The Star-Spangled Banner is not easy to sing. It’s rangy, for one thing. One and a half octaves are a lot to ask of the average citizen, as is the chromaticism throughout the melody. Also, the words are a mouthful and easy to mangle or forget (Just google “worst renditions of National Anthem,” and strap in. The number of professional musicians who have unilaterally beclowned themselves for posterity is mind-boggling).
Personally, though, I’m more appalled by the professionals who remember all the words and hit every note perfectly but make the whole thing about themselves. This, I think, is the biggest reason most people don’t sing along as they should. It’s not because they “can’t sing” or because they’re embarrassed to sing in front of other people. It’s because of all these pop stars and professional musicians who have turned the privilege of singing our national anthem in public into a showcase for their own talent.
Consider the famous renditions from people, like Whitney Houston, Alicia Keyes, Jose Feliciano, Marvin Gaye, and most recently, Chris Stapleton. Each give excellent performances that put their talent on full display. But that’s the problem—all these performances with all these individual interpretations have turned We the People into an audience of passive meat bags, standing mutely in stadiums and arenas all over the country, when we should sing along with unbridled enthusiasm. We don’t do this, however, because our national anthem has morphed from something participatory into something performative. And that sucks.
If it were up to me, I’d require anyone invited to sing our National Anthem at a public event to do so in less than a minute. That’s right. One minute. After 60 seconds, your microphone is cut. Implementing this one, simple requirement would have myriad benefits, some of which I discuss and demonstrate in the attached video. Consider it a Star-Spangled Public Service Announcement from the Dirty Jobs Guy to all those honored to lead us in song.
Happy Birthday, America!
Mike
If you only have 3 minutes to watch Tucker Carlson’s show today, this is the 3 minutes you need to see.
The pharma treadmill is making everyone sick, and you won’t believe how bad it is until you see these stats:
�� Autism rates in kids are 1 in 36 nationally, compared to 1 in 1500 in the not-so-distant past.
• In California, it's even worse: Autism rates are 1 in 22.
• 74% of American adults are overweight or obese.
• Close to 50% of children are overweight or obese.
• 50% of American adults have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
• 30% of teens now have prediabetes.
• Infertility is increasing by 1% per year.
• Sperm counts are decreasing by 1% per year since the 1970s.
• Young adult cancers are up 79%.
What's causing all this? It's simple: “Our TOXIC food system and our TOXIC environment.”
@CaseyMeansMD explains:
“The thing that people need to understand is that all of these conditions are caused or driven by the exact same thing, which is metabolic dysfunction. This core foundational issue of how our bodies on the cellular level function, which is driven by our toxic food system and our toxic environment.
“These subtle, insidious forces that are creating slow progressive illness, starting now in fetal life, that allow patients to be profitable and on the pharma treadmill for their entire lives. They make us sick, but they don't kill us. And then we are drugged for life.”