The Star Mangled Banner

"The Star Spangled Banner" is a terrible national song, except of course when Jimmy Hendrix plays it. Oh, it's nice enough sounding, but it's just too darned hard for people to sing. It's spread over one and a half octaves and parts are way up there above the average person's register, and the words are very hard to remember, especially the old verses that are rarely sung nowadays including the very uncool part that says:

 

"No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave"

 

An interesting historical fact about the song is that Jose Feliciano surprised the crowd before game five of the 1968 world series by singing a very different, bluesy version of the song. Many people reacted badly to it because it was so different, but many also liked it and like it or hate it, this performance was the beginning of the myriad experimental versions that are sung to this day.

 

Anyhow, back to my point. There are small but determined groups of people who would like to swap this song for other, more friendly tunes. My favorite alternate consideration is a song penned by the great Woody Guthrie, a beautiful folk song that forgoes bursting explosions and symbolism for an optimistic view of the common-person's America. It's easy to sing, the words are beautiful and simple, and it's just a much happier song than the SSB.

 

You've all heard it, and probably sung it in grade school... "This Land is Your Land"

 

Try NOT to sing it in your head right now, I dare ya...

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.

As I went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me.

I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
While all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
A voice was chanting, As the fog was lifting,
This land was made for you and me.

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.