Aguilera Botches Our National Anthem

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the performance of Christina Aguilera during the national anthem at the Super Bowl, focusing on the implications of her rendition, the nature of the anthem itself, and broader sentiments about national pride and musical interpretation.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express disappointment in Aguilera's performance, arguing that her embellishments detracted from the anthem's meaning and purpose.
  • One participant suggests that pre-recording the anthem and lip-syncing could prevent mistakes, although they acknowledge potential awkwardness in execution.
  • Another participant prefers "America, the Beautiful" over "The Star-Spangled Banner," viewing the latter as an indirect representation of national identity.
  • Some participants compare Aguilera's performance unfavorably to past renditions, such as Roseanne Barr's, indicating a perceived decline in quality.
  • There are opinions that the anthem should be sung simply, without excessive embellishment, as it was originally a pub song.
  • One participant highlights the pressure performers face when singing the anthem in front of large audiences, suggesting it may contribute to mistakes.
  • Discussion includes references to the anthem's historical context, including its origins as a British drinking song and its evolution as a national symbol.
  • Some participants express a desire for a return to original lyrics or alternative anthems, citing various national anthems as comparisons.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express disagreement regarding the quality and appropriateness of Aguilera's performance, with no consensus on the best approach to singing the national anthem or its suitability as a national symbol.

Contextual Notes

Some comments reflect personal preferences for musical interpretation and performance styles, while others discuss the historical significance and evolution of the anthem, indicating a range of perspectives on its role in national identity.

mugaliens
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http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...-Super-Bowl-national-anthem-020611?GT1=39002".

I'm sorry, but I do not appreciate it when an "artist" can't remember her lines while over-artistrating (yes, my very own word) so badly that the entire theme and purpose of our National Anthem are lost.

It's a song about the immense immense love of, and sacrifice for our country, as born by those who fought to wrest it into existence, as well as all those who fought since to preserve it:

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!​

It's not a showcase for artists. Aguilera's (failed) attempt to misuse it as such is reprehensible.

If you're going to embellish at all, do it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupsPg5H6aE&feature=related".

http://www.usa-flag-site.org/song-lyrics/star-spangled-banner.shtml"
 
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mugaliens said:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...-Super-Bowl-national-anthem-020611?GT1=39002".

I'm sorry, but I do not appreciate it when an "artist" can't remember her lines while over-artistrating (yes, my very own word) so badly that the entire theme and purpose of our National Anthem are lost.

It's a song about the immense immense love of, and sacrifice for our country, as born by those who fought to wrest it into existence, as well as all those who fought since to preserve it:

The only sensible way to do it is to pre-record it and then lip sync it at the Super Bowl. Eliminates the chance of botching the lines, although it can look a little strange when the voice starts a little earlier than the lip syncer expected (Jewel looked liked somebody yanked her body to the microphone with a fishing line and hook when she tried that trick).

To be honest, I'd prefer something like "America, the Beautiful" to the "Star Spangled Banner". The national anthem should be a symbol of country. The flag should be a symbol of our country. Having a song about a symbol of our country be our national anthem is a little too indirect for me.
 
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It could be worse, you could be stuck with our national anthem.

England's is bad:

Wales' is worse:

Two of the most depressing songs I've ever heard.
 
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I was really surprised that someone of her quality, did such a bad job of it. I heard people today comparing her to Roseanne Barr's performance some years ago.
 
I simply cannot stand listening to the National Anthem as sung by pop singers trying to get "more soul than ever" into the tune. Everyone knows that the tune was originally a pub song, and I think it sounds best when a thousand voices sing along in simple 3/4 time, with just the notes that are supposed to be there.EDIT:

In the key of G!
 
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Chi Meson said:
I simply cannot stand listening to the National Anthem as sung by pop singers trying to get "more soul than ever" into the tune. Everyone knows that the tune was originally a pub song, and I think it sounds best when a thousand voices sing along in simple 3/4 time, with just the notes that are supposed to be there.

And then there's the other end of the spectrum where the players don't know the words and every now and then you'll see them remember one and blurt it out.
 
7 year-old Rhema Marvanne > 4-time grammy Christina Aguilera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrCvMTGs2u8
 
  • #10
I am sure this is one of those things that brings a deep fear to anyone who has agreed to sing it in front of millions of people. That same kind of fear of tripping while walking down the wedding isle, or tripping while walking up to get your diploma. The fear of messing up the words is probably so great that you get nervous enough to mess up the words. However, she is a professional and really should have nailed the words, even at the expense of messing up the rhythm or melody...
 
  • #11
She didn't even realize she botched it, that's what's so bad.

Aside from it sounding awful.
 
  • #12
Perhaps a return to the original lyrics...

To Anacreon in Heav'n, where he sat in full glee,
A few Sons of Harmony sent a petition;
That he their Inspirer and Patron wou'd be;
When this answer arrived from the Jolly Old Grecian;
"Voice, Fiddle, and Flute,
No longer be mute,
I'll lend you my name and inspire you to boot,
And besides I'll instruct you like me, to intwine,
The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's Vine."
etc.
 
  • #13
The Star Spangled banner is an old British Drinking song. It's on Wiki but I think it's also mentioned in Stephen Fry's book on classical music (I haven't read it mind you, so don't quote me on it).

jarednjames said:
It could be worse, you could be stuck with our national anthem.

England's is bad:

Wales' is worse:

Two of the most depressing songs I've ever heard.


That's not our national anthem. This is!:


In my opinion, one of the greatest songs ever written. Along with Beethoven's Sonata No. 14, Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, Vivaldi's Concerto Grosso in D minor, and a number of others which I regrettably currently can't recall.
 
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  • #14
nobahar said:
That's not our national anthem. This is!:


Oh I do hope not.
 
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  • #15
The Star Spangled Banner was originally a really appropriate song to use during flag raising ceremonies (considering the story it's telling). I'm not sure how it progressed from that to being considered an appropriate national anthem.

South Africa's national anthem uses five different languages and is the only national anthem that doesn't end in the same key that it started in.

That sounds like fun.
 
  • #16
We have been through that. First, during 2002 FIFA World Cup our anthem was badly sung by Edyta Górniak ( ). Then, few years later, our ex Prime Minister, always full of patriotic platitudes, twin of the President, the one that died in the plane crash, proved he has no ear for music (happens) and he doesn't remember lyrics ( - second half is a joke, first half is a real recording, he is scrambling words which you will not hear not knowing Polish).

This is the official version -
 
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  • #17
I'm sorry to say that I don't know the words to the Polish national anthem either.
 
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  • #19
I think it's very considerate of Wales and Poland that they collect up all the unwanted letters from other western languages and recycle them.

(But to be fair, Welsh spelling is much more rational than Scots Gaelic and Irish).
 
  • #20
AlephZero said:
I think it's very considerate of Wales and Poland that they collect up all the unwanted letters from other western languages and recycle them.

(But to be fair, Welsh spelling is much more rational than Scots Gaelic and Irish).

You wouldn't be saying that if you were forced to learn Welsh.
 
  • #21
IMP said:
tripping while walking up to get your diploma.
I did that, (and as I was only one of two girls in my major it was probably semi-noticible).

It's different though 'cause she's a professional who has been doing this for ages (she was popular when I was in elementary school, so +10 years) so this was kind of a major flub.
 
  • #22
AlephZero said:
I think it's very considerate of Wales and Poland that they collect up all the unwanted letters from other western languages and recycle them.

And the Poles took all the diacritical marks, too!
 
  • #23
I have to admit, I love my anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0kWTOGZ53I
 
  • #24
Russian National Anthem is great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMZfXN1UOpw
 
  • #25
jtbell said:
And the Poles took all the diacritical marks, too!

I wonder if they stole all the vowels from Arabic and Hebrew as well.
 
  • #26
jarednjames said:
You wouldn't be saying that if you were forced to learn Welsh.

Welsh spelling is almost entirely regular and phonetic. (But some of the phonemes may be influenced by the fact that there are more sheep than people living in Wales).

On the other hand Gaelic is just wild. A language where Aberdeen is spelled "Obar Dheadhain" and Stornoway is "Steornabhaigh" is just FUBAR.
 
  • #27
AlephZero said:
Welsh spelling is almost entirely regular and phonetic. (But some of the phonemes may be influenced by the fact that there are more sheep than people living in Wales).

On the other hand Gaelic is just wild. A language where Aberdeen is spelled "Obar Dheadhain" and Stornoway is "Steornabhaigh" is just FUBAR.

And I feel for anyone who is forced to learn them (is anyone?).

The Welsh alphabet is a laugh: A B C CH D DD E F FF G NG H I J L LL M N O P PH R RH S T TH U W Y

The Welsh language is easy if you understand how the letters are pronounced (CH DD FF NG LL PH and RH). It's always a laugh when an English person tries out the road signs!

Doesn't change the fact it's a nightmare to learn, especially when you notice the Welsh have to outdo the English words by about 20 letters in length - we do have the longest place name in the world - I'd type it here but I fear Ubuntu's spell check would go into meltdown.
 
  • #28
Kevin_Axion said:
I have to admit, I love my anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0kWTOGZ53I

I remember when they switched to the half french, half english version in my public school. I always just mumbled through the french parts, haha.
 
  • #29
Haha, I can say most of them, it's been a while though, we only say it in English now.
 
  • #30
jtbell said:
And the Poles took all the diacritical marks, too!

Not true, there is a lot of diacritics we don't use.

These are ALL letters used in Polish: ąćęłńóśżź

These are SOME examples of letters NOT used in Polish: àåçñîĉĝěđďčįäřňĵĥáŝžš

As you see, we are not egoistic and we left plenty for other nations.

To be honest, we saved on diacritical marks using digraphs (like sz, cz, dż, rz) to denote some of the consonants.