So tonight's singing of the National Anthem was bad?

[white_wolf]

well it could be much worse? For instance if the right has their way the new National Anthem will be "Onward Christian Soldiers." God I hate that song. I was going to post it but no deserves to have to listen to that crap. And by the way who here thinks of armies marching when someone says "Jesus?" I sure don't. So after reading all these replies I think I should have made the point of this post a little clearer. My point isn't that there is a movement among the RW to replace the National Anthem at this moment, it was more of a warning of the theocratic movement that is creeping up in the Republican Party and I could honestly say some of the more radical Republicans really liking "Onward"

[virgogal]

1. Where on earth did you get the idea that the right wants "Onward

Christian Soldiers" as the national anthem?

Your post is a bit of a stretch.

[cherokeeprogressive]

11. Just a B - - - i - - - t of a stretch. n/t

[Codeine]

2. And tonight's Non-Sequitur Award goes to. . . nt

[Union Scribe]

3. Shit, people drink a lot on Super Bowl day don't they?

[hlthe2b]

4. Frankly I think it a fairly thankless task to sing the anthem...

Singers just can't seem to realize that it is better to give an unmemorable performance than a horrendous one that has everyone talking.

Tonight was of the latter variety. 'Guess it has escaped them that the Star Spangled Banner is not a soul, rap, rhythm & blues, disco, gospel or country music tome and when they try to make it so, it is just plain awful.

[BOHICA12]

9. Exactly ....

unmemorable = good job comments and then forgotten. Horrendous is talked about forever. Whitney Houston moments are few and far between!

[blondeatlast]

13. +1. nt

[markpkessinger]

15. Quite right -- It should NOT be about the performer . . .

Ms. Aguilera made the mistake a lot of folks make these days when it comes to singing the national anthem. That is, instead of putting her performance in the service of the song, she instead put the song in the service of her performance. She used the national anthem as a vehicle to display her own vocal acrobatics, with a lot of absurd (and meaningless) embellishment that served no other purpose than to0 draw attention to herself -- highly inappropriate, IMO. Her overly breathy opening, on the words, "Oh, say, can you see," brought to mind for me nothing so much as Marilyn Monroe's suggestive singing of Happy Birthday to President Kennedy; and reflected about as much taste.

And your observation about the national anthem not being a soul, r&b, etc. composition is spot on. Refashioning a piece music of one style into a totally different style is extremely difficult to do, and still more difficult to do well. In most cases, it's a practice best avoided. I say "most" here instead of "all," because there are both pieces of music that better lend themselves to stylistic make-overs and performers who are considerably more skilled at pulling off such transformations. Ray Charles' rendition of "America, the Beautiful" certainly stands out as one of the few examples of that kind of stylistic make-over; so much, so, in fact, that his rendition has become a classic in and of itself. But as I say, there are very few who can pull that off at the level of a Ray Charles.

[RKP5637]

5. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean about "Onward Christian Soldiers." When I

was young it seemed to be the theme song of our church. I'm not religious and did not have that type of upbringing, but that song IMO is creepy, armies marching for Jesus. He would be creeped out too IMO. Even as a little kid I used to think WTF.

[Voice for Peace]

16. when my brother was little

he thought the words were

onward christian soldiers
marching off to war
jesus coming down the hill
shooting every buddy

[RKP5637]

17. Yep, that's a good interpretation too of its meaning ... n/t

[Hugabear]

6. Bullshit. They want "God Bless the USA"

Thats their favorite song, they absolutely cream their pants at that song.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

14. The creepiest thing I ever heard was a group of third graders singing it

Little kids singing the lines "My kids and my wife....." Massive white trash fail.

[dems_rightnow]

7. Damn, I was completely unaware.....

... of the move to make "Onward Christian Soldiers" the new anthem.

Oh, you made it up. Good one.

[Nye Bevan]

8. I think the right is pretty happy with The Star-Spangled Banner.

All rockets and red glare and stuff.

I remember hearing "America the Beautiful" suggested as a replacement which would be OK with me (but I think the right would be livid). I've *never* heard "Onward Christian Soldiers" mooted as a national anthem.

[On the Road]

10. There Was Apparently a Betting Line in Vegas

on whether the National Anthem would be over or under 1:50. I think the over won.

[opihimoimoi]

12. was bad.... sucked.....