Been out of town for two weeks and several members of the Drivel Starved Nation are in panic mode because of my lack of interest in my blog while I am on VACATION!
I am in panic mode because I am back….
So, time to be COMPLETELY HONEST…how many of you know what “spangled” means?
Remember, there might be a cherry tree nearby….I had to find a way to make this a woodworking related thread.
That said, please share the one time you heard our National Anthem and you were shaken to your core…maybe a tear or two…
Several years ago my buddy and I attended a USC/Oregon State football game at the Colliseum in LA. While he was out looking for beer (I think) I stayed behind to watch the largest marching band I have ever seen.
So you can imagine my surprise when everybody stood up to listen to a single trumpet for the first stanza. Each subsequent stanza employed a couple more instruments and at the end, the entire band was involved.
As I felt myself unable to sing, I noticed EVERYBODY around me was in tears. At that moment I knew, warts and all, that I was born into the greatest nation (no offense to Canada…played hockey for 20 years) and feel compelled to share that experience. There have been others, but this one sticks out.
So, did you really know the meaning of “spangled”?
Now share.
-John
Well, not having grown up in the US I don’t have quite the connection to The Star Spangled Banner (spangled: covered in small shiny objects, such as stars or sequins) that you might. But I have had a similar experience.
During college I put myself through school by playing fife in a fife and drum corps at a local fort (Fort Henry – Google it) built shortly after the War of 1812 (the US tried to annex Canada – apparently they don’t tell American school kids about it). Anyway… out shows were fairly spectacular, involving the infantry firing rifles (yes, they were rifled), and firing the large guns on the ramparts. At the end of the show our best bugler would play Taps, solo, while standing alone on the ramparts above. It was haunting – hearkening back to all those brave souls who lost their lives fighting for our freedom. I still get shivers when I think about it.
The second situation occurred more recently: my American-born daughter attended a small school for a couple of years prior to first grade. The students and teachers would gather in a circle before classes began, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I would often stick around for it, and I usually found myself choking up. Just the thought of these delicate 5 and 6 year olds reciting this pledge, and the power behind those words, was almost overwhelming.
Powerful stuff, this patriotism.
Almost every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner (some popular artists’ poor efforts not withstanding) I find myself with cold chills or tears welling up at the line: ‘Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there’
In my mind, I can only imagine what the scene must have been like. How frightening it must have been for those people watching the British bombing the heck out of Fort McHenry and wondering if the British were going to win. The following morning must have been an unbelievable site. First to find our flag still flying, and then to see the devastation and realize that a lot of men lost their lives defending our country.
So, each time the Star Spangled Banner is played, the visual imagery of how I imagine that night and what Francis Scott Key saw comes back, and I can’t help but get choked up about that night, and the countless others that our military has gone through defending our nation and our rights.
I am also amazed at the power that song has. I have been to the Indianapolis Colts AFC Championship game twice and both times when the National Anthem is played, 60,000+ fans are silent and reverent of the Flag (which covered the entire field) and those that have served. The feeling is humbling and inspiring at the same time.
We live in a great nation, and I am proud to be an American!
Thanks for letting me share.
A glance at the Wikipedia photos of Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Costa Rica and Panama) and Beryl-spangled Tanager (Northern South America) should give a useful clue.
-Steve
I believe that “spangled” in the anthem is used as both a transitive and intransitive verb, although “star-spangled” is obviously an adjective. I find this multi-layered use of the word to be interesting, and I must admit I only considered the adjective use in the anthem prior to your asking me to think about it. Or maybe my headache this morning is just confusing me…
I, personally, don’t find power in rituals nearly as much as I distrust rituals. As Margaret Mead once observed “I’ve heard him (Konrad Lorenz) say that you can appeal to human beings in the name of the thing they value most to do things that are terrible. One of the traps of idealism and patriotism is this appeal.”
Perhaps more to the point, Preserved Smith noted: “No other factor in history, not even religion, has produced so many wars as has the clash of national egotisms sanctified by the name of patriotism.”
I love my country dearly. I have written a book-length examination our Constitution and the Bill of Rights simply in order that I may better understand they basis of our government.
I do not, however, believe that my country is without flaws and is the “greatest” nation, as I don’t believe in absolutism in such matters. I believe that my country will occasionally go astray, and that it is my duty (and my right!) to help guide it back to its core principles, just as I love my children but sometimes have to perform some course corrections for them. To some, my occasional criticisms have been interpreted to mean that I am “not patriotic.” To me, taking action even when it is not currently popular to do so is the core of my feeling patriotic.
I’m with Mike. Too sentimental and steeped in tradition. But I’m also a Nationalist so it’s alright.
I’d rather the Bridge City community focus on woodworking.
Moving on the first word that popped into my mind when you asked about spangled was festoon followed shortly by shit bunnies and guns.
Star Festooned Banner?
I did look up the word “spangled” because I was uncertain to the exact meaning. Now I have a great trivia question regarding a common definition for spangled (metallic or shiny objects arranged in a circle). Also, the more I stare at “spangled” the stranger it looks in comparison to its pronunciation. English is interesting yes/no?
That said, woodworking will indeed be back on the docket next week. We have a freebie for you folks (our idea, you build it) that we filmed on Thursday. As soon as it is edited, the Drivel Starved Nation will see it first. Yes, it will make you a better woodworker–fun too, particularly if you own a Kerfmaker!
-John
You can get a lot of clues as to the origins of the weirdnesses of English spelling if you learn a little Danish (or other Scandinavian language). Suddenly words like “right”, “knight”, “stroll”, “thole”, “thought” and “caught” make a bit more sense. Nothing like being invaded by foreigners to add some curiosities to the language. Go Vikings!
The pronunciation looks to be an onomotopia-thing, that goes across languages: lots of verbs and nouns describing metallic appearance or metallic sounds, share the with hard- sound: jangle, jingle, ring, ping, bang, clang. Bangle is from Hindi, gong is Chinese. Bling is latest.
The text editor took out the bracketed ng and hard-g.
Hi John,
I hope you had a great vacation, you’ve earned it! I do find it a bit interesting that many of us are taking a vacation to the WIA, but it’s work for you!
I don’t have a National Anthem story to share, but I have a related story: I ride my bicycle to and from work each day and cross the Mississippi River on the Franklin Ave. Bridge. Several weeks ago, as I was crossing over the River, I noticed a Bald Eagle circling, as I got closer, it flew towards me at eye level and then flew along side me only twenty feet away for a couple of seconds. I had the chills for the next few miles, I had never been that close to an eagle before.
-Rutager
Talking to the DSN is never work–it’s worse.
🙂
Talking to, or blogging with? You’ll get to talk to us (the DSN) at the WIA. We’ll try not to get you dirty…
– Peter
Not too long ago my girlfriend had a going away dinner for a visiting professor at UC Berkeley. The family was from South Africa and had been renting a house in the Berkeley hills for a year. She was in the urban planning department. He was a journalist and I found out later had started a newspaper in South Africa and was among the first to voice to apartheid was back in the day.
I’m always curious as to outsiders impressions of the US so I asked them to share some thoughts. I know though that to be polite, people will maybe not be the most truthful so I prefaced my question by saying “I don’t care what you say I will agree with it. You can America is an overweight, greedy, violent, slothful, increasingly uneducated, intolerant, an over consumption country. Or you can say America is a beautiful land filled with the most loving accepting people.” Either description fits or any other description fits as well.
We can’t have a group US hug without acknowledging it’s faults.
ps. At the dinner table was also a lawyer that specialized in immigration as well as a professor at the Berkeley Theological Union. He was an American but lived in Istanbul because he didn’t like the US. The conversation around the table was lively to say the least.
I agree with you dsgoen.
I don’t like proofreading errors John. Could you correct some for me?
You can SAY America is…..
first to voice OPPOSITION to apartheid…..