America's national anthem is sung to the tune of a British drinking song.
When Francis Scott Key penned the words to the poem that ultimately became "The Star-Spangled Banner," he had the melody of a rather ignoble song in mind. "To Anacreon in Heaven" is a British drinking song that praises debauchery rather than patriotism — yet Americans proudly listen to and sing the notoriously tricky-to-nail tune on the Fourth of July and at countless sporting events throughout the year.