Monday, February 2, 2009

The Ruining Of The National Anthem

Am I the only person who is tired of seeing R&B singers fuck up the National Anthem?

I don't know when it started, sometime in the 80's I suspect, but it became popular for R&B artists to fuck up the national anthem. Some of you may not have noticed, but the word land should take less than 15 seconds to sing and should contain 45 different notes.

"...And the LAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaAAAAAANnnnnnnnnnnnnnNNNNnnnNNnNnnnnNNnnnddd"

I can't argue that most of these performers have fantastic singing voices. Some are even phenomenal artists who write their own music. I'm not saying that these are talentless attempts to sing, I'm saying that I don't want to hear someone trying to 1-up Mariah Cary's 40 second vibrato of the word "free" by doing their own 45 second version, with twice as many pitch changes.

So they have changed the notes, changed the tune, changed the timing... may as well complete the cycle and change the words too...

Oh, say, can ya see, by the sun's big bright light,
What so proudly we saw at the twilight's gleam-gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, we put up a hell of a fight.
For the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly ga-gleaming?
And the rockets' red glare, big ass bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof in the night that our flag was still there.
UH HUH UH HUH!
O shit, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
For the land of the free and the home of my homies?

8 comments:

  1. Dude, I completely hate the people who do the whole "I have a lot of vocal range and use it to substitute for emotion because dumbasses are impressed by it." Seriously, the Anthem isn't a contest. I mean, sure, add a little of your style into it ... but jumpin Jesus on a pogo stick, keep it dignified. This ain't American Idol, FFS.

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  2. I didn't really care for faith hill at the beginning of the super bowl either.

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  3. I think you are so so right. I hate that stuff. Just sing the song and lets get on with the game.
    jaz

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  4. I thinks its most singers..not just r&b singers..

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  5. You have somewhat of a case there Anon, except that R&B singers are the biggest offenders. Sure you get a country singer up there and they may twang it up a bit, but generally it's not messed with too much. You get a rock star and they don't mess with it at all. But if the announcer says, "Please welcome R&B singer..." - you are in for a National Anthem Fuckering.

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  7. Great information, thank you for this nice post.

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