 And in those words are the words Star Spangled Banner. So putting that all together, historians do believe that Frank had in mind that he was writing a song even though he was just a poet, an amateur poet that night. The Star Spangled Banner did not become the national anthem officially until 1931. The United States did not have a national anthem until 1931. But it was one of the songs that was played at patriotic gatherings such as Fourth of July.