Singers often sing in star-bangled manner
By ARYN CORLEY
I hate watching someone butcher our national anthem. Whether it’s at a social event, sports game, or kid’s birthday party, when the performer steps up to the mic, I don’t know whether to feel patriotism or dread. It’s amazing to me that a song, depending on the success of the performance, can leave you feeling happy about America or wanting to kill the singer.
When massacred, the national anthem could inspire a hostile crowd to chant, “Eat the performer!” Okay, mob cannibalism is a little extreme. However, a riot is not entirely out of the question.
When Francis Scott Key was watching Fort McHenry getting pummeled by British warships, he grabbed his pen and starting jotting down some words. After all, if you can’t fight... write. Ironically, Key’s college roommate was with him and dictated to Key most of the events of the battle. He was an Argentinian kid named Jose who also wore very thick glasses. Several times during the skirmish Key would ask his friend, “Jose, can you see?”
The rest is history. Sort of.
The Star Spangled Banner is considered to be one of the most difficult songs to sing. Although, it’s not nearly as difficult to sing as Staying Alive by the Bee-Gees.
There seems to be some confusion regarding the correct protocol when the song is performed. Some people put their hands over their hearts while some keep their hands down to their sides. I find myself often putting my hands over my ears.
When I was in the military, we had to stand at attention, salute, and face the music at the end of every business day on post. Of course, if you were indoors this wasn’t necessary.
One day a kid in my unit, [ironically] named Scheer, almost scalped himself completely as he hit his head on a low metal beam supporting a stairway landing as he tried to run inside before the music played. Needless to say he saw stars, stripes, and paramedics.
When I was overseas, we had to wait for the host country’s anthem to play before ours. I sure was glad that no country ever adopted Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung.”
If you want to browse an interesting collection of mangled performances of our country’s anthem, then look no further than You Tube. You can relive every excruciating moment of Roseanne Barr’s rendition or go way back to see Jose Feliciano’s version, which caused him to go blind. Not really. My favorite is Michael Bolton, who had to look at a cheat-card because he forgot the lyrics. Judging from the crowd’s reaction, they wanted his spleen with their nachos.
Those videos illustrate the point I made. Anyone can sing the song out of tune, but forget the words and it’s off the gallows with you.
For all would-be National Anthem singers I make this plea: learn the tune and don’t forget the words.
By the way, the words are “... perilous fight.”
A “...perilous flight” is what you get when the pilot falls asleep.
When massacred, the national anthem could inspire a hostile crowd to chant, “Eat the performer!” Okay, mob cannibalism is a little extreme. However, a riot is not entirely out of the question.
When Francis Scott Key was watching Fort McHenry getting pummeled by British warships, he grabbed his pen and starting jotting down some words. After all, if you can’t fight... write. Ironically, Key’s college roommate was with him and dictated to Key most of the events of the battle. He was an Argentinian kid named Jose who also wore very thick glasses. Several times during the skirmish Key would ask his friend, “Jose, can you see?”
The rest is history. Sort of.
The Star Spangled Banner is considered to be one of the most difficult songs to sing. Although, it’s not nearly as difficult to sing as Staying Alive by the Bee-Gees.
There seems to be some confusion regarding the correct protocol when the song is performed. Some people put their hands over their hearts while some keep their hands down to their sides. I find myself often putting my hands over my ears.
When I was in the military, we had to stand at attention, salute, and face the music at the end of every business day on post. Of course, if you were indoors this wasn’t necessary.
One day a kid in my unit, [ironically] named Scheer, almost scalped himself completely as he hit his head on a low metal beam supporting a stairway landing as he tried to run inside before the music played. Needless to say he saw stars, stripes, and paramedics.
When I was overseas, we had to wait for the host country’s anthem to play before ours. I sure was glad that no country ever adopted Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung.”
If you want to browse an interesting collection of mangled performances of our country’s anthem, then look no further than You Tube. You can relive every excruciating moment of Roseanne Barr’s rendition or go way back to see Jose Feliciano’s version, which caused him to go blind. Not really. My favorite is Michael Bolton, who had to look at a cheat-card because he forgot the lyrics. Judging from the crowd’s reaction, they wanted his spleen with their nachos.
Those videos illustrate the point I made. Anyone can sing the song out of tune, but forget the words and it’s off the gallows with you.
For all would-be National Anthem singers I make this plea: learn the tune and don’t forget the words.
By the way, the words are “... perilous fight.”
A “...perilous flight” is what you get when the pilot falls asleep.
