July 17, 2008
On singing the national anthem of the United States of America
I have always found that it helps to get drunk when trying to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
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13 Responses to “On singing the national anthem of the United States of America”
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I always wonder how to sing the question mark that falls at the end of the lyrics. “…and the home of the brave?”
On a related note, I turn off the radio immediately when I hear the opening strains of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” Every time. These past few years, the contrast of that song’s sentiment with reality has been too much to bear.
When I was a teenager I thought it witty to sing “the land of debris and the home of your grave”.
On another related note, the Star Spangled Banner was the de facto quickie audition piece at the music school I attended, and probably just about everywhere else. It’s a range-y little tune, quickly showing off most of a singer’s usable voice (and their ability to hit big intervals) in the first few bars. And most people tend to start it too high; you gotta budget for rockets’ red glare.
On balance, a perfect choice for drunken ballgame crowds.
I like your variation. We have a version of This land is your land that ended “this land is private pro-per-teeeeee!”
This tune must be single-handedly keeping “spangled” in the English lexicon.
Yep.
What still conflibberates me after all these years is the much-commented upon raucous response of crowds to Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”.
You end up like a dog that’s been beat too much
‘Til you spend half your life just covering up
…
I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They’re still there — he’s all gone
Yeehaw.
Sheila, people don’t listen.
I’m flabbergasted.
(Actually, it’s kind of interesting: Renner and I get into this now and again. I hear and listen to lyrics to a greater degree than he does, hence we sometimes have differing responses to songs based upon that. Now I don’t think that good lyrics can save a song that is lame musically, but assuming the music is good, lyrics can make or break a song for me.)
Took the words out of my mouth, Deron. I’ve never been to a Springsteen concert; it must be quite a sight, 10,000 fans simultaneously beating out that back beat, playing air snare.
A touch of that Nuremberg Rally feeling.
Your comment suddenly made the Righteous Bros. pop into my head, singing “You’ve lost that Nuremberg Rally feel-ing…”
And, Sheila, people hear what they want to hear.
I’m with you. Renner and I also have that conversation. A song needs to be at least tolerable lyrically.
I’ve seen Springsteen twice (I think). The man puts on a show, Nuremberg overtones aside.
Indeed they do, Deron. It’s remotely possible that even I hear what I want to hear (though my exquisitely refined taste serves as a filter).
Oh, and I’ve seen Springsteen perform, too — at least once. I actually like much of his work. This tends to shock people who know me fairly-but-not-very well.
there are some great moments in his early albums and I have always appreciated his sincerity.