US Getting a New National Anthem?

[michiruwater]

I HATE our Anthem. Even the most accomplished singers have difficulty hitting those notes.

It's an octave and a half and you can do it in whatever key you like. An accomplished singer can handle that easily. The problem is when someone who thinks they can handle it but can't sings it, and for the most part I doubt that sort of person even realized that they just changed keys 5 times during the song and screeched out the high notes.

[Vash01]

IMO a national anthem is sung for pride, and not to judge how good a singer you are. It is for an ordinary citizen, and I don't care if they can hit the notes or not. I sing it the way I can and I am not a singer by any stretch of the imagination. To me, what matters is the words of the anthem and the feeling behind it, not as a music/vocal competition.

I have no problem with accomplished singers (or even mediocre singers) singing it the way it is supposed to be, without making it sound like something other than what it is.

[michiruwater]

Just to clarify, I am talking only about someone singing it officially for an event. In a crowd, on your own, on the 4th of July, whatever, you sing it however you want, as loudly as you want, in whatever key or keys you want But if you're going to sing it officially, stay in one key, and I agree no vocal acrobatics. This made the rounds on Facebook a few weeks ago and I thought it was great

[duane]

It's an octave and a half and you can do it in whatever key you like. An accomplished singer can handle that easily. The problem is when someone who thinks they can handle it but can't sings it, and for the most part I doubt that sort of person even realized that they just changed keys 5 times during the song and screeched out the high notes.

Yes, but when the olympics were held in Australia, you could barely hear the national anthem music playing when an Australian won gold because the entire stadium sang along, and sang with abandon. I think this is how a national anthem should be. Now, I don't want a new one. My opinion is that we're stuck with the one we got. But IMO it's not a good one.

[jenny12]

Joseph Gordon-Levitt performs the nominated National Anthem :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4rs3m2uoA

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Joseph Gordon-Levitt performs the nominated National Anthem :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4rs3m2uoA

You see...even that "anthem" can fall prey to overselling.

[LilJen]

We don't need a new national anthem. I just want the singers to stop butchering it to show off how great their singing is. I love our national anthem.

WORD!

This made the rounds on Facebook a few weeks ago and I thought it was great

That's awesome and SO true. How many more notes can you add, and how much can you drag it out so it's all about YOU and not about the US?

Years ago in WA state, there was a campaign to change the state song to "Louie Louie." I can't remember why but it was very nearly taken seriously

[jenny12]

You see...even that "anthem" can fall prey to overselling.

He was just excited about a weekend of coke and rum.