# My lack of patriotism - I mute the national anthem **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762 "2011-04-09T04:47:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/21 "2011-04-10T22:11:42Z")
I always mute the British anthem. Its dreadful and sounds like a funeral dirge. But whats the straightdope about the other “Anthems” associated with the UK., for example, the pretentious “Land of Hope and Glory” The wishful “Rule Britannia” and the truly weird “Jerusalem” Whats all that about? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/22 "2011-04-11T19:07:01Z")
I don’t mute it, but I don’t make it a point to watch/listen, either. I DO change the channel/mute for ‘God Bless America’. Got so tired of that during the last World Series. If I’m actually at a baseball game I make sure to be taking a leak or getting a beer during the 7th inning stretch. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/23 "2011-04-13T19:50:25Z")
:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: As an anthematologist that doesn’t like sports at all, the only reason I watch sporting events, up to and especially the Olympics, is for the anthems! (Heck, in my personal collection of national anthem files (literally thousands of them from pretty much every country on the globe), many of them are from the start of sporting matches!) In fact, during the World Junior Hockey Championships, I was happy with the final game (unlike most of my fellow Canucks) because it was Canada vs. Russia - if Canada wins, it’s the country I live in. Yay Canada. If Russia wins, I get to hear my favourite national anthem played! (to the dismay of my fellow northerners, I got to hear my favourite national anthem. (FTR, Georgia is #2, and there isn’t much of a ranking beyond that) ---
**Author:** ![bragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@bragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bragg)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/24 "2012-06-28T18:52:07Z")
Hi, Welcome to this site,here you will find lots of useful things , but in my opinion one should respect his own nation and nation related songs because it represents that group of people in whole world ,hope you will find right answer to your question. Thanks Bragg ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/25 "2012-06-28T19:26:31Z")
Yeah, **don’t ask** , I know you’re new here so keep up! :dubious: For both USA and Aus, I prefer the “backup” anthems to the official ones. The Star Spangled Banner gets a plus because it was originally a drinking song. And AAF seems to be designed by committee to me, even though though that’s not really true. ---
**Author:** ![MrDurden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed655f/32.png) [@MrDurden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDurden)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/26 "2012-06-28T19:54:40Z")
I’ll second the ‘usually horrible performance’ as a reason to not listen. I don’t know about the land of Oz, but here in the US, it seems the big thing for the past decade or so has been to stretch every word and syllable out to several seconds per word to the point that it is getting ridiculous and just not at all worth listening to. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/27 "2012-06-28T20:43:24Z")
O’er the laaaand of the free-e-e-e-e-e-hee-hee-e-e-e-e-e ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/28 "2012-06-28T21:45:59Z")
> [@Philliam](#): > > Lynn Bodoni & Chefguy both hit it for six. Me fourth. I love this country, but oy, our anthem is awful. Or at least impossible to sing by normal people, which amounts to the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762/29 "2012-06-28T22:51:49Z")
I mute it or change the channel in most cases unless it’s just a straight recording (like an orchestra or band), like they play at the Olympics. The worst is at live sporting events where you can’t escape or cover your ears lest you get the stinkeye from other fans. I just stand politely gritting my teeth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lack-of-patriotism-i-mute-the-national-anthem/577762.md?page=1)