Oh say can you see the OT political thread? [WeirdDave]

I'm a traditionalist. A curmudgeon. A stick in the mud. I think that the national anthem of the United States of America is perfect in it's ancient glory. I tear up when our flag goes up at the Olympics, along with the playing of our beautiful, magnificent national anthem. That song is SACRED. Men fought and died for the values it represents. I have very little truck for variations on a theme. I recognize Jimi Hendrix's guitar brilliance when I hear his version of the anthem. I recognize it, but I don't like it. Like I said, stick in the mud. The Star Spangled Banner is perfect, and should remain that way. Hell, I'm a native Baltimoron and I don't even like how we Baltimore folks yell “O!” for our Orioles when anthem is played at baseball games, a hometown tradition. It just seems to me to be sacrilegious somehow.

All of that being said, I love, love, love Madison Rising’s version of the anthem. Why? Maybe it's because the song as they play it oozes love for America. Maybe it's because Madison Rising is not afraid of standing tall in the face of liberal condemnation of their patriotism. Maybe it's just a kick ass version of our anthem. I don't know. What I do know is that listening to this song makes me want to fight for what is ours by virtue of our shared birthright as Americans.

They add a verse.

Because we are the brave
Yes we are the brave
We'll fight tyranny
In the name of the free
We are the U.S. of A
For those unaware
That flag is still there
It's our future to save
The land of the brave
The U.S. of A

Sacrilege! You can't add a verse to the Star Spangled Banner! Madison Rising does, and you know what? It works. This is the anthem I want playing in the background as I go to my death fighting tyranny.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known,"
-Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities

Official Video

I actually like this video better than the official one:

I'm crying now. Forgive me, we're still the best, but we've lost so much. So damn much.

posted by Open Blogger at 10:11 AM

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