Rusty Saber: 'Star Spangled Banner' beats options

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy says, "You might be a redneck if you think the last line of The Star Spangled Banner' is Play ball!'"

We are more likely to hear the national anthem at an athletic event than any place else. It may be that some non-rednecks also think "Play ball!" is the last line. "The Star Spangled Banner" isn't adored by everyone. Some actually favor switching to a new song.

The biggest gripes are that the melody is cumbersome, and it is difficult to sing lyrics written in a language style in vogue during the War of 1812, which is when it was written. Truth be told, the lyrics are challenging.

For reasons too hurtful to mention, I have never been asked to sing the national anthem in public or in private, but I have observed some tricky encounters singers, asked to sing, have had with the language. For example, "Oh, see can you sue" and "... by the dawn's ugly light." I have also heard "... the bombs' red glare, the rockets bursting in air ..." and, who knows why, "trumpets bursting in space."

One anthem singer verbally pictured the flag as 'bright stripes and broad stars." A singer once confessed to being unnerved at the thought of singing the National anthem in public. Two lines bothered her so much that she would write on her hand: "lst. twilight's last gleaming'; 2nd. dawn's early light.'"

It was a mental block. If the two lines were mixed up, she would panic and forget everything. She was home free once 'twilight's last gleaming" appeared first.

I know the melody and the lyrics of "The Star Spangled Banner" are awkward, but I don't agree with the complainers who want a new one. I sort of like the quirky nature of the present one. America is a different sort of country; why not a different sort of national anthem? Besides, it would be difficult, if not downright impossible, to find a replacement we could all agree on.

Writing a new song would be futile; we would never agree on a single melody and lyrics. Some nice patriotic songs have been mentioned in talk of a new anthem. "My Country Tis of Thee" would be OK; it makes all the right statements. The problem is that the melody belongs to Great Britain's national anthem.

"Stars and Stripes Forever" has received support; however I don't believe it has lyrics. John Philip Sousa wrote marches, not ballads. Furthermore, when I was a child, we sang words to the song added by someone other than Sousa that asked us to "Be kind to your web-footed friend, for a duck may be somebody's mother." For me, it would be hard to take seriously an anthem in praise of ducks.

"God Bless America" has received support to replace "The Star Spangled Banner," but the "G" word in the title would cause the separation-of-church-and-state folks to pounce on it like antacid on heartburn. "America the Beautiful" received a lot of play at athletic events in the days following 9/11, when old-fashioned patriotism made a brief return. Unfortunately, a line in the song also contains the pesky "G" word.

The late Ray Charles' recording of the song may be suitable for baseball games, but not for anything official. Because of the inspiring melody, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" would probably be a great choice; however, it faces a pair of titanic hurdles.

First, it was directly associated with the Union during the Civil War. Second, it wouldn't pass muster because it is an actual religious hymn.

"The Star Spangled Banner" may be an imperfect song, but few of us are perfect.

"Play ball!"