This. Changes. EVERYTHING!!

[xiphias]

Well, not EVERYTHING, but a lot.

Let me start by pointing out that, of all the patriotic songs the United States has, we chose one of the worst as our national anthem. I mean, there might be a couple worse -- taking somone else's national anthem and changing the words for MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE, honestly? -- but, honestly, THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER is just a third-rate poem set to a second-rate tune.

But I just recently learned something that makes it not as horrible as I always thought it was.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER is supposed to be in 3/4.

How did I not know this? It's usually performed in 4/4, and it sucks. In 3/4, well, it's still not GREAT, but it's a lot, lot better.

[Oh] SAY can you SEE in the DAWN'S early LIGHT what so PROUD ly we HAILED at the TWI light's last GLEAM ing
[whose broad] STRIPES and bright STARS through the PER ou lous FIGHT o'er the RAMP parts we WATCHED were so GAL ant ly STREAM ming
[and the] ROCK ets red GLARE and bombs BURST ing in AIR [beat] gave PROOF through the NIGHT that our FLAG was still THERE
[oh] SAY does that STAR spang eld BAN ner yet WAVE o'er the LAND of the FREE and the HOME of the BRAVE?

Much faster, cleaner, doesn't have all of those awkward drawn-out bits and random rests in it.

The 4/4 version is much more melismatic, of course, because it HAS to be. In 3/4, the song is completely syllabic. We're used to melismas starting on the very first "Oh", and even things like "see" being two beats even though it's a unison. And that very last line is TOTALLY melismatic all OVER the place, making it nearly impossible for a non-trained singer to even attempt -- I tend to do an eight-note melisma on "wave". But in 3/4, it's just one beat per syllable.

Comments

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

*nod* When I learned "To Anacreon In Heav'n" I realized this. But then, it was originally a drinking song.

[seventorches.livejournal.com]

Yup, it's supposed to go OOM-pah-pah OOM-pah-pah, which would make it a hell of a lot more fun to sing especially while waving your microbrewery back and forth. Why can't patriotism be FUN?

[squid314.livejournal.com]

For someone who doesn't really know musical terminology, and who looked at your stressed/unstressed version and thought "Yeah, looks like how I always sing it", any chance you could link to a video of it being done right (or wrong) so I know what you're talking about?

Also rescuing it a bit - I prefer the full version. The single stanza people usually sing is basically a very skeptical question on whether the country's going to survive. It doesn't actually become inspiring until stanza 2!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll try to record it later and put it up somewhere.

3/4 is waltz time. It goes ONE-two-three ONE-two-three ONE-two-three ONE-two-three.

4/4 is standard time. It goes One-two-THREE-four One-two-THREE-four One-two-THREE-four One-two-THREE-four

Yan-kee-DOO-dle Went-to-TOWN-a Ri-ding-ON-a Po-o-NY [rest]

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

*quickly hums it through in both time signatures*

Huh. I never even thought about that. I always sing it as a slow 3/4, but the 4/4 version sounds familiar enough that I must've heard it sung that way when watching baseball/hockey games. Now I'm actually going to have to pay attention, or else risk the centipede problem.

(you're right, of course, it is better in 3/4. However, it's still not as pretty as, say, 'O Canada'.)

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Same here. My first thought was "Hunh? I sing it that way.people don't?"

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

My snappin' fingers are now kind of tired, but it was worth it! You're totally right!

[gingicat]

See, to me, it's the ornamentation that keeps it interesting.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

But an anthem should be participatory, not performance. The 3/4 version is a lot closer to singable for an average person.

It's still not, because it's range is too great, but the phrasing is much easier, and the words go fast enough to actually turn into sentences and thoughts rather than random word salad.

[mrmorse.livejournal.com]

Huh. I thought it was common knowledge that it was supposed to be 3/4 but that singers keep screwing it up. I'm pretty sure that Whitney Houston did it wrong first, but I can't prove it.

[mrmorse.livejournal.com]

Found it. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Spangled_Banner_(Whitney_Houston_song) about Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl performance. The section on recording it mentions that it was changed from 3/4 to 4/4. So it's all Whitney's fault.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

When I can, I sing it to the tune of The Ash Grove and that works much better.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Good sir, what won't you sing to the tune of The Ash Grove? :D