Is standing appropriate for singing "God Bless America"

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

Poll question: Is standing appropriate for singing "God Bless America"

Yes, it has happened to me again, I was asked to stand while a crowd sang GBA.

I sat down.

[Blackthorn]

1. I don't even sing the national anthem anymore.

And I'm from Australia. I sang it enough for this lifetime during school.

[mzteris]

2. I complained

to the Carolina Hurricane's office way back at the beginning of the season - I don't *know* that it did any good, but - I never heard it there again.

[immoderate]

3. Irving Berlin was an atheist.

It's a love song.

--IMM

[eviltwin2525]

5. my stand on standing

Just ask them if they'll also stand with you while you lead everybody in a rousing round of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

NEITHER ONE IS THE NATIONAL FREAKIN' ANTHEM!!!!

[RoyGBiv]

9. More of a peace song ...

Berlin revised it for Kate Smith to record in commemoration of the end of WWI, and Berlin agree in part out of a hope the US could stay out of the world's trouble then brewing. You could be right with regard to its intended original context, but I don't know anything about the musical for which it was written and discarded.

But of trivia I dug up about that. The original lyrics had the phrase "stand beside her and guide her/to the right with a light from above." Berlin intentionally changed that to avoid the political connotations. Ironic considering how it's used today.

Anyway ... my favorite thing about the song is that it inspired _This Land is Your Land_ in protest.

[Virginian]

4. It diminishes the National Anthem if you stand for just any song.

I won't stand for GBA nor will I stand for Lee Greenwoods "I'm proud to be an American."

I won't stand for "Stars and Stripes Forever", nor for "America the Beautiful", (My country tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty... -- we used this as a proxy for the national anthem in elementary school because the teachers could hit all the notes in this one. Funny how the melody sounds so much like "God save the Queen".)

There is only one National Anthem. I will always stand for the "Star Spangled Banner".

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. It sounds like God Save the Queen, because, well

it is.

Oooh, no one has ever asked me to stand for Lee Greenwood... now that is an abomination!

[Captain Hilts]

11. No, "My Country T'is of Thee" is "God Save the Queen." Not GBA. nt

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. wow. you are right. I stand corrected

oops. I guess I won't take faux patriotic songs for 500 then

[Captain Hilts]

15. You mean, you 'sit' corrected! All that Sousa stuff sounds the same to me

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

16. Touche!

I do sit. For this one.

[saltpoint]

6. I stand for "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" by the Allman Brothers Band.

Ok, it's not a political song, but I love those guitars.

I think Kate Smith sang "God Bless America" so forcefully that it bordered on a brutalization.

Like beating somebody up in an alley.

I love the more subtle references to our country as opposed to the stomping anthem songs.

[Captain Hilts]

8. I love the way the Brits sing "God Save the Queen" at every WC match.

I don't know why, I just think it's cool.

And, yes, I still sometimes think of the Sex Pistols' version.

[corporatemedia]

10. Depends on how much I had to drink and whether or not I need to stretch.

[PWRinNY]

13. What would they do if they knew

that I change the words to God Help America...

[misternormal]

14. It's a free country, so far anyway...

... Stand if you want to, but me... I'll stay seated thank you.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

17. kick

for more responses

[Bush_MUST_Go]

18. Almost any patriotoc song is better than our National Anthem.

I'd stand, if only to show respect for my country not because it's REQUIRED.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

19. Interesting point, but to this vet, the only

patriotic song is the national anthem, odious it may be, but recognized by congress and the world as the US song.

See my point?

[guinivere]

20. I would sit.

I don't care one way or another about patriotic songs.

Before the first Stanley Cup game in Canada they had a tenor sing "Oh Canada". The coolest thing was that every single person in that stadium was belting it out. The singer stopped, and held the mic over his head and the crowd finished the song. It gave me goosebumps.