Hello again my friends. Today is July 1st, and if my math is correct, that would make Monday July 4th. The birthday of the United States of America! Celebrated by parades, fireworks, and all the Red White and Blue you could possibly imagine. Everything is Stars and Stripes!! Baseball games will have a rousing National Anthem. Shame that most of the people won't know how to properly sing it.
I have had the honor of singing our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner quite possibly 25 times or so at different sporting events, some as little as a High School Hockey game, some as large as a Minor League Baseball game (I have also sang the Canadian Anthem in the past too, but that's another story for another time.) It is not an easy song to sing, and most people do not even know the proper lyrics to it. As much as I have performed it, I have an advantage, but if you polled 100 random people, I think at least half would get the words wrong. Unfortunately, celebrities don't help. Ask Christina Aguilera. I'm sure nobody was watching, it was only THE FREAKIN' SUPER BOWL!!
When I was in good old Staatsburg Elementary School, I was taught America the Beautiful. Most people know America the Beautiful. It's an easy song to sing. The range is a little tough, but so is the Star Spangled Banner's. America the Beautiful is a nice little song, describing the different landscapes across this beautiful country we live in. The Star Spangled Banner is based off of a British drinking song...ironic since on July 4th, we celebrate our independence from the British.
On March 3rd, 1931, the Star Spangled Banner was named our National Anthem by President Herbert Hoover (who shares my birthday...which I'm not overly proud of now.) I am of the opinion that this was a mistake. I think America The Beautiful would have been a better choice.
Don't get me wrong. I like the Star Spangled Banner when I hear it done INSTRUMENTALLY. When I hear it played at the Olympics as they raise the Stars and Stripes, I get tingles. The best part of it instrumentally is that NOBODY SCREWS UP THE LYRICS. I get tingles when I hear people SING America the Beautiful - check out Ray Charles if you don't believe me.
What do you think? Do you KNOW all the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner? Do you like my choice as an alternate National Anthem? Do you have a better choice? It's INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR FREEDOM! LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD! Comments are welcome here, Facebook, or follow me on Twitter at BillWinters18.
God Bless you all....and God Bless the United States of America (my Obama impersonation loses A LOT in written form!!)
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