How To Sing The Star Spangled Banner

I'm about as patriotic a person as you will find out there. I'm extremely sentimental about this country that allowed my parents entry after WWII. Sure, I believe that America comes up well short of an ideal in many ways. But I can't think of a better place for my parents to have immigrated, not even close.

I place my hand over my heart with enthusiasm whenever our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, is played. I sing along usually and feel immense pride when I do so. My expectation of the lead singer when I'm at an event where the anthem is sung is simple. Sing on pitch. Don't make the song all about you. It's the nation's anthem, not your anthem after all. Show some modesty, hit the notes, bow, and walk off.

Yesterday, before I don't know how many tens of millions (hundreds of millions maybe) of television viewers Christina Aguilera did this to the Star Spangled Banner:



She's so busy trying to insert notes that were never written into the anthem in an effort to impress that she blows the words. Then there is that raspy, he-done-me-wrong thing that she does in a few places. No, Ms. Aguilera, The Star Spangled Banner isn't a torch song. What were you thinking?

Here, in contrast, is another version at an earlier football game this year. The guy isn't a professional singer. He's a hockey player, Jim Cornelison:



Mr. Cornelison stands there like a tank and belts out the notes. He's sincere. Yes, the notes are a little pitchy, but he's singing not to wow you. Rather he's simply trying to honor this country the best he can in voice. Now that makes me happy.

You don't have to be a professional singer to do justice to our anthem. I'm hoping that we move away from having pop singers butcher the Star Spangled Banner at nationally televised events like the Super Bowl and get more strong-voiced, straight-ahead singing amateurs like Cornelison. Here's to hoping.

I also note the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl yesterday. As a native cheesehead who adored the Packers as a kid, that makes me even happier than hearing Mr. Cornelison sing.