"Star-Spangled" butchers overlook importance of anthem

By Andrew Neumann
Collegian Staff
March 1, 2006

The most enduring symbol of America is our flag. The stars and stripes never fail to engender a response within us. Usually, the visual image of the flag is coupled with the sounds of our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Whether it is played at a baseball game, during a fireworks show or outside the embassies of our allies on one fateful day in September, the anthem is America.

It seems that lately, however, some people who perform the song at events have forgotten that. On a national stage, many performers have taken it upon themselves to rework, or even rewrite, Francis Scott Key’s masterpiece. At the NBA All-Star game last week, Destiny’s Child performed the song. The performance was far too dramatized, too drawn out and worst of all, it seemed as if every single note was harmonized. It was an impressive display of the artists’ vocal ability, but unfortunately, it did not do the song justice.

This was not an anomaly. It seems that every major event now features someone butchering the anthem. Every performer tries to perform his or her personalized version of the song, but it comes off as unnecessary and disrespectful. The anthem is about the country and the men and women who died for it, not about the person singing it. I understand that most performers are not changing the song to be unpatriotic, but these people should understand the full weight of their responsibility. The sole purpose of the anthem is not for it to sound unique; it’s for Americans to share the common bond of national pride through a song. Part of this comes from the familiarity of hearing the same song that people listened to 200 years ago. That cannot happen with modern versions that contain all of the vocalizations and theatrics of a pop song.

The National Anthem is equal parts rallying cry and somber reminder, and when used effectively, it can help inspire a nation. The first time the National Anthem was played at a baseball game was during World War I as a way to garner support for our troops overseas. The response was so overwhelmingly positive that it has been performed at every American baseball game since. During the Persian Gulf War, Whitney Houston’s version of the National Anthem during Super Bowl XXV served to calm the tensions of young Americans unaccustomed to war.

After Sept. 11, the National Anthem was the most moving part of any sporting event or public gathering, as people were able to collectively heal fresh wounds through common bonding. During all of these times, the performances were understated, with the focus highlighting the song itself. Not coincidentally, these are considered some of the best performances ever. Conversely, when a performance is terrible, such as Roseanne Arnold’s screaming fit of a performance, or Steven Tyler changing the ending lyrics, it is remembered for a very long time. The anthem is one of the few remaining things that most Americans hold sacred. When someone desecrates it, intentionally or unintentionally, there is quite a bit of outrage directed at that person.

While most of these current performances cannot really be considered desecration, I believe they are dishonoring the song nonetheless. Aside from the fact that the song simply doesn’t sound good when it is performed incorrectly, it is also indicative of a culture with little respect for heritage. Many of these artists would take legal action if someone performed their songs in a very different or disparaging manner; yet, they still continue to do the same thing to Mr. Key. I hope they take that into account the next time they launch into a “soulful” rendition of the National Anthem that takes six-and-a-half minutes to sing and sounds nothing at all like it was intended.

neumanna1@lasalle.edu