# God Bless America is not the fucking national anthem! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 7, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856 "2011-10-07T02:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/1 "2011-10-07T02:40:13Z")
You don’t need to remove your fucking hat. You don’t need to put your hand over your heart. You don’t need to stand still. You are allowed to move through the stands and through the aisles, head for the beer stand, head for the restroom. (Not necessarily in that order.) For crying out loud, I never thought there would be anything that would make me nostalgic for “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”, but this stupid and idiotic obsession with treating “God Bless America” as if it means anything has just about done it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/2 "2011-10-07T02:45:29Z")
Well, at least we can sing that one! The anthem we got, was it written before the invention of melody? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/3 "2011-10-07T02:46:39Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, at least we can sing that one! The anthem we got, was it written before the invention of melody? No, melody had been invented; the tune was written by drunks. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/4 "2011-10-07T02:48:56Z")
Can the OP clarify, as a furry foragna, I have lost touch with which things Americans are supposed to turn off their brains for and stand touching their nipples. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/5 "2011-10-07T02:56:17Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Can the OP clarify, as a furry foragna, I have lost touch with which things Americans are supposed to turn off their brains for and stand touching their nipples. The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem, and it is generally accepted by even those like me that one should follow ettiquette. Stand, face the flag, place your hand (or hat) over your heart, sing the words if you know them and just move your lips if you don’t. Since 9-11, there has become a tradition of playing God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch of baseball games. This evening, I heard the public address announcer instructing the audience to stand up and remove their hats. I would hope the bulk of them ignored him. What do the French do during the performance of your national anthem? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/6 "2011-10-07T03:01:03Z")
Run away? Sorry that was an easy cheapshot that I just couldn’t let go. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/7 "2011-10-07T03:04:13Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem, and it is generally accepted by even those like me that one should follow ettiquette. Stand, face the flag, place your hand (or hat) over your heart, sing the words if you know them and just move your lips if you don’t. > > Since 9-11, there has become a tradition of playing God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch of baseball games. This evening, I heard the public address announcer instructing the audience to stand up and remove their hats. I would hope the bulk of them ignored him. Ha ok, I thought that was that but wasnt sure. > [@Frank](#): > > What do the French do during the performance of your national anthem? They go take a piss. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/8 "2011-10-07T03:20:50Z")
I have never heard of this phenomenon, but for the announcer to actually ask the audience to stand up/be silent/remove hats or whatever is so ridiculous it’s not even funny. God Bless America is one of my favorite patriotic songs… but please. PLEASE. Having just one song where we are socially required to act like patriotic zombies is enough, do we need another? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/9 "2011-10-07T04:05:59Z")
What happened to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”? That’s what they play around here. I’ll stand up for that. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/10 "2011-10-07T04:40:23Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > You don’t need to remove your fucking hat. You don’t need to put your hand over your heart. You don’t need to stand still. You are allowed to move through the stands and through the aisles, head for the beer stand, head for the restroom. (Not necessarily in that order.) Tell that to the crotchety old fart that will inevitably get his panties in a wad and lecture you about about “respect for your country.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/11 "2011-10-07T04:43:22Z")
> [@C3](#): > > What happened to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”? That’s what they play around here. I’ll stand up for that. Agreed! I have actually been to ballgames where there are some guys who half throw their arms around their buds (or hold up a beer) and remove their hat as well! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/12 "2011-10-07T06:37:13Z")
I’d stand and start singing “This Land is Your Land”. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/13 "2011-10-07T09:50:55Z")
> [@Cyberhwk](#): > > Tell that to the crotchety old fart that will inevitably get his panties in a wad and lecture you about about “respect for your country.” :rolleyes: I usually tell him I’m not remaining seated because I don’t respect my country, I’m remaining seated because I don’t respect God. It gives him a nice story to tell back at the home. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/14 "2011-10-07T10:20:41Z")
Also, you don’t have to stand for the Hallelujah Chorus just because George III once had a cramp. But oooh, the looks I get if I stay seated. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/15 "2011-10-07T10:31:10Z")
Um - this isn’t exactly a new thing. The Philadelphia Flyers have been playing “God Bless America” in their arena since before I was born. Long before MLB picked this up, it became something of a tradition for them. ---
**Author:** ![cards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@cards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cards)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/16 "2011-10-07T12:11:27Z")
This has bugged me for years. I go to Cardinals and Blues games. I one time ignored the song and my friends started to harrass me about not taking part. Like Frank, I explained it isn’t the fucking national anthem. Fortunately they agreed after a brief debate. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/17 "2011-10-07T12:44:35Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’d stand and start singing “This Land is Your Land”. Don’t give us any ideas: there might soon be a fifth inning stretch with that song. And a sixth inning stretch where the crowd has to march around in circles to a J.P. Sousa march. And then there will be a first inning stretch in which mandatory prayer is offered; and a eighth inning stretch were the crowd all says bad things about illegal immigrants and checks everyone else’s ID to see if they’re in the ballpark legally. This shit is out of control. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/18 "2011-10-07T12:58:28Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > What do the French do during the performance of your national anthem? > [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > Run away? > [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > They go take a piss. So, Bees was close, then? Depending on the urgency? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/19 "2011-10-07T13:04:10Z")
Don’t forget that when T-Pain’s “I’m in Love with a Stripper” comes on you have to stand up and wave a couple dollar bills in the air. Making it rain in the bullpen is optional. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/20 "2011-10-07T13:32:30Z")
I think we should change it to “There are no cats in America And the streets are paved with cheese Oh there are no cats in America So set your mind at ease” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856.md?page=2)