Is the Star Spangled Banner the same tune or melody as God save the Queen?

Question

I was watching the opening of the Miami - New York game in LOndon today and they sang both national anthems and the song sounds the same. Why is this? and what is that exact history? You would think our anthem would sound different given our begining history...

Answer 1

No, God Save the Queen is the same tune as "My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, etc."

Answer 2

No.  The music for the Star Spangled banner was first published in the late 1700's in Britain by two members of the Anacreontic Club of London.  It was called "To Anacreon in Heaven".

Several people have put words to the music, one of the being Frances Scott Keyes who wrote the words to the Star Spangled Banner to the music.

The song you are thinking of is "My Country Tis of Thee" which is written to the tune of "God Save the King", the British national anthem.

Answer 3

The anthem, "America" that begins "My Country 'Tis of Thee" is the one set to the melody of "God Save the Queen," while The Star Spangled Banner was set by it's author, Francis Scott Key, to another British tune,"The Anacreontic Song." It's not a secret that both melodies were British in origin.

Answer 4

Sounds the same to me. I thought I was the only one who thought that.