NOT THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

This past Friday night I was in the living room, sitting in my rocking chair, rereading a Donna Leon mystery. It was just after 7 p.m., and Frank as watching the opening ceremonies for a NASCAR race.  I wasn’t listening to what was going on.

Though there are several places where I could read in the house, Frank custom made my rocking chair to fit my not inconsiderable width, shall we say, and raised the sides for my considerably short arms. So if the TV is on and I’d rather read, I put on ear protectors and I can do it in comfort.  But every once in a while I do look up at the TV.

Ah yes, they must be playing our national anthem because I see the teams members all lined up, many men, hats off, have their hands over their hearts – and Marcos Ambrose doesn’t because he’s Australian. But what’s this? I’m reading the singers lips and I ‘hear’ “from the mountain, to the prairie, to the ocean, white with foam…” !!  That’s not our national anthem – that’s God Bless America! What the heck?

Though once I did compliment them, I’ve had other issues with NASCAR and the anthem.  Usually I’m grousing because the singer just mangles the thing, but this time I’m grousing because they didn’t even play the darned anthem, hard to sing or not.

I don’t see many televised professional sports. I do know there are occasions when the anthem is sung by everyone in the place, but I think I’ve heard everyone sing “O Canada” more times than I’ve heard “O say can you see”. There must be a key suitable for all voices. (I do admit that O Canada is easier to sing.) As I’ve said before, I’d love to see NASCAR get everyone singing.