Sit, stand, kneel, or do whatever you like for the National Anthem

[Gulo Blue]

Canada too. If you go to hockey games, it's worth learning Canada's anthem.

 

[Michchamp]

Our anthem is great and if ...

Uh, except for the third stanza, right?

 

[tinselwolverine]

Our anthem is great and if you can hit the high note without raising your voice or sounding like a wuss, you should probably sing it. Singing in groups is good for people and most anthems suck, but our doesn't. Don't belt it out or be fancy or do anything to draw attention to the way you sing it. Just sing it loud enough so anyone 2 seats to your right or left will also feel encouraged to sing. If you sing, and you hear someone else start up a line or two after you did, you just improved that person's experience and you should feel good about that.

There are no high notes in the national anthem in the key or keys they play the instrumental accompaniment for the crowd to sing along to.

There are sometimes high notes when a performer is singing it, but it's probably rude to sing along in those situations, at least so as people around you can hear. Most people just stand there and move their lips.

Almost nobody in the crowd would be able to hit the high notes in higher keys anyway.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Uh, except for the third stanza, right?

Nobody sings that or even thinks about it

 

[Michchamp]

We shouldn't play the national anthem at sporting events, unless national teams are involved.

Maybe on memorial day or the 4th of July.

Here in Stupidland, they go even more overboard... at Astros games, they also make you sing "God Bless America" in the 7th inning stretch, and also "Deep In the Heart of Stupidland" a local anthem, that is at least not religious, and less violent in its lyrical themes.

 

[Gulo Blue]

There are no high notes in the national anthem in the key or keys they play the instrumental accompaniment for the crowd to sing along to.

There are sometimes high notes when a performer is singing it, but it's probably rude to sing along in those situations, at least so as people around you can hear. Most people just stand there and move their lips.

Almost nobody in the crowd would be able to hit the high notes in higher keys anyway.

"Land of the free" is a higher note than a lot of average dudes are accustomed to singing. It's higher than the "Hail! Hail!" in our fight song and think of all the times you've heard athletes try and fail to hit that note.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Star Spangled banner covers 1.625 octaves.

 

[Michchamp]

"Land of the free" is a higher note than a lot of average dudes are accustomed to singing. It's higher than the "Hail! Hail!" in our fight song and think of all the times you've heard athletes try and fail to hit that note.

I can hit those notes.

 

[Michchamp]

even though I'm more of a baritone.

 

[tinselwolverine]

"Land of the free" is a higher note than a lot of average dudes are accustomed to singing. It's higher than the "Hail! Hail!" in our fight song and think of all the times you've heard athletes try and fail to hit that note.

It's only higher when it's higher.

It's not as high when it's not as high.

"Free" is the same note as "red glare."

The most common key for a crowd for the national anthem is G, which puts the two high notes at the D - the five note sew, a needle pulling thread, as Maria von Trapp would put it - above middle C for baritones/tenors - most men - and obviously one octave higher for altos/sopranos - most women.

That's not that high of a note.

If a person can't hit it, just fake it.

 

[Gulo Blue]

The most common key for a crowd for the national anthem is G

I'm not sure I believe that. Time to google.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Uh, except for the third stanza, right?

The Francis Scott Key poem is actually titled "Defense of Fort McHenry" and the melody derives from an old English drinking society song, To Anacreon in Heaven; the lyrics to which, not unlike the lyrics to most of the Michigan Men's Glee Club songs, (and the foreign language songs the Club performs) are about drinking and getting laid.

I guess people started calling it the Star Spangled Banner because it's the lyric that stands out and is most memorable.

I can't find exactly what or how much of the Key poem is officially, lawfully the National Anthem; the Wikipedia page seems to indicate "The Star Spangled Banner" was adopted as the national anthem through a congressional resolution that was signed by Herbert Hoover.

Anyway, the third verse is never traditionally included in the national anthem; or at least not in my awareness.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I'm not sure I believe that. Time to google.

Have at it. You'll find the same thing I just found.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Have at it. You'll find the same thing I just found.

I have found lower and regular versions, not sure what's more common, but I might be biased by the fact that this is what I've experienced most:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_WjpNGHPok

 

[Gulo Blue]

...and are we going to comment on the question mark?

 

[tinselwolverine]

I have found lower and regular versions, not sure what's more common, but I might be biased by the fact that this is what I've experienced most:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_WjpNGHPok

That feels like B or C, putting the 5 at F# or G. Probably chosen because it's the best key for the band; a little high for the average person to sing along to, but it's the band performing at the Rose Bowl, the audience singing along isn't primary importance.

Like I posted in #263, when it's being performed live it might be keyed higher than when melody is just pumped in over the PA for the audience to sing along with.

 

[tinselwolverine]

...and are we going to comment on the question mark?

The question mark at the end of the first stanza?

It's a four stanza poem.

The question is answered at the end of the fourth stanza:

And the Star Spangled Banner, in Triumph Shall Wave;

O'er the Land of the Free; and the Home of the Brave.

That's my favorite stanza; I think that should be the verse that should be sung if we're gonna continue with the Star Spangled at all.

There are no references to slavery or racism, but there's a reference to God, which might actually piss liberals off more than the slavery or racism.

Although it is still the same reference that's always been on our money.

Or we could have both the first and fourth verses like here.

Verse 4 starts at 1:10 here, if anybody already knows the lyrics to the first verse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q8e1DKXj-Y

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d 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.

 

[Gulo Blue]

The question mark at the end of the first stanza?

It's a four stanza poem.

The question is answered at the end of the fourth stanza:

OK, you caught me only looking at the 1st stanza again. How do you guys know so much about the other stanzas?

 

[tinselwolverine]

OK, you caught me only looking at the 1st stanza again. How do you guys know so much about the other stanzas?

I've known the lyrics of the 4th stanza for a long time; years, I don't remember exactly how I came to know it; but I've always liked it.

I think because I never really liked the way first stanza ends with an unanswered question, which the fourth stanza, again, answers.

Don't really know the 2nd stanza at all and I didn't know the 3rd stanza at all until this NFL controversy started.

The Congress could officially drop the 2nd and 3rd stanzas of the poem; they're not needed and the 3rd stanza is offensive to a lot of people.

The playing of the Anthem at sports events is up to home teams or leagues, they could discontinue it if they wanted to, although if they did that would probably open up a whole new can o' shit.

 

[Gulo Blue]

The Congress could officially drop the 2nd and 3rd stanzas of the poem; they're not needed and the 3rd stanza is offensive to a lot of people.

I would worry that if you tried to drop it right now, people would get upset about trying to erase out history or something like that.