Performance standards

[supergee]

Indiana legislator wants a law that would punish bad singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (which everyone knows cannot be sung well). H.P. Lovecraft, with his love of tradition, would sing "To Anacreon in Heav'n" when everyone else was singing the new version. I imagine the elected moron would favor a law against that as well.

Comments

Here via oursin

[legionseagle]

I was quite hopeful that it actually meant "out of tune, dirge-like renditions" (God knows, I would like to ban people doing those with God Save the Queen, in fact, I think we ought to ban that altogether and replace it with Jerusalem when we mean England and Land of Hope and Glory when we mean the UK) but I see he actually means "Trying to do something interesting with it."

Re: Here via oursin

[necturus]

The tune of "God Save the Queen", though, has been very popular through the years. It was used in Prussia (and imperial Germany) for "Heil dir im Siegerkranz"; in imperial Russia for "Молитва Русских" ("Prayer of the Russians"); and of course here in the United States for "My Country, 'Tis of Thee". I believe the current anthem of Liechtenstein is also sung to this tune.

"Jerusalem", by contrast, sounds (to my ears) like something a militant Puritan might embrace, with all its arrows, spears, and swords; and the building of the new Jerusalem reminds me of Governor Winthrop's "city on a hill". However, King George V seems to have preferred it, and it is in the Harvard University hymnal, with Blake's words. I have heard it sung there, at Memorial Church in Harvard Yard.

Re: Here via oursin

[legionseagle]

The thing about Jerusalem is that it specifically references England as opposed to the UK or Great Britain (I always think it's somewhat offensive in the Six Nations that England play God Save the Queen when playing Wales (national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau), Scotland (Flower of Scotland - and that's a dirge if you like) or Ireland (deeply complicated)). Also, everyone knows the words (I'd say it was militant socialism not militant Puritanism it celebrates, but it's certainly militant something, a good thing in an anthem).

[necturus]

I heard a certain former Marine sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" to the tune "The Ash Grove" at an alt.polycon a few years ago.

[wordweaverlynn]

That would be a big improvement.

[emceeaich]

At the limit, Evangelicals and Conservatives really want to be East Germany, just the version where they are Honecker.

[wordweaverlynn]

You nailed it.

[wordweaverlynn]

Personally, I think we should dump the unsingable Star Spangled Banner for another anthem -- preferably Lift Every Voice and Sing (the Black national anthem) or possibly America the Beautiful. Both of them have much better lyrics and much better melodies.

Other countries have anthems that normal people can sing. Both O Canada and The Maple Leaf Forever are lovely. The Soviet/Russian anthem (they changed the lyrics after the breakup) is beautiful and stirring. (A nice rendition in the movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.) The Marseillaise is racist and violent, but it has a rousing tune. So why are we stuck with the rockets' red glare and the strained falsettos?