Everyone Would Stand for the National Anthem, if This was the Song

[louis c]

Link:

[gratuitous]

1. How about America the Beautiful?

Well, except that it was written by an immigrant Jew, so . . . no, obviously.

[MineralMan]

2. Why? It's a religious song.

It is a hymn.

I'm an atheist. I would not stand for that song.

It is entirely unsuitable to be any sort of anthem for the United States.

See the First Amendment, please.

[Brainstormy]

3. Thanks. Not me either. n/t

[louis c]

8. People would stop waving Confederate flags, though

and can't you just see those red necks standing with their hands over their hearts as the words "as He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free" appear on the jumbothron.

[MineralMan]

10. It remains a stupid, offensive suggestion, though.

Anyone who would recommend a hymn as the National Anthem is not even bothering to think, in my opinion.

[louis c]

15. In God We Trust is on our money

Why is that?

[Spider Jerusalem]

21. Because Communist Russia was "godless"

the law mandating that to appear on US currency was passed in 1957. Same reason they added "under god" to the pledge of allegiance.

[louis c]

30. Whatever the reason

it is clearly constitutional. That's the point

[Spider Jerusalem]

31. the Supreme Court has thus far declined to hear a case on the constitutionality

[elehhhhna]

17. Warsongs, no. America the Beautiful.

This land is your land, maybe

[Hekate]

26. Yep. America the Beautiful would be better.

[LisaM]

4. Well, it's overtly Christian AND it was the rallying song of the North in the Civil War....

I like the song and I enjoy singing it, but I don't think it's anthem material, plus it seems unnecessarily divisive. But, I don't know if you were being ironic or not, so I'll defer on that.

[The Wielding Truth]

5. It would certainly get the Teabaggers on their feet. It's their theme song already.

[vlyons]

6. This Land Is Your Land

or this song

[Cattledog]

12. +1000

[The Wielding Truth]

16. I'd choose this one, too.

We would have to add another verse to include Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico and the US territories.

http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/01/21/this-land-is-your-land-the-for/

If all you know of This Land is Your Land are versions made popular by Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan or the Kingston Trio or the song you sang in the third grade in school, you won’t know any of them. They were considered too dangerous and subversive. One of the three was slightly altered for the Mall concert, in a very significant way. The last of them is an expression of hope and determination:

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

It’s preceded by two other verses, one of which is still incendiary. Actually hearing it on TV was a mind boggling experience for many of us:

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me;
The sign was painted, it said private property;
But on the back side it didn't say nothing;
That side was made for you and me.

Stunning. But more interesting is what Pete and company did to this seldom heard verse:

In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple;
By the Relief Office, I’d seen my people.
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?

For the Mall concert, the despairing query of the last line changed to one of optimism and affirmation:

As they stood hungry, I stood there whistling,
This land was made for you and me.

I raise my glass to you, Pete. You got to sing it at last. And I’m so very, very glad.

[ProudLib72]

7. I heard Dotard wanted to change the anthem

to Warrant's Cherry Pie.

[Cattledog]

11. Never.

[LexVegas]

13. I'm not a Christian. nt

[woodsprite]

14. The group I sing with performs that exact arrangement every Memorial Day!

Love it, and so does the audience. Most of the audience is made up of Veterans and their wives. I would love it if some of them would "take a knee" when we perform the Star Spangled Banner, but I doubt anyone would/could.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

18. No thanks.

[k8conant]

19. How about this?

July 2008 René Marie in Denver

https://renemarie.com/q-and-a/

[k8conant]

20. Or this...

[Journeyman]

22. May as well use this, if getting out of the seat is the criteria . . .

[moda253]

23. I was thinking Fuck Tha Police?

nah just kidding.

[GoCubsGo]

24. No thank you. n/t

[TlalocW]

25. I recommend this

Instructive and if we all learned it, it would be fun to hear how loud certain states got as residents called out their states.

TlalocW

[MontanaMama]

27. America The Beautiful?

Although I quarrel with the "brotherhood" part. Screw that.

[surrealAmerican]

28. People aren't protesting the national anthem.

They are protesting their treatment by government forces in this country.

The content of the song is irrelevant.

[johnp3907]

29. I'd stand up and DANCE if this were the anthem:

And it SHOULD be!

[aka-chmeee]

32. I have always thought "The Stars and Stripes Forever" would

be a better anthem. The title invokes the flag, it is optimistic and exuberant and does not require singing.

[Ms. Toad]

33. Nope. n/t

[greyl]

34. Fuck no. More like this

Your construction
Smells of corruption
I manipulate to recreate
This air to ground saga
Gotta launder my karma

I said hallelujah to the sixteen loyal fans
You'll get down on your mothafuckin' knees
And it's time for your sickness again
Come on and tell me what you need
Tell me what is making you bleed
We got two more minutes and
We gonna cut to what you need
So one of six so tell me
One do you want to live
And one of seven tell me
Is it time for your mothafuckin' ass to give
Tell me is it time to get down on your mothafuckin' knees
Tell me is it time to get down

I'm blown to the maxim
Two hemispheres battlin'
I'm blown to the maxim
Two hemispheres battlin'
Suckin' up, one last breath
Take a drag off of death

Hey Mr. Policeman
Is it time for getting away
Is it time for driving down the mother fuckin' road
And running from your ass today
Now tell me if do you agree
Or tell me if I'm makin' you bleed
I got a few more minutes and
I'm gonna cut to what you need
So one of six so tell me
One do you want to live
And one of seven tell me
Is it time for your mothafuckin' ass to give
Tell me is it time to get down on your mothafuckin' knees
Tell me is it time to get down

Got a revolution behind my eyes
We got to get up and organize
Got a revolution behind my eyes
We got to get up and organize
Got a revolution behind my eyes
We got to get up and organize
You want a revolution behind your eyes
We got to get up and organize

Come on baby tell me
Yes we aim to please