The first verse, in which a young man peers into a foggy and rain-soaked dawn to find out whether his country has been conquered in battle, is urgent, open-hearted and honest. It's as stirring today as it was when Key wrote those words 200 years ago. But the third verse, which claims that the "foul footsteps" of the slaves who fought on the side of the British have polluted America, is stunningly offensive to modern ears.