I am from Scotland and Flower of Scotland, our national anthem, is only ever sung one way. Whenever I see the American national anthem, it seems to me it is up to the performer to sing it in whatever style they want. Do Americans care about how the anthem is performed?


40 comments

  2. With how often we have to hear it, it being done exactly the same every time would be brutal

  4. I don’t have a preference for any style, but I like the variety artists or other people use, which can make it unique for their own vocal techniques or things

  6. Depends what the motivation is and if it sounds good.

    If the motivation is to be awesome, and it sounds awesome: rock on

  7. I prefer it sung the classic way. I don’t like when people start bending notes and doing weird shit.

  8. As long as it’s done to respect and communicate the meaning of the text, I think it’s wonderful that singers can perform it in different styles.

  14. Sometimes it goes well and other times it strays a bit too far and feels more like showing off by the performer than a way of bringing continuity and a patriotic message which is why it’s being sung in the first place.

  15. Some prefer the traditional rendition, but honestly I’ve never heard anyone complain unless it was a really terrible interpretation of it.

  16. I like how people switch it up, but some people do it wayyyy better than others, sometimes it’s painful to listen to

  18. I don’t care in the least…one way or another, diversity is built into our culture by default.

  19. Our national anthem is notoriously difficult to sing, so as long as someone does a reasonable job at it, we don’t mind what style they use. It’s only bad when someone seems to be intentionally messing it up, like Roseanne Barr supposedly did.

  20. I would like to hear the National anthem less actually. I don’t need to hear it every sports event

  21. Yes, it seems like 50% of the people who sing it can’t carry a tune and can’t hit the notes they’ve chosen to sing the song in. We would prefer people not do that.

  22. I definitely don’t like when singers go far off of the traditional style. The national anthem is NOT about you.

  23. Most people do not care about the anthem at all. For those who do care: some older people get cranky if it isn’t sung in a traditional style, but usually people just want it to be sung well regardless of the style, without weird coloratura or breathiness.

  24. Its a boring song. So when someone finds a way to make it less boring, go for it.

  27. The original PR disaster that is Roseanne learned not to mock it.

    That said, I don’t mind the variations as long as it remains respectful and it doesn’t sound like the artist is trying too hard to make it their own.

  28. I feel like most people don’t care, unless it’s just awful. Think Fergie singing at the NBA all star game or Rosanne just butchering it. I remember seeing a young kid playing it on an electric guitar at a basketball game and absolutely nailed it.

  30. I like it, we get to hear it with some regional or cultural flair. A black woman from Atlanta us gonna sing it differently than Peggy Sue from Kansas vs a man from NYC who went to a music conservatory.

  31. I’ve performed it at dozens of college and a few pro sporting events. There were 2 reasons I was continously asked back: 1. I sang it straight and got my butt off the ice/field/floor as this was a sporting event, not my personal concert and 2. I never tried to hit on the players before the game.

  33. I mean, the US anthem is based off an old drinking song, so it’d be strange to treat it as sacred

  34. When I was in high school, I did color guard with the ROTC program as well as competitive drill. That ended up resulting in many cases of me holding the unit flag or a guidon in a Present Arms position. Not that difficult for a bit, but my arm would get tired and start to struggle after a while. It ingrained an intense visceral hatred of any version of the anthem that had a lot of long, drawn out notes being held by the singer.

    Musically, I don’t give a shit and think they sound cool, but even decades later I can still feel my arm aching.

  35. Speaking as someone who’s sung it for a few events, there’s a fine line between putting some nice flourishes on it and making it about you

  37. it’s become all riff, no actual song . . cynical, showy, mechanical indications of passion — 

  40. Small changes are fine. But when singers try to jazz it up with their own style often it sound like a cat’s tail got caught under a rocking chair.

    The only real enjoyable change is when they add “Gentlemen start your engines” to the end.

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