Should the U.S. find a new national anthem?
Francis Scott Key still rules. That’s good news for Flag Day.
The Internet has been chattering a bit lately with the question of whether the United States ought to change its national anthem. This week, Rasmussen Reports released a survey that said a whopping 82 percent want to keep “The Star-Spangled Banner” right where it is.
Fireworks punctuate the national anthem before an RSL soccer game.
Why would anyone want to change it? The No. 1 reasons seems to be that it’s impossible to sing. You start with a quick trip to the musical basement, and by the time you reach “rockets red glare” you’re on a fast-moving elevator to the top floor, which launches you into the air somewhere around the “land of the free-e-e-e-e!” That’s if your voice hasn’t croaked by then.
On NECN.com, writer Greg Wayland quotes the artistic director of the Berklee College of Music American Roots, Matt Glaser, as calling it a mess — deadly and plodding in terms of musical artistry.
And the words are apparently so confusing even singers like Christine Aguilera can’t get them right at the start of football games.
The songs often mentioned as replacements are “America the Beautiful” or “God Bless America.” But the irreverent site policymic.com (warning, the site contains some offensive language), also suggests Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Neil Diamond’s “America” and some jaw-droppers like Green Day’s “American Idiot” (imagine how proud that would make you feel during Olympic medal ceremonies).
This sounds like a ridiculous topic, but the “Star-Spangled Banner” has been the official national anthem only since 1931.
Still, as much as I like “America the Beautiful,” I side with the majority in the Rasmussen Reports poll. (An unscientific Fox poll found 91 percent in favor of keeping it, high notes and all.) Forget about artistry, the song is full of history. The flag Francis Scott Key saw over Ft. McHenry is on display in the Smithsonian to remind us that we’re not just singing words.
Besides, if you want an easy national anthem to sing, go live in one of those sissy countries.
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This should be our national anthem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruNrdmjcNTc
Absolutely! Replace one song about a battle with another song about our shoot-first approach to life!
Apparently you don’t really know when or why this song was written.
It was written after the attacks on 9/11 and how we will come find you and destroy you for attacking us.
Nothing to do with a shoot-first approach to life but a completely defensive one.
btw, have you ever read the last verse of the Star Spangled Banner? Didn’t think so.
Deutschland, Deutschland, uber alles (the Nazi national anthem) has a real edge to it. Our national anthem, which is about persistence in the face of adversity, is nice. And now quite apropos.
Well, the national anthem is no problem for me as I am a trained singer. I believe that pop stars should leave it alone. It is easy to find someone who can sing it correctly. Just contact the nearest college with a music department.
I agree with Mark Steyn. Our new national anthem, in keeping with our fiscal policy, should be Andrea True’s disco hit, “More! More! More!”
we are doing a project in my class…leave more comments! we need to find opinions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!