What Should Be The National Anthem of the United States of America

[H. Ross Peron]

"America the Beautiful": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTkWc6yUzFQ

"Battle Cry of Freedom": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ccQ6cT-9kk

"Battle Hymn of the Republic": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVsNCllEHD0

"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siHfQGn3JTs

"God Bless America": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j56RimXKAk

"Hail Columbia": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPlQS1pzHdA

"Internationale": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrMwNuS7aUQ

"Liberty Song": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf0EySbGdJg

"My Country, 'Tis of Thee": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJOvS8BEWsc

"The Star Spangled Banner": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGslUwNhX0Y

"Stars and Stripes Forever": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGslUwNhX0Y

"This Land Is Your Land": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiMrvDbq3s

"Yankee Doodle": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzRhFH5OyHo

My preferences:
1. "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
2. "America the Beautiful"
3. "Battle Cry of Freedom"
4. "Stars and Stripes Forever"
5. "Hail Columbia"
6. "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean"

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Battle Hymn of the Republic is pretty freakin' awesome. That said, I see no reason for a change.

[badgate]

The final scene from Sister Act 2. http://youtu.be/DBfkcNSHZ24



In all seriousness, I love the Battle Hymn but I would choose God Bless the USA. Yes, I know, I'm an insufferable Millennial. Great to sing, but it wouldn't have that spark when listening to an instrumental version.

Okay maybe I'd choose Battle Hymn. It is the 'coolest.'

[Indy Texas]

I would say either "America the Beautiful" or "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean."

Some of the others would be non-starters for reasons relating to their histories.

"Battle Cry of Freedom" is way too divisive and revisits one of the bleakest periods in our history.

"Battle Hymn of the Republic" has a nice melody but the lyrics are too over-the-top, too religious, too militaristic and too fatalistic. People don't need to psychologically prepare themselves to die before the start of a baseball game.

"God Bless America" is the unofficial song of the Republican Party, as it is regularly sung at the opening of their national conventions (much as the Democrats often sing "Happy Days Are Here Again"); the only countries whose national anthems mirror those of a major political party tend to be one-party dictatorships

"Hail Columbia" is the entrance music for the vice president.

"The Internationale" is a non-starter for obvious reasons. And a national anthem is by definition supposed to be about a specific country and what makes it great and unique. The Internationale doesn't do that at all.

"My Country, 'Tis of Thee" has the same melody as the British national anthem, which would make for some awkward moments during the Olympic opening ceremonies.

"Stars and Stripes Forever" is too much of a marching song to have the gravity a national anthem warrants.

"This Land Is Your Land" is too darn socialist. PROPERTY RIGHTS!!!

"Yankee Doodle" lacks gravitas. I don't think anyone over the age of five really wants to sing that song in public.

In all seriousness, I love the Battle Hymn but I would choose God Bless the USA. Yes, I know, I'm an insufferable Millennial. Great to sing, but it wouldn't have that spark when listening to an instrumental version.

Okay maybe I'd choose Battle Hymn. It is the 'coolest.'

I cannot stand that song. It's the musical equivalent of wearing those really short American flag shorts that frat boys wear while firing rounds from an AR-15 while standing on top of a Hummer that is parked with its engine running for no reason other than 'Murica.

[badgate]

We could always just go insane and go with Stephen Sondheim's "Another National Anthem" http://youtu.be/fN_9mGal1kc

[LastVoter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K1q9Ntcr5g

[Antonio the Sixth]

Voted Internationale for the lulz.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

Write-in: America, F**k Yeah by DVDA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEqxalOs_58

[Frodo]

Definitely the Battle Hymn of the Republic (choral version) -and the best recording of that is from Ken Burns' Civil War series.  I have yet to find that particular recording on You-Tube, however.   

[Marokai Backbeat]

Horn of Plenty from The Hunger Games.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This Land Is Your Land, obviously.

[traininthedistance]

Obviously Columbia, Gem of the Ocean.  It was Charles Ives' favorite, and since Ives was the most American composer that ever Americaed, I think his say-so goes here.

[© tweed]

I believe BRTD once suggested "Cars & Calories" by Saves the Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5h2w3BESM

[Hatman 🍁]

Voted Internationale for the lulz.

^^^^

This Land is a classic, though. We grew up singing a Canadian version in school ["from Bonavista to Vancouver Island"; "from the Arctic Circle to the Great Lake Waters"], so when I heard the American version for the first time, I thought they stole it from us.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

I believe BRTD once suggested "Cars & Calories" by Saves the Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5h2w3BESM

[Maxwell]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lIqNjC1RKU

This.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It was Charles Ives' favorite, and since Ives was the most American composer that ever Americaed, I think his say-so goes here.

He even worked in insurance!

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I believe BRTD once suggested "Cars & Calories" by Saves the Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5h2w3BESM

Why do you guys still listen to this crap?

[© tweed]

I believe BRTD once suggested "Cars & Calories" by Saves the Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5h2w3BESM

Why do you guys still listen to this crap?

according to last.fm I've listened to Cars & Calories once since 12/31/10.  to be fair I have listened to the first two Saves the Day albums quite a bit.

[Redalgo]

Voted Internationale partly because its lyrics could be changed for the purpose, and partly because the other options are unattractive to me. I like This Land is Your Land quite a bit but don't consider it anthem material. The others are too steeped in a past I want the U.S. to move on from.

[tik 🪀✨]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7fzUGR8ZH4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[courts]

columbia, gem of the ocean

[RosettaStoned]

 Leave it as it is.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

NOTA. As I said in an earlier post it should be For Want Of by Rites of Spring.

I believe BRTD once suggested "Cars & Calories" by Saves the Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5h2w3BESM

or that.

[Joe Biden 2020]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. - Leave the National Anthem alone.