# We Need a New National Anthem **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208 "2001-11-13T23:45:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/1 "2001-11-13T23:45:20Z")
I am sick of “Oh say can you see…”, interpreted by everyone from Adam Ant to U2. Especially in times of war and massive media driven sports programs, at least an anthem should be listenable and have a decent beat. Also, we are moving into a post-literate, maybe even post-English language, culture! That’s why my suggestion is “Rock and Roll Part II” by Gary Glitter, the “Hey” song at sports games. It’s inspirational, motivating, and really easily learned. If you don’t know it. you can listen here using Real Player [http://homepage.interaccess.com/~lala/bulls/288ra/Rock\_and\_Roll\_Part\_2\_.ram](http://homepage.interaccess.com/~lala/bulls/288ra/Rock_and_Roll_Part_2_.ram) Other suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/2 "2001-11-13T23:49:20Z")
My suggestion is that this be moved to IMHO forum. I’ll do that for you now. Jill ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/3 "2001-11-14T05:01:57Z")
We’re going to have to satisfy three types of people. Patriots will want a song of hope for our country or maybe for our flag; many people will want serious art, and then there’s the Budweiser crowd. My suggestion is that we take a poem about the hopes we had in our country’s darkest hour and set it to the tune of an old drinking song. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_from\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Man\_from\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_from_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/4 "2001-11-14T07:24:27Z")
You’re kidding, right? That song as a national anthem, for any country? It’s inspirational? It sounds like a bunch of drunken morons having sex with the same tree. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/5 "2001-11-14T07:28:40Z")
In these times, “Kick-Ass, USA” would probably work well. Andit’s got lyrics everyone can sing to. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/6 "2001-11-14T10:01:39Z")
I think you should use James Brown’s “Living in America” song from Rochy IV. It kicks ass _and_ it’s funky! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/7 "2001-11-14T10:05:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*I think you should use James Brown’s “Living in America” song from Rochy IV. It kicks ass _and_ it’s funky! \*\* [url=http://www.summer.com.br/~pfilho/html/lyrics/l/living\_in\_america.txt]Funky Lyrics\* for y’all. **OWWWW!!** Now that I read those lyrics, it probably wouldn’t be a bad anthem (except for the stuff about Eddie Murphy). ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/8 "2001-11-14T10:07:33Z")
Preview? What is this “preview”? ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/9 "2001-11-14T10:12:15Z")
Um, I’d rather my anthem wasn’t written by a pedophile. I’d like an instrumental anthem, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/10 "2001-11-14T11:35:24Z")
O-Oh say can you seeeee?.And the home of the braaaaaave. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/11 "2001-11-14T14:17:24Z")
Speaking as a Canadian, and so an outsider to the whole thing; you have one of the best national anthems in the world, if not THE best. You only want to get rid of it because you’ve heard it so much and you’re used to it. Trust me; don’t change. ---
**Author:** ![Yondan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/278dde/32.png) [@Yondan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yondan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/12 "2001-11-14T14:50:16Z")
“America the Beautiful” has always brought a lump to my throat, simply because of what the song itself evokes, whereas the SSB has only had such an effect for me in certain powerful occasions: when the US won the olympic gold medal for hockey against Russia; The first time I heard it after 9/11 at a major university soccer game, with thousands of people in attendance (including hordes of small children)and the field was dead silent out of respect, something I have _never_ heard before. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/13 "2001-11-14T19:17:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > \*\*Um, I’d rather my anthem wasn’t written by a pedophile. > \*\* Actually it was written by two guys named C. Midnight and D. Hartman. And James Brown has had some scrapes with the law, but this is the first I’ve heard of any pedophilia. ---
**Author:** ![royjwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@royjwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/royjwood)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/14 "2001-11-14T21:25:07Z")
I have to agree with Rick Jay, we do have the best national anthem in the world. Just because it is not a sex/drugs/rock n roll song is no reason to can it. You should consider reading over the lyrics, reading some history, and then listening again. You will discover an anthem devoted to liberty and freedom even at the cost of death. You will sing about people who could no longer live under the tyranny of a cruel king and who risked everything to ensure that their descendants could live in a better world. The Star Spangled Banner speaks not only to Americans, but it also reminds those oppressed around the world, that they too, can find the freedom they deserve, but only if they are willing to risk everything for it. I pray that we never change our national anthem just because someone wants to sing about drugs and alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/15 "2001-11-15T05:36:02Z")
I’ve been seeing a few published appeals for a new national anthem (especially from those folks who think we’re going to hell in a handbag if we don’t have an anthem that mentions God). The other, and incredibly silly objection to the Star-Spangled Banner is that it has obscure lyrics that insult the British, written as it was during the War of 1812. We can barely remember the lyrics that are _commonly_ sung, why worry about stanza number XXXI that no one knows or cares about? I like the anthem we’ve got. I just wish we didn’t feature it before every ballgame, to be interpreted/mutilated by various cranks. If we’ve just gotta have a new one, I nominate “Fanfare For The Common Man” by Aaron Copland. It’s a sensational instrumental work by an authentic American great and even after hearing it plenty of times it still sends chills up my spine. Just don’t play it at ballgames. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/16 "2001-11-15T05:46:43Z")
I _like_ our current national anthem. I even like the stanzas that I barely remember and are rarely if ever performed. It’s a beautiful song. Oh, and **cornflakes** , you’re a genius. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/17 "2001-11-15T15:46:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > > \*\*Um, I’d rather my anthem wasn’t written by a pedophile. > > \*\* > > Actually it was written by two guys named C. Midnight and D. Hartman. And James Brown has had some scrapes with the law, but this is the first I’ve heard of any pedophilia. \*\* The reference was to Gary Glitter. How the mighty have fallen from grace. ☹ I also doubt that “Oh say can you see” has ever been interpreted by Adam Ant or U2, seeing as one’s English and the others are Irish. Anyways, you really have nothing to complain about, you could be stuck with a choice between “God Save The Queen” or “Flower Of Scotland”. Very different songs, but both god-awful anthems. Count yourselves very lucky. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/18 "2001-11-15T17:25:58Z")
🙂 Thanks, **BlackKnight**. I was wondering if anyone got it. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/19 "2001-11-15T21:30:29Z")
Heh. I love the Star Spangled Banner. Probably largely because… well, because it’s been my national anthem since longer than I’ve been around. But also largely for the reasons that so many people want to get rid of it: it’s from another era, the melody was nicked, the drinking connection, and that note no one can sing unless he’s been kicked in the grapes. It’s rough around the edges. That said, if you’re going to switch to something like “Rock and Roll Part II”, then that “Start the Commotion” song they’re currently using in the Mitsubishi commercials would be my choice. Fire it up, baby. Agreement here that **cornflakes** ’ reply was great. Très SDMB. And **RickJay** , your anthem ain’t half-bad either. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208/20 "2001-11-15T22:28:08Z")
It’s funny that somebody mentioned Living in America… because the first thing that I thought when I read the OP was “Eye of the Tiger” Not only does it kick… it gives the whole American Dream/ Fight till the end thing going for it. Definately NOT Gary Glitter. Good god I hate that song. BTW-- I love The SSB. I believe that the OP was meant to be tongue in cheek/ funny. Just for those of you that thought it was a serious question regarding changing the National Anthem. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-national-anthem/93208.md?page=2)