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Home of the Brave

Posted By Matt On 9th November 2006 @ 11:23 In Politics, Patriotism | 4 Comments

Freshman Congressman-elect John Hall (D-NY, 19th District) returns to The Colbert Report to sing our national anthem (via Susie):

(here’s the earlier Colbert/Hall duet. Hall is the former lead singer of the band Orleans)

This is the first time in six years that I’ve listened to the national anthem without cringing. Listening to it now, I’m close to shedding tears of joy.

And I can’t stop playing it. I think that’s because this version of the anthem involves something we haven’t seen in Washington for six years — two voices twined together, moving in melody and counterpoint, working together. This is democracy; this is a symbol of the Democratic Party: a party of engagement and complexity, in sharp contrast to the monotone rigidity of the Fox News Republicans.

And, hell, it’s just plain good to see these guys smile.

Congrats to Congressman Hall, and to all of those, like Lizzy, who worked so hard on his campaign.

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4 Comments To "Home of the Brave"

#1 Comment By Claire On 9th November 2006 @ 14:11

That’s spectacular.

#2 Comment By Porgie Tirebiter On 9th November 2006 @ 14:31

Yes, by pure luck I caught the show last night.
As one of the grassroot folks who worked to get John Hall elected, I was a bit dissappointed that his staff did not give us a heads up on this.

#3 Comment By Rod On 9th November 2006 @ 16:29

I wonder what happened to Oates?

Hall and Colbert just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

#4 Comment By Suzy Shedd On 9th November 2006 @ 22:19

I was teary-eyed, too — and I don’t even much LIKE the SSB. (The words are ludicrous in any general context, and the tune is beautiful but, being a drinking song, only singable when too drunk to know what the hell the words are anyway.) Colbert has some promise as a singer — I notice he’s doing more of it lately — and as Matt said, the HARMONY…well, it was special.

However, I STILL think the National Anthem should be changed to “This Land Is Your Land.” In the interim, could we please substitute it, in all its wonderful singability, for the really ghastly renditions of GBA sung at ball games?

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