in triumph advances! / Honored and blessed be the ever-green Pine!”

The poem was performed as a play in 1812 in Philadelphia, where it was a big hit, then it spread to many major American cities. The score was published and fed the craze for parlor music. Part of the fervor for the play and music likely was due to perceived parallels between the play and the War of 1812, with the ruffian clan chieftain Roderick Dhu, who fought against Scotland’s King James V, who was half English, leading a similar fight the still young United States of America, who declared war on Great Britain.

One early revision to the the original "Hail to the Chief" from The Lady of the Lake was "Wreaths for the Chieftain", which was Sung by Mr. Huntington in the Stone Chapel, Boston, at the Celebration of Peace with Great Britain, and the birthday of the then deceased Washington, on Feb. 22nd, 1815. During his life, Washington was a proponent of "Hail, Columbia" (Wikipedia, YouTube) as a national anthem or personal entrance song, while Thomas Jefferson was fond of "Jefferson and Liberty," which is sung to an Irish jig. In comparison, "Adams and Liberty" was not nearly as catchy (both are actually campaign songs of yore, and contrafactum, replacing the words of a known song with new words).

Circling back to our contrafacta of focus, "Hail to the Chief" was already very popular when the Marine Band played it at the ground-breaking of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on July 4, 1828. On March 4, 1829, the Marine Band performed at the inauguration of President Andrew Jackson, the first inaugural ceremony held on the U.S. Capitol steps (the ceremony has been held a number of places over time, including 7 times outside of Washington, D.C.).

Julia Tyler's claim to the first person to request the song as a presidential entrance song is not clear, with Sarah Polk, wife of President James K. Polk (1845 to 1849), being the other first lady to get that credit. According to historian William Seale, Sarah Polk was concerned that her husband "was not an impressive figure, so some announcement was necessary to avoid the embarrassment of his entering a crowded room unnoticed."

U.S. Marine Band Director John Philip Sousa wrote the "Presidential Polonaise" at the request of President Chester Arthur (1881 to 1885), who didn't find "Hail to the Chief" dignified enough or took issue with the song's origins.

A short intro called "Ruffles & Flourishes" was added during William McKinley's presidency (1897 to 1901). Finally in 1954, the Department of Defense made "Hail to the Chief" the official musical tribute for presidential events, 139 years after "Wreaths for the Chieftain" was performed in memory of George Washington and 125 years after the Marine band played the tune for the inauguration of President Andrew Jackson.

Parting shots: The Lady of the Lake (1928), originally a silent film, with sounded added in 1931. Based on Walter Scott's poem, at under 42 minutes, it's shorter than reading (or listening to) the entire poem.
posted by filthy light thief (15 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was going to make a joke about only accepting the goofy My Fellow Americans lyrics (version one, version two), which is what I literally always sing in my head and giggle about, but boy howdy, I think they're actually better than the "official" lyrics, which are remarkably dumb, especially when compared with the original poem (which is quite nice).
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:38 PM on January 5, 2017 [8 favorites]


Additional alternate lyrics have also been offered.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:38 PM on January 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


DAMMIT, Eyebrows!
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:40 PM on January 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


Greg Ace and I clearly spent the late 90s watching the same dumb movies.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:40 PM on January 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


I am the chief, so you better watch your step, you bastards!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:41 PM on January 5, 2017 [3 favorites]


Proudly filmed in large part in my old stomping grounds, Asheville NC.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:43 PM on January 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


My favourite version is from the movie Dave, as performed by Kevin Kline.
posted by ODiV at 10:50 PM on January 5, 2017 [7 favorites]


I've never been able to hear it the same since some comedian described it as the music that should be playing when Harpo steals a salami.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 12:03 AM on January 6, 2017 [6 favorites]


"The influences of the poem are both extensive and diverse, given that both the last name taken by the leading African-American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, and the Ku Klux Klan custom of cross burning derive from the influence of the poem (through the film Birth of a Nation.)"

This post is so dense I need one of those skeleton key books to explain it to me...
posted by bleep at 12:04 AM on January 6, 2017


Oh, you mean the track used as the intro to Doug Stanhope's segment on newswipe.
posted by knoxg at 1:05 AM on January 6, 2017


a lusty boat song is a great username
posted by hippybear at 2:50 AM on January 6, 2017 [3 favorites]


The first of many presidential references in the excellent and tongue-twisting Paragraph President by Blackalicious.
posted by kersplunk at 3:15 AM on January 6, 2017


Fabulous post (as always) FLT.

Dammit ODiV you beat me to it!

Hail to the chief,
He's the chief and he needs hailing...


What more is there to say?
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 4:03 AM on January 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


What transfer of power? Jed Bartlet is about to begin his fifth term and everything is just fine fine.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:42 AM on January 6, 2017


I am the chief, so you better watch your step, you bastards!

In my memory I had mashed the two up and added violence somehow:

Hail to the chief, he's the chief and he needs hailing
If you don't hail him, he'll punch you in the face, you bastards
posted by middleclasstool at 8:46 AM on January 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


« Older “There is nothing hip and cool happening in...   |   Better living through... biohacking? Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments