[HartleyMBaldwin]

Just once before I die, I’d like to hear the national anthem sung at a public event exactly as it was written, without any “interpretation” such as yodeling the last line. I don’t expect to, though.

[liberalh8ter]

Everyone's taste in music is different but for me, Whitney Houston's version from the 1991 Super Bowl is perfection. Goose bumps every time I hear it.

[xp38]

Only the first verse is ever sung. The fourth never.

[DoodleBob]

I've heard MUCH worse. This was fine. It wasn't like this...

[Joe 6-pack]

"Just once before I die, I’d like to hear the national anthem sung at a public event exactly as it was written, without any “interpretation” such as yodeling the last line. I don’t expect to, though."

Meatloaf's rendition at the 1994 MLB All star game was just about perfect. It's on YouTube.

[broken_clock]

Watch a rodeo. It might be sung on horseback but lots of respect and tradition will be shown.

[Bodega]

Me too. HartleyMBaldwin. Me.too.. I’m at a point now where I am unsure what the National Anthem actually sounds like. Sigh.

I am, however, getting so old I might be allowed to sing it myself...as she walk off into the sunset whistling away.

[healy61]

Yodeling at the end. Perfect description, and I’m going to use it when appropriate.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The irony is that very few singers have the vocal range to sing it. Often they have to drop it an octave to get through the high parts.

I think Jimi Hendrix opened the gates with his instrumental rendition at Woodstock, which is not bad at all. From that point, performers decided they could interpret it, for better or worse.

[discostu]

Of course it was never really written as a song. It’s a poem. That some people decided to sing, borrowing the melody from a drinking song (probably more convenience than anything else, a tune people could be counted on to know). But thanks to all that the “proper traditional” way of singing would probably be half drunk waving a beer in the air.