The Stars and Stripes Forever

John Philip Sousa is a famous American composer known for his marches, and this is his most famous song. It's a patriotic anthem, with the stars and stripes referring to the American flag. In his autobiography Marching Along, Sousa explained that he wrote the song on a boat while returning from a vacation in Europe where he found out that his band manager David Blakely had died. Wrote Sousa: "I was pacing on the deck, absorbed in thoughts of my manager's death and the many duties and decisions which awaited me in New York. Suddenly, I began to sense a rhythmic beat of a band playing within my brain. Throughout the whole tense voyage, that imaginary band continued to unfold the same themes, echoing and re-echoing the most distinct melody. I did not transfer a note of that music to paper while I was on the steamer, but when we reached shore, I set down the measures that my brain-band had been playing for me, and not a note of it has ever changed."

On May 3, 1897, a statue of George Washington was unveiled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To mark the occasion, a parade was organized, and one of the highlights of the event was the first public performance "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Sousa had specifically composed the march for the occasion, and it quickly became one of Sousa's most popular and enduring works. During the unveiling ceremony, President William McKinley was present in the audience, adding to the significance of the event. Sousa's march was played by the United States Marine Band, also known as "The President's Own," which contributed to the patriotic atmosphere surrounding the occasion. In 1987, "The Stars and Stripes Forever" was designated the official march of the United States.

"Stars and Stripes Forever" is used as an emergency alert at the circus. When they play the song, it means there is a fire and that the performers and circus hands should go to their emergency stations and start evacuating people. "Stars and Stripes Forever" was chosen for this purpose because it is a well-known and recognizable tune.