While red, white, and blue have for a long time been the ranking order of the colors of British national ensigns, with us blue—the blue of the union, the firmament of our constellation of stars—claims the first place on our colors, red the second, and white the third; so that for us the song should read,—
“When borne by the blue, red, and white,”
instead of,—
“When borne by the red, white, and blue.”
These lapses are explained by the fact that the author was an Englishman by birth, and it was very natural that he should make them. Though written by a native-born Englishman, the song was thoroughly American in its inception and origin. In the English version, already referred to, the first line is altered to read,—
“Britannia, the pride of the ocean.”
In these days of kindly fellowship with England, Americans are perfectly willing to share their song of “red, white, and blue” with their cousins across the water.
