What happened to resspecting the country you were born in?

I could probably manage the US anthem - I noticed when Christina Agualeria fluffed it - and I'm British! I think in her case it was just a simple nerves thing which can happen to a lot of performers even with their own songs they perform every night! Can't comment on some of the others. Apart from folks living out in cut off communities (like the Amish for example), I'm kind of wondering HOW they grow up avoiding knowing the anthem.

That's the signs of the times. I am a Filipino but I know well your "Ooh 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..." You should be proud, it send shivers down my spine just reading the words. To tell you the truth, I always seek inspiration from the lines of your national anthem in times of my deepest trials, when I am down to my last peso, certain that tomorrow shall be coming and not knowing where to get the next meal for my family, it is like watching the bombs of despair raining down upon my self-respect, until I realize that hope is still around to see "that star-spangled banner yet wave, oe'r the land of the free and the home of the brave..." with the rising sun. I may be half a world away but I always feel the power of the song giving me the strength to carry on.

It is amazing how people would freeze and forget the words of the National Anthem. If I was in the position of singing it, I still would probably make a crib sheet so that under pressure I would not go blank. I do not think that we sing it often enough at school or for special occasions and people just are not familiar with the song as they should be. Thhey may think of the performance but not the meaning of the words.

No you most certainly are NOT wrong. I just wish there were more people around like your grandfather.

I am not an American so I have no idea that this is happening in your country. But, i presumed that every American knows his national anthem because, all Americans are well schooled - considering that it is mandatory to finish at least high school. When in school, we are to sing the national anthem and recite the pledge of allegiance to our country everyday before classes are to start. And, there is an examination in our school which requires us to be able to write in full length the national anthem and pledge of allegiance. I can still remember that in a certain subject, we are to render a solo performance for the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance at the grade school level and also at the high school level. Is this not being imposed in your country, too? The department of education can do so much in order to make sure that evey American knows his/her national anthem and pledge of allegiance to the country of birth. You might as well do a suggestion to this effect through your mayor or governor or congressman, maybe.

My grandmother taught me the National Athem and other patriotic things. Young people are not being taught much of anything. No, you aren't wrong. People should respect their country. It is sad to see what is falling by the wayside. If history repeats itself maybe multi-generational family living will repeat itself too.

onpe your not wrong and where I live I can hear the pa system att he school and when they say the pledge and I hear it I stop put hand over heart and say it witth them also I know where the flag is even if I cant see it from my house I face it

No you aren't wrong at all. If you are in a position where you are asked to sing it publicly then you should at least take the time to know the words. If you are taken off guard and you don't know the words...decline and let someone who does sing it. I remember learning it in Kindergarten. Do they still teach it in schools like they used to? I know they stopped the Pledge of Allegance because of the word God.

my husband and i were recently discussing a similar topic, where we needed to recognise our country's national anthem song. but in my case the situation is a little different. born in another country, but with no citizenship due to situation, i have been living in my birth country but my home country is another place. i only go there once every 3 years but personally, it's like going on a holiday rather than going home as it's all very new or rather i'm unused to what i'm used to...hehe thus, there's never been much moment when i have to sing the national anthem of my home country. and what's more, the national anthem was changed because the government changed from monarchy to democracy so the national anthem was totally different. and thus, i don't know the words to the new national anthem song and it's hard to memorize when you can't even understand properly the words themselves. but if you tell me to sing the song of my birth country, then yes, i know the words and the national anthem. i respect my home country and i'm still trying to learn the national anthem, hopefully, i'll be able to learn and sing it as well. we should respect our country that's true, but yes there are some people even here in my birth country who do no know the national anthem of their own country.

You are absolutely right. The Star Spangled Banner is a very important part of who we are as a nation and it is a song that each and every one of us should know. On the one hand, I can understand that people do make mistakes and might get nervous when singing, but for professional performers, I think this is unacceptible. However, I have to say that what bothers me the most is the fact that my daughter is in third grade now and doesn't even know that Pledge of Allegiance.

I agree with you. When I watched the superbowl and the singer messed up, I thought I heard her wrong till I heard them talking about it. It seems that after 9/11 everyone was patriotic and I thought (wishfull thinking) that it might stay that way. I think the younger generation hasn't had to go thru anything hard, and they aren't really taught to be patriotic. I don't even think they have the pledge of allegiance in schools anymore because it says something about God and they want to keep the seperation of church and state. I have also heard that some people want to change the national anthem because it says something about bombs. I don't like or agree with most wars, but it seems we are always at war, so a song about war kind of suits us.

Hi Dloveli, I respect my country, but I don't know the words to the National Anthem. I know some of the words, but I could not sing it word for word. I think for many who are asked to sing it, they learn it, but then due to anxiety, they forget the words. I see that sometimes .. in fact someone was just on the news for forgetting the words to a song. If you are singing in front of millions of people and on TV, a case of the nerves can take over and you go totally blank. I used to be a public speaker, and I had to have little index cards to keep me on track because my mind would go blank due to anxiety.

i think, they have no love to their country, till make them forget about the national anthem. in my country, every school always do ceremonial flag and every student should sing the national anthem, it can raise hte nationality for each student they will remember it till they grew up and. i think respecting in our country is really necessary.

i agree with you, the young generation is now no longer have respect to their own country because they never know how hard to get declaration of independence in the past. we're in this modern era wich is to easy to get what we want in our life, we dont know how hard to survive in the world war like our grandpa, i think the older generation have a higher sense of nationalism because they feel how hard to get declaration of independence in the past.

O Canada Our home in native land True patriot love In all thy sons command With glowing hearts we see thee rise The true North Strong And Free From far and wide, O Canada We stand on guard for thee God keep our land Glorious and free O Canada We stand on guard for thee O Canada we stand on guard for thee. See? I know all the words to my National Anthem! :) Want to hear me sing it in FRENCH too? We had to learn both in school, and it stuck with me. I didn't have to try too hard to remember the words. I was actually listening to Vice Vukov singing in Croatian in the background, and trying to understand the words, and even while deeply concentrating on something else, I could still recall the words to my National Anthem as easily as I can recall my own name!!!!

This is quite bad.People should definitely remember their national anthem.I am from India, and even though our National Anthem, is in Bengali, I will be able to recite it, correctly, even though I may not be able to understand many of the sentences. As a matter of fact, I am 53 years old, and even now, I get tears in my eyes, whenever, I hear the national anthem,sung during the Independence day and the Republic day.

The national anthem is about war. I am opposed to war, so I do not like the song. The song is not my country. I can have respect for my country without being in love with the song that someone else had chosen long before I was born. I agree with you in that it is ridiculous that a performer would forget the words, but maybe they are just nervous. A lot of times, those who are asked to sing the song are not used to being in front of a large crowd, so it's understandable that some may be anxious. If someone forgets some words to a song, it doesn't mean that they don't respect their country. Honestly, I think that this is a bit of an overreaction.

I have lived out of my country for a very long time but I would never forget my National Anthem! no way I'm to proud of it! I even learnt my new country National Anthem and I Am proud to say I know the song better than a lot of young people in this country.

I fully agree with you dloveli. I am a naturalized US citizen and I know all the lyrics of The Star Spangled Banner by heart. The reason for that is each morning, before I start with my chores and after I thank God for today, yesterday and tomorrow, I play the national anthems of the US and of my country of birth. I am heartily grateful for all the things that my countries have done for me, the lessons I've learned, the countless opportunities, the freedom and independence that I enjoy, and lot more, too many to mention. God bless you and our countries, my friend

It happens you know. I'm not from America but in our country that also a happens a lot as well. It's like you memorize the song already but in the middle oft he song if you try to remember the words by thought and by heart you tend to forget the lyrics. It happens.