"The Star-Spangled Banner" ... In American sports, it's the "We Will Rock You" of patriotism. A song that often sends chills down our spine. And in some situations, precedes fighter jet fly-overs.
But our national anthem is also an incredibly tough tune to carry. Performers often succumb to nervous anxiety, flubbing the words in front of millions of people.
And over the weekend, Cyndi Lauper messed up the national anthem at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York, during a 9/11 tribute, replacing the line, "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming," with, "O'er the ramparts we watched, as our flag was still streaming."
Lauper addressed her mistake on Twitter, admitting she got emotional during the performance and, "tried to say a prayer at the same time."
Unfortunately for Lauper, however, she'll forever be lumped together with the likes of Carl Lewis, Jesse McCartney, and everyone else who've suffered a Star-Spangled mishap.
5. Cyndi Lauper
At last night's US Open Women's Singles Championship, Cyndi Lauper got "choked up" while singing the National Anthem. Actually, she just choked.
4. Jesse McCartney
What about us hailing proudly at the twilight's last gleaming? The last place you want to botch the national anthem is a NASCAR race.
3. Steven Tyler
This dude (who looks more and more like a lady with every passing year) was actually doing a really great job tackling the national anthem. But then he dedicated it to the "home of the Indianapolis 500" and not the brave.
2. Eli Young
Until last year's playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs, we'd never heard of Eli Young. But after forgetting the words to the national anthem, we'll never forget his name.
1. Christina Aguilera
Just a few seconds into the song, Aguilera sings, "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming." That's not how it goes.
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