A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Pencilvania ·
January 30, 2013 at 4:35pm
Alicia Keys will sing our national anthem at the Superbowl on Sunday, and she has said it is actually a brand new song in the style that she'll deliver it. We don't know what that means, if lyrics will be left out, changed, or if it's just a publicity leak, as if the game needs any more publicity.
Or maybe she'll sing it in a different language, in honor of Sweeping Immigration Reform?
What do think will be the change in the anthem? And if you were in the stands, would you still applaud or show disapproval, if it is still our national anthem but not exactly?
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Comments:
Nov '12
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
The only "reworked" National Anthem that I ever liked (and played) was Sir Edward Elgar's arrangement of the British National Anthem. It sounded very much like the "original" but being by Elgar it had some rather elaborate writing for the brass.
Have you seen this?
Edited on January 30, 2013 at 3:42pmAug '11
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
I am pretty much a purist when it comes to the National Anthem. If an "artist" can't sing it as written, then politely decline and let someone else sing it correctly. It can be sung beautifully so unsure why so many think they need to put their "special" spin on it or as the American Idol judges say it..."make it their own."
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
I love me some Alicia Keys and one of the things I love about her work is that she is deeply respectful of the rules and learns them before she breaks them. She has the chops to pull something like this off.
It will go great if her work is respectful of the national anthem. It will fail miserably if she's trying to make a lame statement.
Feb '12
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Keep in mind we're talking about a tune that was originally sung for a drinking club ...
Defending the purity of our anthem is like defending the purity of the English language -- it wasn't exactly pure to begin with ...
Jul '11
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
It could be interesting. I always liked what Jimi Hendrix did with it and Whitney Houston’s version is noteworthy. There is an album on Amazon called “The Star Spangled Banner - 30 Versions Of The World's Most Famous Anthem” showing different artists adaptations. Ms. Keys may contribute to the song or she may end up making a laughing stock of herself in the end it will be up to the American people to decide.
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
I will consider it new and refreshing if anyone can manage to leave out all the urban yodeling that seems to have infected practically every piece of music for quite some time now.
May '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
She's an artist. That's what they do. As FJG suggests, the anthem is bigger than Ms. Keyes and any excessive or pointless alteration will only reflect poorly on her.
Dec '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Frankly, I prefer the Jim Cornelison approach.
And I think that makes me a purist. Because I do understand that it was originally sung for a drinking club, and because I think the National Anthem should be still be a participatory event.
Not something before which we sit separate, slack-jawed and puzzled, watching some diva (who's probably lip-syncing), emote and trill her way through an unrecognizable ditty (In Praise Of World Peace, of course!) that we don't even recognize.
Not something which we couldn't possibly join in with if we wanted to, because the track wanders erratically from key to key and measure to measure, sounding like nothing so much as the lead song from a new Andrew Lloyd Weber musical.
And especially not something before we sit in trepidation, wondering if or when a particularly tasteless performer is going to grab her crotch or experience a carefully planned wardrobe malfunction in front of the children.
A little humility from the performer would not be amiss.
Alicia Keys may be a fine singer. But, the National Anthem as 'a brand new song in the style that I'll deliver it."?
Oh please. Spare me.
Jan '11
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
I'm still holding out for Enrico Palazzo.
.
God bless you, Leslie Nielsen, wherever you are.
May '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
There are certain pieces of music that have become invested with a meaning that is greater than any singer's personal ego. We don't need some lounge lizard's "interpretation" of the song. We don't need some artist's styling of it. Part of it is that it isn't THEIR song, it's OUR song. That's partly what She is getting at; it ought to be sung "straight" enough that, if we are patriotic, we can join in in OUR song. But you can't do that if you don't know where the tune or lyrics may be going next. And it is partly that this song isn't about them; it is about our country. There are people who have, or will, lay down their lives to defend our country. That, at least, should be honored. And you don't honor that by grabbing the spotlight for yourself.
Sing it straight or pass the mike to someone who will.
Aug '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Dave, "urban yodeling" is a new one on me, and I love it!
As a musician, I like it when songs are re-interpreted, and I think it can be done respectfully with the Anthem. A diva's show-offy "runs", however, are almost always cheesy and disrespectful, but I don't like that kind of singing in any song.
Mar '11
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
My guess is that Keys will deliver the song in under 30 minutes... A Super Bowl record!
Jun '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
If it is sung, say, in Spanish then it will have been politicized for someone's (Keys', the NFL's) political agenda.
Must we turn everything into a political event?
Just play the stupid game and sing the song the way it's supposed to be sung.
It's pretty sad when we can't get an American singer to sing the song right. Where's Ronan Tynan when we need him?
Edited on January 30, 2013 at 4:54pmDec '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
I predict "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
Jul '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
What would really be great is if the people in the stadium sang the song properly and drowned her out. Either that or Ray Lewis could drop her like a sack of wheat for screwing with the national anthem.
Jun '10
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Bold prediction.
Sep '11
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
I yearn for the day when the singer is introduced, and announces to the crowd:
"This anthem represents us all--and should be sung by us all. Please note the words which are displayed on the Jumbotron behind me, and join me in singing...."
Were I to indulge in extreme flights of fantasy, I'd dream of a team's fans deciding to adopt the National Anthem (the way some soccer team's fans in England have adopted "Jerusalem", and the Boston Red Sox fans have adopted "Sweet Caroline") and make a practice of all singing it--at the top of their lungs--to begin the game.
(While a faery drill team mounted on rainbow-colored unicorns performed a quadrille on the playing field....)
Mar '11
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Place your bets now:
May '11
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
I thought the super bowl was last week...
Re: A 'Reworked' National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
John Murdoch: I yearn for the day when the singer is introduced, and announces to the crowd:
"This anthem represents us all--and should be sung by us all. Please note the words which are displayed on the Jumbotron behind me, and join me in singing...."
Were I to indulge in extreme flights of fantasy, I'd dream of a team's fans deciding to adopt the National Anthem (the way some soccer team's fans in England have adopted "Jerusalem", and the Boston Red Sox fans have adopted "Sweet Caroline") and make a practice of all singing it--at the top of their lungs--to begin the game.
(While a faery drill team mounted on rainbow-colored unicorns performed a quadrille on the playing field....) · 9 minutes ago
I could be wrong about this, but I recall that we did all join in to sing the national anthem in ages past. Like when I was a little kid. No?