You might know Jesse McCartney from those heady boy band days earlier this decade. Or perhaps you're a huge fan of ABC Family's Greek where he has a recurring role. Or, if you're like me, you had never heard of him until he forgot the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Sunday's Pepsi 500. McCartney skipped the second line of the first verse, but to his credit, he belted out verses 2-4 before regaling the crowd with a patriotic tribute smash-up of the 12 songs better than Lee Greenwood's "Good Bless America."*
Video after the jump.
McCartney took it well, later tweeting: "Here At the Nascar race !So much fun! Can't believe I forgot the words to the Anthem! I've performed it 100 times. Bad Nerves today I guess".
And all things considered things could have been worse. Much, much worse.
* Everything after "skipped the second line" might be fabricated.
via the Examiner
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
10-12-2009 @ 2:09PM
Kaci said...
seriously lol i can't believe he forgot a line.
Reply
10-12-2009 @ 3:30PM
droberts2009 said...
It happens all the time. Just another singer fell victim to the hype of the honor. lol... sucks for him though.
10-12-2009 @ 5:47PM
Derrel said...
seriously "kaci" lol ...can you sing it word for word verse for verse.
lmao probably not
10-12-2009 @ 5:53PM
Derrel said...
seriously "kaci" lol can you sing The National Anthem word for word verse for verse?
lmao ... I doubt it seriously
10-12-2009 @ 7:27PM
hookmrl said...
he must be a democrap or obummer voter ,they are unamerican
10-12-2009 @ 7:47PM
ajcook3 said...
...or two
10-13-2009 @ 11:09AM
Bobby G said...
Well...in my 52 years this used to be a problem mainly with young school-aged children. But, I have also noticed that since the Information Age has come full upon us since roughly 1984, more and more performers and even the general population are struggling with complicated speech and it has become more common for live performers to flub the lyrics to anything, let alone the stilted lyrics of the National Anthem. My suggestion: Don't sing in front of millions of people unless you practice the crap out of the song so it comes automatically, or use a teleprompter. It's still gonna happen, regardless. People's brains spazz out.
10-12-2009 @ 2:14PM
Alisha said...
Thats way too funny! How can you forget the 2nd line? I could understand somewhere in the middle but the 2nd?
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10-12-2009 @ 2:17PM
kepi404 said...
Seriously, stop spamming you losers. It's just sad. And sad is Jesse not knowing the words.
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10-12-2009 @ 8:06PM
doxyland said...
Hey all you historically impaired: the WORDS to the national anthem were written as a POEM by Francis Scott Key. The MUSIC is from an old British bar song. So as long as the words are correct, Mr. Key won't be rolling anywhere. As for taking license with the tune, some updated renditions have been spectacular (Whitney Houston at the Super Bowl, for example) and some have been horrible (Ted Nugent, darling of the right, for example). Try to be more creative in your racism.
10-12-2009 @ 9:08PM
snaps said...
Why don't you focus on yourSELF rather than focusing on "entertainers" who are HERE to DISTRACT you from the REAL PROBLEMS of the WORLD
10-13-2009 @ 9:41AM
Jen said...
I have to disagree about Whitney's so-called version. It was absolutely horrible. I don't know what she was singing, but it wasn't the National Athem. She may have gotten the words correct, but she took so many liberties with the tune that it ceased to be the National Athem. I don't understand why singers like Whitney can't just sing as song as it was composed. Aretha Franklin is another one who can't just sing a song. Just listen to her version of O Christmas Tree.
10-12-2009 @ 2:19PM
DShook said...
What a dumbdumb. And his singing stinks. Why can't, one time, someone sing OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM publicly without wandering around the tune and SCREECHING the high note on the end. This is indicitive of the depths to which performance has sunk. How about having someone with a real voice sing this most inspirational of all national anthems. Does this make sense?
Reply
10-12-2009 @ 2:31PM
corrigandebra said...
land of the free !!!!!! what a joke
10-12-2009 @ 3:05PM
pause said...
To JOHNNIE--I'm not profiling and I'm not prejudice, but when these new black kids come on the scene, they fracture the song. Especially when it gets to "For the Land of the free.........." , damn, they take our Anthem to places it's never been.>>> LOL--yeah, he looks REALLY black to me...Have you gotten your vision checked lately? If not, doctors' receptionists are standing by waiting to take your call...
10-12-2009 @ 4:05PM
Karen Anne said...
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
For a long time I thought I was the only one sick and tired of these so-called performers "doing it their way". If you want to do it "YOUR" way, write whatever it is - then we can decide we're going to do it "OUR" way and NOT listen!
Once again THANK YOU!!!
10-12-2009 @ 5:05PM
usarockchick16 said...
Id like to see you try. Since you seem to think it is so easy.
10-12-2009 @ 5:43PM
bob said...
i agree. too many times some so-called singer thinks they can ruin the singing of the national anthem. francis scott key would probably roll over in his grave if he had to listen to the way these people butcher it. usually i have to turn the sound off. i refuse to listen to the butchers.
10-12-2009 @ 5:49PM
bigdwp said...
I agree with you about the screeching and waffling. It drives me crazy. I believe that the Star Spangled Banner should be sung by all in attendance and should not be a "solo" moment for these people who don't know how to do it. The National Anthem belongs to all Americans and they are the ones who should sing it together as a tribute to our country.
10-12-2009 @ 6:55PM
twincomics said...
I love what you had to say. I am so tired of singers with average at best voices becoming stars. On the Today Show this morning a young man was singing out on the Plaza. His voice was awful. I would rather hear the neighbor's baby screaming than hear his voice. The audience (young girls) were going nuts over him. I am really worried about the future of America because we seem to glorify mediocrity. The Today Show can't even discern talent from rubbish. They have become tabloid TV. It's disturbing.