Few stars or real people acknowledge the lyrics to national anthem

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The Associated Press

Christina Aguilera sings the national anthem before Super Bowl XLV Feb. 6 in Arlington, Texas.

"And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting -" What comes next? "The Star Spangled Banner" is one song that always gets messed up.

In an informal poll in 2007, two out of three Americans admitted they don't love the language to "The Star Spangled Banner," according to published reports. So why is it that we mock and tease the celebrities who heap up the national anthem?

It's sung before every sporting event, big or small. So you would mean people would take it memorized by now. Of course, remembering the lyrics has to be difficult with thousands of ears listening and critiquing your every note.

Alaina Weinheimer, a junior at Wilson, admits to not learned the song.

"If I wasn't singing it with others, I would probably mess it up," she said.

The most memorable mess-up has to be Christina Aguilera forgetting some lyrics and stylizing the hymn at this year's Super Bowl. Afterward, she exhausted the following month apologizing for her flub. She posted several apologies on Twitter and Facebook. Her apology: "I got so lost in the second of the call that I lost my place. I can but hope that everyone could feel my passion for this country and that the genuine life of its anthem still came through."

If you thought Aguilera messed up the lyrics big time, try thinking back a couple days to past Super Bowl performances of "The Star Spangled Banner."

In 1990, Roseanne Barr sang "The Star Spangled Banner" at a San Diego game and not only finished the lyrics, but over the execution by grabbing her crotch and spitting. Although Barr is not a singer in the first place, her actions cannot be excused.

Olympic athlete Carl Lewis messed up the lyrics in 1993. He stopped singing in the center of the call to apologise for messing up.

In 2003 Michael Bolton sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and had to relate to lyrics written on his pass to get him through the song, according to published reports.

Beforeyou judge someone on television who flubs the national anthem, take the sentence to go through the lyrics yourself. I guess you will get you know less than you thinking you did. So to all Americans, next time you're online, Google "The Star Spangled Banner." Ready, set, memorize!