serai

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Just reading a post over at Metafilter where a lot of people are bitching about the national anthem. You know, it's soooo hard to sing, the lyrics are stupid, why can't we have another song, yadayadayada. The same old stuff that gets trotted out every year.

I've never understood it. To me, it's a beautiful song. The melody is wonderful, if challenging, hearkening back to a time when pretty much everybody could sing. (The tune was a drinking song, after all, meaning it was written to be sung by people already shitfaced.) And the lyrics, while describing a battle - not the nicest of scenes - are poetic and descriptive, full of wonder and pride. Why does everybody hate this song so much? Because it's old? Because it just points out how much we've lost in common talent?

I love singing this song. Yes, it's not simple like "Happy Birthday", but it's the challenge that makes it so great. I've found that the way to overcome the challenge is to go full tilt with it; if you try to sing half-heartedly, you're sure to fail. But if you let go of your nervousness and let yourself be carried away by the feeling of the song, you're much more likely to come out with something wonderful.

Plus, I just love the original lyrics. It's my fantasy that one day at some official function, some smart-aleck singer will be getting ready to begin, but will instead belt out the original:

To Anacreon in Heaven - Oak, Ash & Thorn

Happy 4th of July!