I'll admit up front that I'm not a big fan of the American national anthem. The tune is unwieldy and the lyrics are crammed with violent imagery. It's nearly impossible for anyone who's not a trained vocalist (and that's the vast majority of us) to sing properly.
On the other hand, that might make it a good choice for this country. Given our pathological national obsession with weapons and violence, and the fact that while we like to celebrate the ideas of freedom and equality for everyone in all things, the reality falls rather short. The song speaks to our culture's glorification of conflict, violence, and the joy of blowing sh!t up. That it's so difficult for ordinary people to sing exemplifies the attitude that if you can't do it, (whatever it may be), well, too bad for you. You need to try harder. Work harder. Or don't. Either way, quit complaining you ingrate. Nobody owes you nothin'. Murica! Love it or leave it!
When I first heard this version it was playing on the radio in my parents car. I was around nine or ten years old. (This was back before my parents had fully embarked on the path that led to Talibangelical Fox News Hell; they still listened to rock music). I recognized it as the national anthem, but didn't yet fully understand why it was so different. I was mesmerized. It gave me chills and stirred my soul in a way that that song never had before.
Jimi Hendrix had transformed the Star Spangled Banner into a protest song, and I would never think of the national anthem in the same way again. What's more, he didn't just create a song to protest the war. He reframed the war itself as a song. With every shrieking missile, every exploding bomb, every burst of napalm, every spray of bullets. Every bereaved mother's tears, every shattered widow's sobs. Every cry of the wounded. Every groan of the dying. It's all in there.
It was, and remains to this day, the most brutal and breathtakingly honest reflection on our national character I had ever experienced. And the only version I truly listen to. Because it is absolute genius.
For those who celebrate it, Happy Independence Day.
Thank you for reading. This is an open thread, all topics are welcome.
