It is actually recorded on an album called Lee's Palace live show. It is a bootleg, and is kind of hard to find, but I have it and this song is track 21. The album also begins with the 50 States Song.
I enjoyed this version. It made me hear the words in a different way and evoked new images for me. My heart stilled swelled with appreciation for being born here. For the haters, I've heard far worse treatment using the traditional format. :-)
Sufjan isn't your typical christian. He is episcopalian. He is reserved, he has questions.. even doubts.. but he still believe, he still tries.. He may have "made a lot of mistakes" But.. he certaintly is amazing.
"...and the cause on our hearts, has it done nothing more, than to drive us upart..." he wrote that in, obviously, but with the oringial being writen during the war of 1812, i think his message is clear
obviously if he thought it needed brushes, he'd put them in. I said that *I* thought it needed brushes... The tempo and the feel of this rendition would really fit better with the softer attack of rutes or brushes, but I think a good brush sweep here would work best.
I'd be completely in favor of this becoming our new National Anthem; it'd be easier to sing too. Not quite so many high notes, and the chorus is awesome in the original sense of the word.
It's in the Key of D. Same repeating chord progression: G D Bmin E7. It's in 3/4 or 6/8 depending how you look at it. Most music is in a time signature and a key, goobers. I agree that this version is repetitive. He could have done more with it.
@longfootbuddy that's a bit over dramatic; I understand your sentiment but just remember that in a lot of countries you wouldn't even be able to make that post without being persecuted.
That's too bad. I hope your feelings are able to change. This is an amazing country. It is not perfect. Yet it has from it's beginning been powered by people who have struggled and fought appealed and died to fulfill it's high ideals and uphold it's best accomplishments. The world's citizens find inspiration from us even though their is still plenty we need to improve on. It's fashionable to oppose the bad here by putting down our country but we should not give the US to enemies & regressives.
yeah i much prefer my rock stars all looking the exact "thrift store, leather jacket, discheveled hair" same. heaven forbid there be an actual perfermance with music.
true enough, the dude's a pretty hardcore christian redoing a song about a nation founded by a bunch of hardcore christians. kind of makes sense, though the country's not really what it used to be.
um. no.forget that it doesn't sound anything like the original. his redone version doesn't even sound good. francis scott key. just got pissed off in his grave.
regardless. this "version", has absolutely no musical taste or mastery. sure its his interpretation, but it simply sounds off, key, in fact i don't even know if it has a particular key... he should just write poems. or lyrics.
