May 30, 2008
By Rebecca Gladden
Well, here we are, race fans. It's June in NASCAR and we're partway between our Memorial Day race in Charlotte and our Fourth of July race in Daytona.
Which seems like an appropriate time for my annual National Anthem column.
In preparing for this article, I looked over a couple of message boards for some exact quotes from race fans commenting on various performances of the anthem before NASCAR races. A couple of examples:
- "It sucked!"
- "That was the worst anthem ever!"
- "That guy just butchered the National Anthem."
- "My dog could howl a better anthem than that."
- "The National Anthem was just trashed."
- "That was the worst rendition of the anthem I have ever heard."
- And, as recently as last Sunday in Charlotte, "You'd think there are plenty of famous 'good' singers who come to the races, especially on an important holiday. Sheesh. I think I could have sung it better than that."
Aren't these reactions music to your ears?
They're not to mine.
I contend that our nation's song - a tribute to the American flag - deserves better.
I'm not really sure when it became vogue to have celebrities sing the National Anthem. During and after WWII, if the anthem was performed at sporting events, it was sung in unison by the crowd, sometimes with the music played on the PA system. It was a participatory activity and most everyone was not only expected to - but wanted to - join in.
One of the earliest citations I found of this celebrity anthem phenomenon was the May 1965 heavyweight championship boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston. Singer Robert Goulet, born in the United States and raised in Canada, sang the song before the fight and made a mistake in the lyrics, voicing, "the dawn's early night," rather than "the dawn's early light."
Despite his wonderful voice, Goulet's mistake, slight though it was, evoked a fair share of anger, particularly regarding his Canadian upbringing. This was an early example of one the pitfalls of having an individual perform the anthem rather than a group sing-along. The lyrics can be tricky and mistakes are magnified a thousand-fold when you're the only one singing.
It seems the rebellious 1960s were, in fact, the beginning not only of celebrity anthem performances, but of growing anthem controversies. In October, 1968, singer and musician Jose Feliciano was invited to perform the anthem before Game Five of the World Series in Detroit. Feliciano sang a very stylized version of the song - right lyrics, wrong melody - sparking a huge public outcry.
It was arguably Feliciano's nontraditional performance which opened the door for future artistic interpretations of the anthem. According to the singer's own website, "This was not the case before Jose Feliciano."
Over the years, there have been many dreadful renditions of the National Anthem. The most notorious was by comedienne Roseanne Barr before a 1990 San Diego Padres baseball game. Her dissonant, disrespectful showing provoked an angry response from millions of people, including then-President George Bush (who labeled it "disgraceful"), and prompted a public apology by the San Diego Padres.
The celebrity anthem situation even made an episode of "The Simpsons", which never fails to parody the absurd. In the episode "Dancin' Homer," a performance of the National Anthem before a baseball game lasted 26 minutes (Oooooooooooooooooooooh say, can you, I'm asking you, can you seeeeeeeeee …). At the end, only one person in the stadium, a fan of the singer, was still awake.
If you need further proof that the National Anthem can be botched or just plain butchered, go to YouTube or Google and search for "Worst National Anthem" or something similar. You'll have more proof than you can stomach.
For the most part, I don't blame singers who give it an earnest effort but end up struggling with a public performance of the song. Numerous factors contribute to the problem, including nerves, the tongue-tying lyrics, the difficult melody (requiring a range of 1˝ octaves), and hearing one's voice feeding back from the loudspeakers.
What I don't understand is the whole concept of having just one singer perform the anthem, rather than the crowd singing it together as would be proper.
And this is particularly puzzling in NASCAR, a sport which otherwise prides itself on tradition, patriotism and support of the military.
That's not to say that every pre-race anthem performance is bad. Some, in fact, are excellent. But there is no consistency from track to track or race to race, particularly since it is left up to each track to select its own anthem singers.
Are there actually race fans out there who base their ticket buying decisions on the National Anthem singer? If not, then what possible rationale do track promoters have for continuing to offer such appalling performances?
When I addressed this topic a few years ago, I heard from a very talented singer whose dream it was to perform the anthem at a NASCAR race. He had contacted numerous tracks to ask how to audition for their upcoming races and was told that most tracks only use "signed recording artists."
I fail to see how that's been a big advantage so far.
A few people also email me each year to challenge my assertion that the anthem should be performed with more dignity. To summarize their comments: "Who are you to decide how another person ('artist') should or should not perform the National Anthem?"
My response is this: Although I personally prefer the traditional rendition, I am not telling anyone how to sing the anthem in their own setting. As far as I'm concerned, people are free to perform it any crazy way they want and put their version on iTunes or on a CD, and let fans of their "interpretation" download it and listen to it to their hearts' content.
But a public venue like a NASCAR race, with an essentially captive audience, is not the place to experiment with our national song or exploit it as a vehicle of self-promotion.
Don't sing off key or off tempo. Don't forget the melody or lyrics. Don't invent or adlib your own melody or lyrics. Don't perform the anthem while intoxicated. Don't show up looking like you're on your way to (or from) a bar. Don't read the words off your hand. Don't scream, screech, shout or shriek the song. Don't drag it out forever. Don't try to hit notes that you can't possibly reach. Don't try to "make the anthem your own." Don't make it all about you.
In other words, don't disrespect the anthem. Or the audience.
While researching the history of the Star-Spangled Banner, I came across a document entitled, "The Code for the National Anthem of the United States of America," which was adopted by the National Anthem Committee in 1942 during the height of World War II. The Code still stands today and should be followed. It states, in part:
- The Star-Spangled Banner will be presented only in situations, programs, and ceremonies where its message can be effectively projected.
- Since the message of the music is greatly heightened by the text, it is of paramount importance that emphasis be placed on the singing of the National Anthem.
- The leader will address himself to those assembled, as an invitation for their participation. If announcement of the National Anthem is necessary, it will be stated as follows: "We shall now sing our National Anthem," or "So-and-so will lead you in singing our National Anthem."
- It is inappropriate to make or use sophisticated "concert" versions of the National Anthem.
- When the National Anthem is sung unaccompanied, care should be taken to establish the correct pitch.
- The statements herein relate to every mode of civilian performance of our National Anthem …
Note that it says, "So-and-so will lead you in singing our National Anthem," not, "So-and-so will now sing our National Anthem."
That's the big difference between then and now. I don't know when the standard for singing the anthem changed, or why.
But it's time to change it back.
And NASCAR - always searching for ways to distinguish itself from stick-and-ball sports - is the perfect place to start.
In fact, I am absolutely convinced that, given the opportunity, most race fans would proudly sing the National Anthem before every race.
The trouble is it's hard, if not impossible, for fans to sing along under current conditions.
While my preference would be to have the crowd sing the anthem together every week, a few other options would be acceptable. Anthem performers should be limited to military or school groups (bands or choruses), children's groups, or proven anthem singers (New York City singing policeman Daniel Rodriguez comes to mind), all of whom would agree in advance to sing it straight up, and to welcome and encourage the crowd's participation.
In addition, every driver's meeting should conclude with a brief reminder to the racers and their companions of the proper etiquette during the anthem - particularly with millions of people watching (and critiquing) their comportment on TV every week.
The bottom line is this: When the National Anthem is sung in public, the focus is supposed to be on the song, its lyrics, and the American flag - not on the celebrity performer.
Is that really too much to ask?
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