New National Anthem

I am a homesick American, presently living in Canada.  I miss a lot of things, but one thing I don't miss is our national anthem.  Don't get me wrong, I love our national anthem.  As a Baltimorean, I take special pride in imagining Francis Scott Key penning the lyrics from my harbor as the bombs were actually bursting in air above the skies of my city.

But to me, the words are a bit jingoistic, too military.  And the tune!   Good grief, I don't think there are many people who have the vocal range to sing the whole thing comfortably.  You either have to start too low for yourself so that you can hit that hight note at the end, or do what a lot of people do an just start singing at your comfortable range and then squeak out that high note on "land of the FREE!" if you haven't forgotten the words and still have the breath to make it to the end.  

(Oh!  And it really irks me when people have to show off their vocal range on that song, and add all sorts of vibrato and extra vocal wiggles and jiggles to it.  Just sing it straight, why don't ya?  The song is not about you and your voice!  It's about our country!)

So, I propose a new American National Anthem:  America the Beautiful.  Singable.  Short. A tribute to the land and the people, not just the military might that makes the US what it is.
In case you have forgotten, here are the lyrics.  Well, not all the lyrics, just the two verses that I like.

O beautiful for spacious skies, 
For amber waves of grain, 
For purple mountain majesties 
Above the fruited plain! 
America! America! 
God shed his grace on thee 
And crown thy good with brotherhood 
From sea to shining sea! 


O beautiful for patriot dream 
That sees beyond the years 
Thine alabaster cities gleam 
Undimmed by human tears! 
America! America! 
God shed his grace on thee 
And crown thy good with brotherhood 
From sea to shining sea! 





end of blog entry