# Sing our National Anthem the right way! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471 "2011-02-07T01:24:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/81 "2011-02-08T01:31:25Z")
> [@Sycorax](#): > > Our National Anthem is sacred, people! No it’s not. The Nationalist Anthem is a lame old drinking tune with bombastic lyrics. I try to be in the bathroom taking a leak when it plays. The only version I’ve ever liked is Marvin Gaye’s. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/82 "2011-02-08T01:40:10Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > …why does no one sing the [whole song](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner#Lyrics) any more? Sing the whole thing, or don’t sing it at all. That’s how I feel about [“Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Out_to_the_Ball_Game#Lyrics) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/83 "2011-02-08T01:59:15Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Then you learn it, or have a sheet of paper in front of you, or get a teleprompter. Hey, if it were my choice it would be _America the Beautiful_ which in its later verses says something so great it makes my heart ache - “America, America - God mend thine every flaw - confirm thy soul with self control, thy liberty in law!” Now I’m an agnostic but I think _that_ is what your national anthem ought to be espousing. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/84 "2011-02-08T02:01:42Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I usually cringe at the way the National Anthem is sung. I agree almost 100% with the sentiments expressed by the OP. > > Remember what Roseanne Barr did to it? My father, a conservative, non-demonstrative person, whose politics pretty much are 180 degrees opposite of mine, watched Barr sing and said "It would be worth getting arrested to try and run out on the field, grab the mike and say “Let’s do it right”. I told him I’d run interference with the cops and security. When I saw the snickers commercial with Barr I thought of her singing the National Anthem and smiled. fantasy fulfilled. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/85 "2011-02-08T03:10:30Z")
> [@Cell\_Guy](#): > > For those who have never heard him: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMmIKoC3DQQ&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMmIKoC3DQQ&feature=related) The Best! He also answers the question about the cheers for the rockets red glare–they “gave proof through the night that our flag was still…THERE!” And it chokes me up every time. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/86 "2011-02-08T03:33:25Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > That’s how I feel about [“Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Out_to_the_Ball_Game#Lyrics) Heck, that’s how I feel about the Air Force Song. Sadly, they only teach the chorus and the first verse, just leaving the other two verses off. Then they turned around and came up with this “Airman’s Creed” stuff that we have to recite before singing the song… even though it basically rehashes everything that they cut out of the full song.:smack: To the guy who makes sure he’s in the bathroom during the National Anthem: Please tell me you at least stand up when you hear the song. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/87 "2011-02-08T03:38:24Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Some of us are still scarred by this, too: [Roseann Barr](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1YVhcLD2c) “sings” the national anthem. To this day she claims she was not being intentionally disrespcctful and that’s her real voice. One day she may even say that and have it believed. Not long after that she came out with some malarkey about recovered memories of being sexually abused by her parents when she was a baby (she literally claimed she remembered being sexually molested in her crib when she was a few months old). It was a fairly obvious ploy for sympathy. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/88 "2011-02-08T04:34:22Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > It’s true that if you only sing the first verse it isn’t a very good anthem - it’s an unanswered question. On the other hand, only people my mom’s age know anything but the first verse. Isaac Asimov wrote an essay in praise of the all-four-verses version of the national anthem. (IIRC it appeared in his regular science column in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.) [It’s been reproduced on numerous websites](http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ACEW_enUS316US316&q=star-spangled+banner+isaac+asimov). ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/89 "2011-02-08T04:35:45Z")
> [@Hades](#): > > > [@Sycorax](#): > > > > Our National Anthem is sacred, people! > > No, it isn’t; not in any sense of the word. In [SACRED Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacred), senses 2b and 5b (although not in everyone’s opinion, obviously) > [@](#): > > 2 a : worthy of religious veneration : holy > b : entitled to reverence and respect > > 5a : unassailable, inviolable > b : highly valued and important \ > [@Zsofia](#): > > It’s true that if you only sing the first verse it isn’t a very good anthem - it’s an unanswered question. But that makes it provocative. We should always be asking if the country is at least trying to live up to its ideals. [post=9750574]a previous SSB complaint thread[/post]. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/90 "2011-02-08T06:38:20Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Heck, that’s how I feel about the Air Force Song. Sadly, they only teach the chorus and the first verse, just leaving the other two verses off. Then they turned around and came up with this “Airman’s Creed” stuff that we have to recite before singing the song… even though it basically rehashes everything that they cut out of the full song.:smack: > > To the guy who makes sure he’s in the bathroom during the National Anthem: Please tell me you at least stand up when you hear the song. 😃 Well played. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/91 "2011-02-08T07:18:24Z")
> [@Docta\_G](#): > > Well played. 😃 I do have my moments. 😃 So, funny thing, on military installations, they have this phenomenon we call “Music”, basically, loudspeakers around the base blast out various tunes depending on the time of day. It varies from base to base, but the gist is at about 7AM, we get to hear that most cherished and loved piece of military folk music: Reveille. Around 5PM, we hear “Retreat” (announcing the official end of the duty day; incidentally, these two songs also mark when the flag goes up and down for the day), and at 10PM we have Taps (turn out the lights, or at least turn down the music so your neighbors can sleep.) I was going to make some snark about being so unpatriotic as to _dodge the national anthem of our great nation_, but then I thought about what I see people do on base at 6:57AM, 4:57PM, and 9:57PM. You’ve never seen so many people in a hurry to get indoors in your life, because of course, for each of these tunes, we’re required to come to attention or parade rest (depending on the song) and salute (depending on the song and our uniform). Also, in tech school, Taps also marks curfew, another good reason to hoof it. That said, you don’t see a bunch of guys with crewcuts making a bee line for the restroom before every baseball game either. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/92 "2011-02-08T14:09:22Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I get a lump in my throat every time I hear my anthem played at pretty much anything; I also make a point of singing along with it. > > Somewhat off-topic - can someone explain this comment from the Mike Rowe video for me?Is that…good? From the view of the commenter, no. But the commenter is being rather whiny. They’re complaining that he doesn’t have perfect pitch (an ability few singers have), and that he transposed it to fit his voice (which most singers do). And it that’s a little too technical, I can go simpler: “He’s a crappy singer; he sang it in the wrong key!” What’s really funny is that there are legitimate criticisms that can be made, particularly about his tone and vowel quality. I personally expected better from someone who used to be an opera singer. I almost suspect it was on purpose–to make him sound more like an everyman. So far, I still prefer my “conservative melisma” woman. It’s pretty much exactly how I wish Christina had sung it. She gets her little flourishes in, but it’s tasteful. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/93 "2011-02-08T14:25:41Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > If you haven’t figured out by now that a lot of people use singing the star spangled banner as an opportunity for fancy vocal work, you should feel bad. (Also, it’s a crappy annoying song anyway, so I don’t really care if you think someone butchered it.) Plus, that was possibly the least melismatic song I’ve heard Christina Aguilera sing so if you thought that was too much, I’d avoid pop music if I were you. Two things: the National Anthem is not a pop song, and most pop singers don’t sing with that much added melisma. Heck, they wouldn’t have time for it, since they are always backed by accompaniment. And many couldn’t do it if they wanted to, as it’s not something you can do if you rely on Auto-Tune to tune yourself (and not just to cover flubs). BTW, I hate that we call it melisma, as melisma has a legitimate usage. Heck, there’s written melisma on the first not of the anthem. All melisma is is singing more than one note on the same syllable. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/94 "2011-02-08T20:19:07Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I do have my moments. 😃 > > So, funny thing, on military installations, they have this phenomenon we call “Music”, basically, loudspeakers around the base blast out various tunes depending on the time of day. It varies from base to base, but the gist is at about 7AM, we get to hear that most cherished and loved piece of military folk music: Reveille. Around 5PM, we hear “Retreat” (announcing the official end of the duty day; incidentally, these two songs also mark when the flag goes up and down for the day), and at 10PM we have Taps (turn out the lights, or at least turn down the music so your neighbors can sleep.) > > I was going to make some snark about being so unpatriotic as to _dodge the national anthem of our great nation_, but then I thought about what I see people do on base at 6:57AM, 4:57PM, and 9:57PM. You’ve never seen so many people in a hurry to get indoors in your life, because of course, for each of these tunes, we’re required to come to attention or parade rest (depending on the song) and salute (depending on the song and our uniform). Also, in tech school, Taps also marks curfew, another good reason to hoof it. > > That said, you don’t see a bunch of guys with crewcuts making a bee line for the restroom before every baseball game either. 😛 I have the routine _down_. I usually arrive back at my seat at the exact moment the home team takes the field. Oh, and I’m good until the seventh inning stretch and “God Bless America” … ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/95 "2011-02-08T20:34:16Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Hey, if it were my choice it would be _America the Beautiful_ which in its later verses says something so great it makes my heart ache - “America, America - God mend thine every flaw - confirm thy soul with self control, thy liberty in law!” Now I’m an agnostic but I think _that_ is what your national anthem ought to be espousing. My choice would be “This Land Is Your Land” - easy tune to sing, and uplifting lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/96 "2011-02-09T00:35:57Z")
I am most decidedly NOT a fan of Christina Aguilera, and her preferred style of vocalizing (I hesitate to call it _singing_) is about as appealing to me as fingernails on a blackboard. I will, however, come to her defense on flubbing the lines. If you’re a singer, even a professionally trained singer, this \*\*\*will \*\*\*happen from time to time, even with songs that you’ve known for years. She screwed up the line, but she went on. I give her a thumbs up for that. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/97 "2011-02-09T00:53:03Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I beg your pardon, but Gilbert himself would pen different lyrics for songs such as “As some day it may happen” (Better known as ‘I’ve got a little list’.) for each production in other cities. They established the tradition themselves. **Le Ministre** is correct on this. Gilbert was notoriously hostile towards any “unauthorized” line alterations or ad-libbed business on the part of his cast members. Even he, however, understood that topical humor was a tenuous thing – that a joke past its prime was dead weight. Likewise parochial humor when transplanted. Thus the tradition of “updating” or “localizing” songs and dialogue was born. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/98 "2011-02-09T01:28:40Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > **Le Ministre** is correct on this. Gilbert was notoriously hostile towards any “unauthorized” line alterations or ad-libbed business on the part of his cast members. Even he, however, understood that topical humor was a tenuous thing – that a joke past its prime was dead weight. Likewise parochial humor when transplanted. Thus the tradition of “updating” or “localizing” songs and dialogue was born. One of my favorite examples being for stage performances of “Cabaret” since the movie came out often making a point when introducing Sally making a point of saying “And she’s ENGLISH!” as one of her selling points. She was always English in the stage production, but in the movie, they made her American because they cast Liza Minnelli in the role. Not important either way for the story, but still amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/99 "2011-02-09T01:46:44Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > I am most decidedly NOT a fan of Christina Aguilera, and her preferred style of vocalizing (I hesitate to call it _singing_) is about as appealing to me as fingernails on a blackboard. I will, however, come to her defense on flubbing the lines. If you’re a singer, even a professionally trained singer, this \*\*\*will \*\*\*happen from time to time, even with songs that you’ve known for years. She screwed up the line, but she went on. I give her a thumbs up for that. [It could have been worse.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgVGa3buGcA) 😃 (I’ve heard rumours this lady came back the next night or some time shortly after just to prove she actually COULD sing the anthem.) ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471/100 "2011-02-09T13:26:09Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Somewhat off-topic - can someone explain this comment from the Mike Rowe video for me?Is that…good? Mostly, it means “I want to prove how musical I am, but actually I’m a moron.” It doesn’t actually make sense. “He sang it in F! He should have sung it in F! Except he transposed it! To F!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sing-our-national-anthem-the-right-way/570471.md?page=6)