Ways to sing the National Anthem

[12voltman59]

This posting basically goes out to those of us here in the good old US of A--but anyone can obviously comment if they have an opinon on the subject. If you have no opinion on our anthem--tell us what you feel about your nation's national song.

Earlier today I watched the NFC Championship game and the AFC game is not long from getting underway as I type this---

What my post is about---the guy who sang the national anthem at the NFC game sang it in sort of a hip-hoppish way and the gal that just finished singing the anthem at the AFC game basically sang it in what I call (I don't have any sexual conotation to this) a "straight" fashion-- by that I mean the song is basically performed without a bunch of flourishes and such---it is really hard to describe precisely what I mean--but I know it when I see it or in the case of the song--hear it.

Now, in terms of my politics--I pretty much fall to the left side of the political dial----and in most things kind of have a "liberal" attitidue--but for some reason-when it comes to our national anthem--I prefer that those who sing this song, to keep their version rather simple and basic----and I get somewhat irritated at the amped up versons for some reason.

My question for discussion----do you like the US national anthem sung in a straightforward, more traditional fashion or are you fine with people kind of changing it up and putting a more contemporary spin on the song---

It may be another discussion alltogether, but I am not all that fond of our national anthem--I would prefer some other song since it is so damn hard to sing--I find it hard to recall the words and getting to that last part--it is a hard song to sing!!!!!!!

[bhg08054]

...
My question for discussion----do you like the US national anthem sung in a straightforward, more traditional fashion or are you fine with people kind of changing it up and putting a more contemporary spin on the song---
...
Personally, I'm disappointed anytime the music isn't played by a brass band using John Philip Sousa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Philip_Sousa)'s interpretation*, including the trumpet flares and drum beats accenting "the rockets red glare" and "bombs bursting" parts.

And if a vocalist accompanies said brass band, they should be doing so in a traditional and respectful manner.

I don't think it ever sounds right a cappella (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_cappella), regardless of who is singing it.

*: at least I think the version I like is Sousa's

[stuporman]

The reason the Star Spangled Banner is so hard to sing is that the melody is from an old English drinking song......you had to sing the song, and if you missed a note, you had to drink. A fitting tribute for this country, if you discount the damage done to the party culture in the 1800's by American female closet royalists who followed the tradition of Queen Victoria, who didn't like drugs or sex. A prime example of this human filth was Carrie Nation, whose followers used to bust up saloons, and were responsible for shrilly nagging Congressmen to pass the Volstead Act, which outlawed alcohol, and indirectly strated the War on Drugs. The Volstead Act was responsible for the rise of organized crime in the US, and its only real effect was to make some very nasty people very rich, and give rise to a "cops and robbers" mentality, which persists today. :soapbox:

[TorontoGuy2007]

out of the respect for the tradition and the concept of national anthems, i think very minimal changes or interpretations are appropriate. this is not a cover tune, it is the national anthem, and should be sung with pride and dignity to the original version..

[LoveLion]

Theres probably a big difference in national attitude here, but I dont mind people experimenting with our national anthem at all. Music evolves with the times and its not disrespectful to apply our national song to new types of music, after all the message is the same.

Also in Canada we are waaaaayyyy more liberal about things like this. We love laughing at ourselves and dont have the same zealous national pride that the states have. We love our country and wouldnt want to live in any other, but dont mind making fun of our own stereotypes or messing with our anthem or playing with our flag or anything like that. An example, we have a show called the Rick Mercer Report, that is similar to the Daily Show, but more of show where the host goes out and visits different places in Canada and does crazy things (its pretty funny). Well, one episode he went and spent the day with our Prime Minister, and the PM was was totally cool about going on the show, letting Rick stay in his house, play with his kids and joke around about himself. The show ended with Rick and the PM sleeping in the same bed together.

Its things like that that really make up the difference in national attitude between Can and Us. I could NEVER picture bush or any other president doing anything like that, or doing a skit where he ended up in bed with John Stewart.

In our school for example, every morning we play the weirdest and most obscure version of Oh Canada we can find. Things like barbershop quartets, reggae, etc. Everyone likes it because it adds a bit of fun to the stuffy old song. William Shattner did a HILARIOUS version of Oh Canada at the Just for Laughs comedy festival.

I can picture a news report with a bunch of American parents in an up roar about non-traditional versions of the Us anthem being played at their kid's public school. Cant picture anything like that happening in Canada

[meteast chick]

Given the current state of the union, I'm pleased to hear it at all anymore, no matter how it's done (as long as it's done 'well'). To me I love the traditional version, but I also love when somebody takes a chance and makes it something that catches the ear of this nation's young people. If we denounced every version, that's not much different than today's 'traditional' conservative faction bashing us for something that's 'different'.

So I say, they're both great!!!

ahem...(clearing my throat)...'Ohhhhh say can you see, by the dawn's early light..."

luv and kisses,
xoxoxoxoxoxo
meteast

[12voltman59]

It's not like I am going to go be a guest on a Faux News show and pound the desk about how people singing the anthem in non-traditional ways is threatening to "undermine our cultural values" or some other BS thing that the Faux News people like to rail about such as their annual trotting out of "the war on Christmas" that is supposed to be going on.

One Faux News commentator just happened to have written a book about the subject back in 2005 that conveniently was released in time for holiday shopping season 2005 and re-released in this past shopping season in soft cover editions.

The anthem thing is simply one of those little things that annoys me and I just thought it would be fun to see what other people thought about the subject!!!!! :bigrin: :bigrin:

[ambi53mm]

This probably has no relevance to the question posed and having grown up near Fort McHenry where Key composed the lyrics while watching the bombartment safely aboard a ship on my beloved Chesapake Bay, I can appreciate the history book version of how the National Anthem came to be.
....LOL By the same token being a child of the 60's...a hippie turned corporate, turned corporate hippie, I have to admit that the Jimmi Hendrix version took the Anthem into a whole new light...the rockets red glare..bursting in air may had a little do with the acid I injested that night but it sure made for one mind blowing, incredible experience!! :stoned:

Ambi :)