To what degree is a song like a national anthem subject to artistic interpretation?

Links:

WTNH (Connecticut) (http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=4835725&nav=3YeX)
WKYC (Ohio) (http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51473)
Globe and Mail (Ontario, Canada) (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060429.WORLDREPORT29-1/TPStory/TPInternational/)

The quotes:

● It the first time some one has tinkered with America's National Anthem. It's now sung in Spanish and some of the words have been changed.

It played on WLAT-AM in Hartford as well as many other stations across America.

"If someone wants to do it at a private event, or maybe soccer games where they're at, baseball games, so be it. Let them do it they way they want to show their patriotism," says WLAT general manager Melvin Sanchez. "But I think in normal events or events that are more mass appealing I don't think it should be sung in Spanish," WTNH (http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=4835725&nav=3YeX)

● The head of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies --which supports tougher measures against immigrants-asks if France would accept its anthem sung in English "as a sign of French patriotism." He says, "Of course not."

A British music producer says he came up with the idea to honor (m) millions of immigrants seeking a better life in America. He says the song's "intent is to communicate." WKYC (http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51473)

● The national anthem should be sung in English, not Spanish, U.S. President George W. Bush declared yesterday.

"One of the important things here is that we not lose our national soul," he said. Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060429.WORLDREPORT29-1/TPStory/TPInternational/)

When I first heard about the issue the other day on NPR, I shrugged it off as one of the many peculiar affinities that come with public broadcasting. And yet here we find on the one hand, a backlash, and on the other, the brainchild of an overseas producer. WTNH offers an English translation of the Spanish lyrics (http://www.wtnh.com/global/Story.asp?s=4835574). I'm not sure it's fair to invoke the French, though. American attitudes toward perceived snobbery on the part of the French would lend a superstition about the objectors being irrational and closed-minded.

To the other, though, I have no objections. After all, how many metal and rap songs have tweaked with the anthem? No, this is not the first time, but prior artistic butcheries have been made for specific political purposes. I might even come to prefer the translated version; it has an artistic flow that I'm more easily acquainted with. At least the English version. When I heard the song on NPR, I wasn't paying that close of attention and can't even remember what it sounded like. I don't see why it shouldn't go over well. Okay, I do. But this ain't butchery. At least, I don't think so.

But that's just me.

And don't give me any of that talk about reinforcing prejudice and cultural boundaries through accommodationism. We have enough white paranoid separatists of various forms to grant credibility to other inherent refusals to accommodate conformity. It's a way of life. White power, arm the masses, black power, womyn power, God power ... I mean, KKK, NRA, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, one giant headache, and a drunk partridge in the belfry. At least this one is somewhat eloquent, and the babbling voices of controversy will make sure everyone understands the implications. Few, in the end, will understand the original point upon which this project went forward.

I don't. So what?

Life goes on.

what right does bush have to stop it being sung in spanish? america has no offical language, therefore even if you sung it in chinese it wouldnt detract any nationalism from it.

It the first time some one has tinkered with America's National Anthem

Wasn't the original Francis Scott Key work "tinkered with" to produce the American national anthem ?

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I hadn't read the translation of the Spanish version's lyrics, and must admit I cannot recall for the life of me what the tune sounded like.
Tho' the words seem to speak as glowingly of the American flag as the original, I must opine that the original retains a superiority defined by 2 particulars:
a) A more graphic depiction of violence and the self-righteous presumption of the fact that one's cause is just (the latter being - according to the interpretation I choose to put forth presently - inherent to the phenomenon which is America)
and
b) It was set to the tune of an old drinking song, which is precisely the sort of supreme irony necessary to deflate the flatulent tartuffery of a nation which would scam it's way into existence with such affonts to intelligence as "Taxation Without Representation", and perpetuate it's expansionist blitzkrieg with grandiloquent nonsense on the order of "Manifest Destiny"...

God Bless America, baby !!!
;)

`
Incidental Note:

This subject got me wondering what the Mexican national anthem was like...
I found this tidbit on the tune:
Notes: The official lyrics are in Spanish, but as of December 9, 2005, the Mexican Government has allowed for various native peoples of Mexico to translate the lyrics into their native languages. The translation will be performed by the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas).
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra (http://)

Kinda ironic, huh, Ren...?

Kick ass tune, BTW...

Chorus
Mexicans, at the cry of war,
prepare the steel and the steed,
and may the earth shake at its core
to the resounding roar of the cannon.
And may the earth shake at its core
to the resounding roar of the cannon.

First Stanza
Gird, oh country, your brow with olive
the divine archangel of peace,
for your eternal destiny was written
in the heavens by the hand of God.
But if some strange enemy should dare
to profane your ground with his step,
think, oh beloved country, that heaven
has given you a soldier in every son.

Stanza V
War, war without truce to any who dare
to tarnish the country's coat-of-arms!
War, war! Take the national pennants
and soak them in waves of blood.
War, war! In the mountain, in the valley,
the cannons thunder in horrid unison
and the resonant echoes
cry out union, liberty!

Stanza VI
Oh country, 'ere your children
defenseless bend their neck to the yoke,
may your fields be watered with blood,
may they trod upon blood.
And may your temples, palaces and towers
collapse with horrid clamor,
and their ruins live on to say:
This land belonged to a thousand heroes

Stanza X
Oh, country, country, your children swear
to breathe their last in your honor,
if the trumpet with warlike accent
should call them to fight with courage.
For you the olive branches!
A reminder for them of glory!
A laurel of victory for you!
For them a tomb with honor!

(Officially since 1943, the full national anthem consists of the chorus, 1st stanza, 5th stanza, 6th stanza and 10th stanza)

Viva Mexico, baby !!!
;)

● The head of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies --which supports tougher measures against immigrants-asks if France would accept its anthem sung in English "as a sign of French patriotism." He says, "Of course not."

That guy says the French wouldn't mind if it was sung in English, but I wonder what his answer would be if they would mind if the English also changed the words of their national anthem.

I have no problem with people singing the national anthem in whatever language it may be, just don't alter the words to it.

Wasn't the original Francis Scott Key work "tinkered with" to produce the American national anthem ?

Yes, but FSK's song wasn't the national anthem at the time so it's not like the anthem was tinkered with. If his full song was the anthem, then yeah, it would be bad and hypocritical, not to mention that we have civilian musicians altering our anthem; it's not a government-backed change.

- N

The melody to "The Star Spangled Banner" was taken from an old drinking song! I think that right there renders the pious arguments moot.

Burning the flag; translating the national anthem. Why do Americans get so furious over what's done to mere symbols of our freedom? The Constitution is the actual mechanism of our freedom and the bloody government has been shitting all over it for seventy years, and absolutely nobody gives a damn.

Well, speaking for myself, I'm not furious over flag burning or this whole national anthem thing. I'd just "prefer" for it not to happen, but if someone does it, uh, good for them, I guess. Freedom and all.

- N

Would any other country allow their national anthem, a symbol of their history, to be sung in any other language than their own? And no, the United States does not have an offical language, but the song was written and adopted as our nations anthem in English. Germany's population is almost half Turkish immigrants at this point, does that mean that the German anthem should be sung in Turkish? And France is half Muslim, should it be translated as well to change the refrences to the "Lord" to "Allah" instead?

Most national anthems were adopted at a certain point in history and refrence that point in history. Other than in Canada where it can be sung in both English and French (Because some asshat PM from the East decided that French be required in all provinces even though the French never settled west of Manitoba.) because both languages are acceptable in Canada but French is enforced.

If people want to change the national anthem, then they must pass a bill to do so. That includes translations because as we know, translation can change meanings. It's not just about it being sung "in English" it's about honoring our past by singing it as it was intended and as it was written. If they are proud to be American, they would sing it as it was written instead of trying to force a change.

This is just another case where the loud minority is stomping it's feet and throwing temper tantrums to change something instead of going about it the American way by passing it into law.

the american one is just fine. The spanish one doesn't seem as good. Sure, they can sing it if they want, as long as they don't consider it the real national anthem. I'm sure l;ots of musicians mess with the anthem for political purposes, but no one would seriously call it the real national anthem.

To what degree is a song like a national anthem subject to artistic interpretation?
To what non-subjective degree is a national anthem to be considered an expression of indelible identity?

what right does bush have to stop it being sung in spanish? america has no offical language, therefore even if you sung it in chinese it wouldnt detract any nationalism from it.
Ditto.

People bitch too much. I mean, it's just a song. I don't even like the damn song.