Listening to the Super Bowl Pregame. I wish 'America The Beautiful' was Our National Anthem.

[Tommymac]

The Star Spangled Banner has it's place, but is a bit too militaristic for my taste. It still gives me chills, because my dad fought in WW2 and I understand the imagery and cultural stuff.

America is simply a beautiful song.

[Walleye]

1. Totally agree. I've always thought that.

I wish we could crown the good with brotherhood

[brooklynite]

2. "God shed his grace on thee"

Something to criticize any song you pick.

[Dial H For Hero]

3. I've always like the 'Star Spangled Banner' and still do.

[Tommymac]

5. I like it, America just gives me chills of hope and love.

The Banner makes my heart beat faster at the end.

[Ocelot II]

9. I do, too. It's hard to sing, but other countries have harder national anthems.

Iceland's has a range of a minor fourteenth, for example, even more than the SSB's.

[nitpicker]

11. But I prefer that someone(s) give a standard rendition of that song

Such as the US armed services, or anyone else that can stick to that version of the tune.

I think it's irritating enough that TPTB of the day took a perfectly good drinking tune and slowed it down, but when presenters seem to be hiding inability to hit certain notes by throwing in others... oh, well, I've probably just heard the military version too many times.

[Poiuyt]

16. Robert Merrill sang it best

Metropolitan Opera star:

For comparison, here his is singing America the Beautiful:

[calimary]

4. Ignoring the Super Bowl., but I too wish "America the Beautiful" was our National Anthem.

Especially since it extols the beauty and majesty of this country, and is not about shooting, bombing, and other assorted militarism and war-making.

AND it's about our COUNTRY. NOT a flag. Seems to me we take care of that one with the Pledge of Allegiance.

[Tommymac]

8. I have been lucky enough to get to travel and tour 46 states so far.

America describes the country's physical beauty perfectly.

[MyOwnPeace]

6. Couple of points:

As a musician, 'America the Beautiful' is MUCH easier to sing!
As for the 'message' - the positive aspects of 'America the Beautiful' are in the beauty of the country. The 'Star Spangled Banner' is about a war-time event.

Just sayin'.........

[petronius]

7. Those were both really great performances!

And while tend to agree that we often do get a little too jingoistic in our sporting events, I wish they'd focused on that flyover a little longer; that was a very cool mix of aircraft...

[cilla4progress]

10. Absolutely!

It is the majesty and beauty of our diverse landscapes that makes me feel patriotic!

[dsc]

12. I have to admit I am partial to the Battle Hymn of the Republic

I think America was at close to its best in the Civil War and Reconstruction eras in terms of actually attempting to grapple with Civil Rights for the slaves and former slaves.

[ShazzieB]

18. I love that song, too, but

I think it's both too militaristic AND too religious to be an appropriate national anthem. (Also, it says nothing about the country itself, which is one of the complaints people have about the SSB, along with the militarism.)

The title alone, Battle HYMN of the Republic is problematic. Then there's the first line: "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord..."

I love the Battlle Hymn of the Republic but it's a hymn with military overtones, not a national anthem.

[Mr.Bill]

13. This would be my pick.

https://www.google.com/search?q=this+land+is+your+land&source=hp&ei=CZYJYpzpGLKrwbkPm-K7eA&iflsig=AHkkrS4AAAAAYgmkGWTM1CyD5yglMqmT-_1qsYI8Ccvf&gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNM0qyjVIMzFg9BIrycgsVshJzEtRANKV-aVFYA4A5gUMeA&oq=this+land&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIICC4QgAQQ1AIyBQgAEIAEMgUILhCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQguEIAEMggILhCABBDUAjIFCAAQgAQyCAguEIAEENQCMgUIABCABDIICC4QgAQQ1AI6DgguEIAEELEDEMcBEKMCOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToLCC4QsQMQgwEQ1AI6CAgAEIAEELEDOggIABCxAxCDAToICAAQgAQQyQM6BQgAEJIDOggILhCABBCxAzoLCC4QgAQQsQMQgwE6DgguEIAEELEDEIMBENQCUABY0hFg0jpoAHAAeACAAaABiAHDCZIBAzAuOZgBAKABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz

[MANative]

14. I've always preferred it, too.

Melody, lyrics, and sentiment just feel better to me. I don't hate the Star Spangled Banner by any stretch, but it wouldn't devastate me to replace it.

[orleans]

15. my mother always said america the beautiful should

be the national anthem -- i always agreed with her. it's a lovely melody and wonderful lyrics

"America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey.[1] The two never met.[2]

Bates wrote the words as a poem originally entitled "Pikes Peak". It was first published in the Fourth of July 1895 edition of the church periodical, The Congregationalist. It was at that time that the poem was first entitled "America".

Ward had initially composed the song's melody in 1882 to accompany lyrics to "Materna", basis of the hymn, "O Mother dear, Jerusalem", though the hymn was not first published until 1892.[3] The combination of Ward's melody and Bates's poem was first entitled "America the Beautiful" in 1910. The song is one of the most popular of the many U.S. patriotic songs.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful

[Paladin]

17. Agreed. We have a piss-poor anthem.

Dreary tune, clunky lyrics. "America The Beautiful" would be a great improvement.

[a kennedy]

19. I just want the Whitney Houston's version, should be played every time. Like Frank Sinatra's

version of New York, New York on New Year’s Eve……..PERFECTION eh?? 🙂

[Tracer]

20. Nobody, and I mean nobody,

sings America better than Ray Charles's version. Gives me the chills every time I hear it.

[El Supremo]

21. It would be fine but I prefer...

This Land Is Your Land.

[doc03]

22. I agree nt

[Fiendish Thingy]

23. I wish it was Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land". Nt

[Bettie]

24. I like that one too

and it is both easy and fun to sing.

[Xolodno]

25. Lets just go back to Yankee Doodle...

[Tetrachloride]

26. Being overseas, The Star Spangled Banner from the first drumroll stands out

When I tell people that I am American, they say welcome.

Apparently the Navy was in my area. Would have been nice to say hello