In times of crisis, the Star-Spangled Banner is a rock for us, a symbol of our grace under pressure and our determination to succeed no matter the odds, the very virtues that have led America to become the richest and most powerful nation on the planet. And, of course, it’s impossible to dissociate the song from the emotional associations attached to it. The tune to which these lyrics are set is rousing and works well, particularly at spectator sporting events. The lyrics are inspirational and speak well to the resilience of our nation–Francis Scott Key wrote them after witnessing the American forces survive the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. This isn’t to say that “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a bad national anthem. It’s taking all my willpower to keep my eyes on my laptop as the American hockey team plays the Czechs on the television in front of me.īut there’s one thing about seeing the United States in international competition that bothers the hell out of me: our national anthem, when compared to those of other countries, just doesn’t cut it. So is the potential to wile away the hours in front of non-stop sports coverage.
It’s Olympics time, and that means patriotism is at a relative high here in America. Why do singers mess up these words so frequently?
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