Two questions about our national anthem:

[Hail Columbia]

First, should it be considered offensive for someone to add their own improvisation to national anthem, particularly near the very end?  I have always found it to be very annoying when some schmuck performer gets the idea of adding unnecessary emphasis to its last two lines.

And second, should it be considered offensive for the national anthem to be sung in a foreign language, particularly in Spanish?  What really angered me was that some time ago, some illegal alien-rights activists had this idea of writing a song to serve as a parallel national anthem, known as "Nuestro Himno".  It still angers me that they think that they are above singing our country's national anthem in our country's language.

[nessuno]

First, should it be considered offensive for someone to add their own improvisation to national anthem, particularly near the very end?  I have always found it to be very annoying when some schmuck performer gets the idea of adding unnecessary emphasis to its last two lines.

And second, should it be considered offensive for the national anthem to be sung in a foreign language, particularly in Spanish?  What really angered me was that some time ago, some illegal alien-rights activists had this idea of writing a song to serve as a parallel national anthem, known as "Nuestro Himno".  It still angers me that they think that they are above singing our country's national anthem in our country's language.

I hate the way the some people, especially younger performers , sing the National Anthem.  Disgusting what they do to it.
 
It is beautiful when it is sung in the traditional way.

In a foreign language it is not really our national anthem is it?

I'm not sure why more people are not angry about the desecration of our National Anthem - it really bothers me.

[rob shepherd]

It started when Whoopi Goldberg sang the National Anthem on a show of hers on HBO back in the 1980's, or it could have been in 1979, not really sure.  She used every vulgar expression she could think of.  I would have destroyed the tv had it been mine.  Can't remember what the show was, but she was headlining.  As for the others.  This is our country, our National Anthem, and by God, if you don't like how it is here.  Then get the HELL out!!!!!  Don't shove your political correctness down our throats, shove it where the sun don't shine.  And sideways at that.  God bless AMERICA and ISRAEL!!!!!

[nessuno]

It started when Whoopi Goldberg sang the National Anthem on a show of hers on HBO back in the 1980's, or it could have been in 1979, not really sure.  She used every vulgar expression she could think of.  I would have destroyed the tv had it been mine.  Can't remember what the show was, but she was headlining.  As for the others.  This is our country, our National Anthem, and by G-d, if you don't like how it is here.  Then get the HELL out!!!!!  Don't shove your political correctness down our throats, shove it where the sun don't shine.  And sideways at that.  G-d bless AMERICA and ISRAEL!!!!!

[takebackourtemple]

   Most people don't even know that there are three stanzas to the national anthem, but usually only the first is sung.

[Hail Columbia]

Actually, there are four stanzas.

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

[rob shepherd]

So you know what I'm talking about DanBenNoah?    LOL!!!

[takebackourtemple]

   Looks like I'm wrong. Living in Baltimore, so should have known. I am confused though. I've only heard the second stanza sung once. I was at a motorcycle rally that wasn't a Christian event but had a large Christian crowd and must have been run by religious Christians so they sung the second stanza to include G-d. I remember reading somewhere that is was three and the second two had G-d's name. Of course you have the lyrics right here. Maybe they sang "a" second stanza instead of "the" second stanza.

Actually, there are four stanzas.

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In G-d is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

[AsheDina]

First, should it be considered offensive for someone to add their own improvisation to national anthem, particularly near the very end?  I have always found it to be very annoying when some schmuck performer gets the idea of adding unnecessary emphasis to its last two lines.

And second, should it be considered offensive for the national anthem to be sung in a foreign language, particularly in Spanish?  What really angered me was that some time ago, some illegal alien-rights activists had this idea of writing a song to serve as a parallel national anthem, known as "Nuestro Himno".  It still angers me that they think that they are above singing our country's national anthem in our country's language.

I hate the way the some people, especially younger performers , sing the National Anthem.  Disgusting what they do to it.
 
It is beautiful when it is sung in the traditional way.

In a foreign language it is not really our national anthem is it?

I'm not sure why more people are not angry about the desecration of our National Anthem - it really bothers me.

  The FLAG WAS STILL THERE!!! IT WAS STILL THERE!! Kind of reminds me of Scarlett seeing Tara, and saying: ITS STILL THERE! IT HAS NOT BEEN BURNT DOWN, it is STILL there!

  Is the flag still there now? 
 

[takebackourtemple]

   I'm getting sick and tired of seeing half of everything in Spanish where ever I go. Doctors offices are now being required to provide that that speaks Spanish. If they are going to require any langauge other than English, they should be require all of the languages. If a private business wants to provide support to people of another language, that is their choice, but government offices should not be allowed to do so.

[AsheDina]

   I'm getting sick and tired of seeing half of everything in Spanish where ever I go. Doctors offices are now being required to provide that that speaks Spanish. If they are going to require any langauge other than English, they should be require all of the languages. If a private business wants to provide support to people of another language, that is their choice, but government offices should not be allowed to do so.

  Welcome to MEXIFORNIA.  This is like the Tower of Babel.

[nessuno]

   I'm getting sick and tired of seeing half of everything in Spanish where ever I go. Doctors offices are now being required to provide that that speaks Spanish. If they are going to require any langauge other than English, they should be require all of the languages. If a private business wants to provide support to people of another language, that is their choice, but government offices should not be allowed to do so.

  Welcome to MEXIFORNIA.  This is like the Tower of Babel.

...and Nuevo York.  Where Babeling in Spanish will soon be mandatory.
If it's not already.  

[rob shepherd]

What irritates me is, "Please press 1 for English."  I don't press anything, I just wait til the gibberish is over and some kind of machine asks who I need to speak to in English of course.  This is AMERICA, not Latin AMERICA, there is a difference but some don't seem to understand that.  God bless AMERICA and ISRAEL!!!!!

[takebackourtemple]

What irritates me is, "Please press 1 for English."  I don't press anything, I just wait til the gibberish is over and some kind of machine asks who I need to speak to in English of course.  This is AMERICA, not Latin AMERICA, there is a difference but some don't seem to understand that.  G-d bless AMERICA and ISRAEL!!!!!

   It's enough that we get a machine now that takes forever to list choices. Now we have to deal with machines that are not even in English. People make the argument that are country was made great by immigration. There is truth to that since it was made great by the right immigrants. The right immigrants came to better themselves. Todays immigrants come to destroy our country. It looks like they are doing a good job at destroying our language.

[Zelhar]

I think that in official occasions the anthem should be sung properly. However it is part of the freedom of expressions if someone plays or sings his own interpretation to the anthem (remember Jimi Hendrix ?).