I’ve been thinking about ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, our country's National Anthem.
Did you know the first
stanza of the anthem is a series of questions?
"O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
The context of the lyrics change when you know they're questions.
According to de Wiki, "the lyrics come from 'Defence of Fort M'Henry', a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large U.S. flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort after the battle."
As a Grade school kid during the 60's, every time the anthem was played we all sang it out. I felt a strong sense of patriotism and pride when singing it with a bunch of other kids. When was the last time YOU sang the anthem at a public event? If it’s been a while, there are reasons.
1. The anthem melody is difficult for regular folks to sing due to its wide range.
2. People are embarrassed to sing aloud in public, worried they have a bad voice, can't stay on-key or might forget the words.
3. Event promoters like to have the anthem performed in different ways to spice up their show. Whether sung or as an instrumental, it might use the standard tempo, be slowed waaaaaay down, or changed up so it's almost impossible to sing along with.
I can sing the ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ really well, and was once given an opportunity to perform it in
front of over a thousand race fans.
It was the final day of personal watercraft (jet-ski) racing at the 1996 IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The singer we’d hired to perform the anthem before the Pro Finals bailed at the last-minute due to illness. I was in the Announcing Tower when we got the news, and our Managing Director asked for a volunteer to sing it. I stepped up, sang the first line to him to prove I could do it, belted it out over the PA system on-key and without mistakes, and got a standing ovation from the crowd!
My heart swelled to three times its normal size that day.
At U.S. sporting and public events, presenting 'The Star-Spangled Banner’ before the event begins is a time-honored
tradition. It’s
also common around the world for that country’s National Anthem to be played at
the start of their events.
This past June, The Artist and I watched a big-time NASCAR race on teevee from Mexico City, and I witnessed the very thing that’s had me thinking about our National Anthem.
The pre-race grid of cars was packed with
American race team and NASCAR personnel, American drivers and their American families,
friends, support staff and media. The race promoters played a traditional instrumental version of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, but none of the Americans on the grid were singing it. They just stood there, some with hands over their
hearts, silent and waiting for it to be over so they could start the race.
The promoters
then played an instrumental version of the ‘Himno Nacional Mexicano’, and it appeared that
every Mexican fan in the grandstands were singing out their own anthem, loud and proud. The contrast was startling.
I've seen it happen over and over. Every time ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ is played at U.S. public events, no one sings it. The crowd stands there, some with hands over their heart, silent and waiting for it to be over so the event can begin.
Why is that?
In my humble opinion, it’s about national pride.
I’m not talking
about political ideologies or party affiliation or whether you agree with one
side of the political spectrum or the other or whatever steaming social issue
has you rage-tweeting or doom-scrolling until 2am. Those things have nothing to
do with national pride.
Many 'Americans' have apparently forgotten what it really means to be an American in arguably the most successful democracy in the world.
Being an American is about a collective identity among a wide-ranging and eclectic Republic; one we all belong to. It transcends ideological turf squabbles and origin stories. It’s about an idea that different people can agree on a shared vision of hope for the future and working together towards that vision.
That’s a big ask, especially now, but it's important.
You don't have to be a citizen to be an American. For example, our undocumented immigrant farmers and construction workers and gardeners and healthcare workers and cooks and office workers and painters and carpenters and mechanics and small-business owners and Moms and Dads and janitors and welders and arborists and teachers and food servers and secretaries and pet groomers and housecleaners and the rest are all a part of the American workforce.
The anthem’s lyrics are about a specific historical event, but the passage of time has given them more context and meaning than Mr. Key could have anticipated. Singing it aloud, in public, celebrating our shared journey and vision, is an overt way to solidify a foundation of national unity and declare that we’re all in this thing together, no matter what.
As gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson would say, “This MEANS something, dammit!”
Every time The Artist and I attend a public event, you can bet that I’m singing our National Anthem, loud and proud. Occasionally someone else will join in, but I’m usually the only one around belting it out. I’ve even gotten smirks and dirty looks from people who think I’m showing off. Those people can fuck off, because they just don’t get it.
Being an American is beautiful and complicated because democracy is also beautiful and complicated. It requires intelligence and dedication and honesty and hard work, and it doesn't require a piece of paper.
The next time you’re in a public setting and the 'Star-Spangled Banner' is played, don’t worry about your lousy voice or being on-key or forgetting a few words. Rejoice in the opportunity to vocalize your appreciation for the democracy we all share, one that is always a work-in-progress, one that is ours... if we can keep it.
"You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break." - Harry S. Truman
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." - Herm Albright
