# National Anthem: Will We Change? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2001, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756 "2001-09-25T18:56:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Xixox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/13edae/32.png) [@Xixox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xixox)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/21 "2001-09-26T06:16:48Z")
I’m for Dada’s Dizz-knee-land as our new anthem. > [@](#): > > I just flipped off President Geoooorge! I’m goin ta Disneyland! ---
**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/22 "2001-09-26T16:01:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > \*\*Just a moment here, “God Bless America” is …overly sweet… It is deliberately set to a tune so simple and undemanding that the late Lawrence Welk could sight-read it… > > “America the Beautiful” is a travelogue. Its lyrics are no more than a trip across Nebraska. It says nothing about resolve and principal and courage. It describes pretty scenic. It is a real estate developer’s brochure, not a national song of strength and unity and pride. > > “The Star Spangled Banner” is a hymn of stern resistance to unwarranted aggression by a foreign power and of a grim determination to defend and uphold the principals of the republic… > > It says that this nation will endure the worst that is thrown at it and will continue as the home of a free people… It is our Marseilles, our Deutschland Leid, our God Save the King/Queen. Turn 70,000 people lose on this puppy on a fall afternoon and you have a moving experience. \*\* What he said. I, too, prefer the SSB to the other suggestions, they just don’t stir the blood the way SSB does - it makes the other tunes seem like so much pap. I always thought the move to change the National Anthem was PC lameness run amuck. I hope it does not take hold. \*\*We should, maybe, play “God Bless America” at the reveille formation at one of those old western Army posts, the trumpet dying to the notes of ”…through the night with a light from a bulb,” \*\* [/QUOTE] You really didn’t mean bulb did you? “Thru the night with a light from above” is actually what Irving Berlin wrote. I like the fact you’ve been around these boards as long as I and have even fewer posts. We speak only gems. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/23 "2001-09-26T16:04:49Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s about the beginning of our country. I was under the impression that the Star Spangled Banner was composed not in the context of the American Revolutionary War but during the War of 1812. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/24 "2001-09-26T16:19:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > \*\* > “America the Beautiful” is a travelogue. Its lyrics are no more than a trip across Nebraska. It says nothing about resolve and principal and courage. It describes pretty scenic. It is a real estate developer’s brochure, not a national song of strength and unity and pride. > \*\* Well, that’s only if we stick to verse I . Don’t dismiss it so quickly - II O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! III O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self the country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine! - \*\* > [@](#): > > “The Star Spangled Banner” is a hymn of stern resistance to unwarranted aggression by a foreign power and of a grim determination to defend and uphold the principals of the republic. > It says that this nation will endure the worst that is thrown at it and will continue as the home of a free people. > \*\* Which is probably the best reason to keep it. AND you do point out that its well-known first verse doesn’t phone the Man Upstairs for help. (Though its latter verses do say say (once) this land was “Heav’n rescued” and quote (once) the “In God We Trust” national motto.) And as for the hard-to sing bit, hell, change keys. It’s allowed. Let Whitney screech the high notes if she wants to \*\* > [@](#): > > We might as well make “Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine” the national anthem as what has been suggested here. \*\* Speaking of rock’n’roll, The SSB has the privilege of being the world’s only National Anthem to be arranged for lead guitar by 101st Airborne (Screaming Eagle) paratrooper J. Hendrix. Yet another point in its favor. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/25 "2001-09-26T16:47:27Z")
RE: Thought the night with a light from a bulb (Foghorn Leghorn voice): It’s a joke, Son, a joke. It’s like that fine old Hymn “Gladly, the cross-eyed bear.” ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/26 "2001-09-26T19:01:16Z")
I don’t know why you’d want to ditch “The Star Spangled Banner” - it’s a great tune, one of the few national anthems that gives me goose-pimples. The other one, ironically, was the old Soviet anthem (which was so good that I believe Russia has readopted it after trying out a different tune.) Here, we’re stuck with the dreadful “God Save The Queen”. If you don’t want SSB, can we have it? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/27 "2001-09-26T22:19:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > \*\*[nitpick] “Waltzing Matilda” has never been Australia’s national anthem, although at one time it probably held a sort of ‘national song’ status. I’d say a fair section of our community doesn’t even know the song in its entirety these day, let alone realise it’s about a thief who shot dead three policemen. > > Our current national anthem (since 1970-something) is “Advance Australia Fair” which replaced “God Save the Queen”.[/nitpick] \*\* Really? But they sing “Waltzing Matilda” before the Australian Rugby Finals!!! I saw it on TV!!! What kind of a country doesn’t sing the National Anthem before sporting events?!!? 😃 I’m beginning to like Australia even more - no National Anthem before sporting events? I like it! But, of course, there still is the horrible “real” National Anthem to deal with. “Advance Australia Fair”? I don’t even know what that means. Well, it can’t be much worse than the US National Anthem. 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/28 "2001-09-26T22:25:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by frinkboy \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Monster104 \* > > \*\*People saying it’s about war are missing something very important: It’s about the beginning of our country. It’s not about war in general. > > \*\* > > How exactly is it about the beginning of our country? It was written about a battle that occurred during the War of 1812…not exactly the “birth of our nation”, eh? I suppose most people like to _think_ it’s about the beginning of our country…but it’s a War Song nonetheless. > > I’m a big partisan of **Woody Guthrie’s _This Land is Your Land_** …but only if we require people to sing (or at least _learn_)the “forgotten” verses about food shortages and welfare lines… > > Hey how 'bout **Neil Young’s _Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World_**??? \*\* Whoa! This Land is Your Land! That’s a winner in my book. You can sing along to it, everyone can sing along to it, you can slap each other on the back while singing it… There something sinister about the way he mentions the “forgotten” verses, though… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/29 "2001-09-27T07:42:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > Whoa! This Land is Your Land! That’s a winner in my book. You can sing along to it, everyone can sing along to it, you can slap each other on the back while singing it… There something sinister about the way he mentions the “forgotten” verses, though… \*\* _"Guthrie said that he wrote this song because he was tired of hearing Kate Smith sing “God Bless America.” In fact, before Guthrie changed each verse’s concluding line to “This land was made for you and me,” he ended each verse with “God blessed America for you and me.”_ --from [this](http://www.ksu.edu/english/nelp/american.studies.s98/god.bless.and.this.land.html) website. Oh…and that verse that they always seem to **“forget”** to teach you in school? **"One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple By the Relief Office I saw my people – As they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if This land was made for you and me"** Ya see…this song has it all: –everyone can sing it –it’s written in the most quintessentially American styles there is: the folk song –written by an American Icon: Woody Guthrie –and it’s frank with the fact that we’re not perfect. How American can you get??? ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/30 "2001-09-27T07:46:27Z")
I prefer “Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean” or “You’re a Grand Ol’ Flag.” But that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/31 "2001-09-27T16:19:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rossarian \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > > \*\*Something similar to the French National Anthem. “La Marsellaisse”. I always spell that wrong. “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” instead of “Bombs bursting”. \*\* > > Heh heh. I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you don’t know what the words to La Marseillaise actually are. > > The chorus: > > _To arms citizens > Form you battalions > March, march > Let impure blood > Water our furrows_ > > That’s friendly. 🙂 Great song, though. \*\* Zut Alors!!! 😕 I guess I knew this is a martial song. What I like about it is the way the French link arms and join in (at least where I’ve seen it done, which is not many places) . Everybody participates, nobody listens to some Kate Smith type. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/32 "2001-09-27T17:25:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nocturne \* > \*\*I prefer “Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean” \*\* Me too! And I’m not even Colombian! (ba-dum-bum. thank you.) Seriously, that’s a cool song. Although whenever I hear it I think of a scene from “The Music Man” and Eulalie McKechnie Shinn singing it, dressed as the Statue of Liberty. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/33 "2001-09-27T18:44:37Z")
“God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood has been my favorite patriotic American song for a long time, but I don’t see any reason to change it to the National Anthem. SSB is fine by me. ---
**Author:** ![KeithB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KeithB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithB)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/34 "2001-09-27T19:48:09Z")
Re: “This Land is your Land” There is also a verse that talks about walking in the woods and seeing a sign that says “No Trespassing”, but the _other_ side of the sign was blank, “That side was made for you and me.” Sounds pinko to me. Hijack: Many Moons ago, my then girlfriend’s father say Arlo Guthrie on the Muppet Show. He kept talking about “His man, Arlo.” Since he was the Ultra-Conservative pastor of an Ultra-Conservative Church, I knew that he obviously did not know much about the Guthries. As I was about to open my big mouth, my girlfriend shot me a glance that would curdle cream soda, so I kept quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/35 "2001-10-05T05:18:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > \*\*I’m beginning to like Australia even more - no National Anthem before sporting events? I like it! But, of course, there still is the horrible “real” National Anthem to deal with. “Advance Australia Fair”? I don’t even know what that means. Well, it can’t be much worse than the US National Anthem. 😃 😃 \*\* :::Rilchiam steps up to the mike::: :::ahem::: “Australians let us all rejoice For we are young and free We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil Our home is girt by sea Our land abounds in nature’s gifts Of beauty rich and rare In history’s page let every stage Advance Australia fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia fair!” :::steps down::: A die-hard Aussie Rules fan on another board posted the link to a RealAudio clip. Good tune, as well. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/36 "2001-10-05T05:38:10Z")
I think we should use “My Country 'Tis of Thee”. Now there’s a good, all-American tune. 😉 Seriously, I think the Star Spangled Banner is perfect for the job of national anthem. Other songs are great for patriotic sing-alongs, but that one is the best choice for the official role. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/37 "2001-10-05T07:23:09Z")
I stand by my statement that it’s about the creation of our nation, and here’s why. The War of 1812 was a major part of America’s emergence into the world. Before we were just a small nation struggling to put together a viable system. After the War of 1812, the whole world saw the U.S. developing it’s dominance in the future. Throughout that development, the U.S. has undergone changes and growth. The country never stops being created. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/38 "2001-10-05T12:53:46Z")
Speaking as a Canadian: You’re crazy if you change the anthem. SSB is the best of all the songs mentioned so far; it’s short, inspiring, and delivers a neat message wrapped inside a historical account, rather than the usual “My country is great because of all the nice national parks” glurge. I also don’t think it’s hard to sing, though that may just be me. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/39 "2001-10-05T15:39:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\*“We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil > Our home is girt by sea” > \*\* Always makes me laugh when I hear this…😃 Gp ---
**Author:** ![SeamusToo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@SeamusToo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeamusToo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756/40 "2001-10-05T16:58:16Z")
“The Star Spangled Banner” is a hymn of stern resistance to unwarranted aggression by a foreign power and of a grim determination to defend and uphold the principals of the republic. A lawyer wrote it, you say. Fine. Lawyers wrote the Constitution (while, I am constrained to say, physicians were sticking leaches on George Washington); a lawyer wrote the Gettysburg Address. So what? Well said indeed. My spouse, the lawyer, thanks you. My son, whose middle names are Scott Key, for his great-times-something uncle, thanks you. And I thank you. Bill [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-will-we-change/83756.md?page=3)