Aguilera flubs national anthem at Super Bowl
February 6th, 2011
09:31 PM ET

Aguilera flubs national anthem at Super Bowl

O say, can Christina have a do-over?

Christina Aguilera helped kick off Sunday's Super Bowl with a singer's nightmare, flubbing the words of "The Star-Spangled Banner" about 40 seconds into the song as tens of millions prepared to watch the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Standing at midfield at Texas' Cowboys Stadium, the singer-actress mixed a previously sung clause with the one she was supposed to be on.

Here's what she sang, with the error in bold:

"O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last [unintelligible].”

That fourth line was supposed to be: "O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming."

In a statement released by her publicist, Aguilera explained what happened:

"I got so lost in the moment of the song that I lost my place," the singer said. "I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

Aguilera isn't the first person to have trouble with the song, as Time magazine's "Top 10 Worst National-Anthem Renditions" will remind us.

The list includes Michael Bolton's effort at a 2003 playoff baseball game in Boston's Fenway Park, where he had to pause midsong and check some notes before correctly getting through the same line that troubled Aguilera.

Aguilera sang the national anthem twice during last year's NBA finals. She delivered both performances without incident.

- CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report.

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Filed under: Celebrity • Football • Pro football • Showbiz • Sports
soundoff (2,138 Responses)
  1. LIV2JAM

    She is very talented and it’s a shame that she stumbled on the lyric. IMO however, the real mistake was the departure from the melody and poor pitch. When singing “cover songs”, a great singer can make the sing their own and give the listener a fresh perspective on something that is familiar. But when singing a NATIONAL ANTHEM the melody should be left in tact. Otherwise, the performance becomes self serving and it is no longer about what it really stands for. I find it to be extremely arrogant and obviously conceited when a singer riffs all over the Star Spangled Banner. It shouldn’t be about you (the singer) it should serve a greater purpose. We know you’re a great singer. That’s how you got the gig. Just sing the anthem like it was written. I promise you will get an applause on that last big note.

    February 7, 2011 at 11:54 am | Report abuse |
  2. jbond

    They always have idiots try to sing it!!

    February 7, 2011 at 11:54 am | Report abuse |
  3. Donna

    I agree with some of the comments about these "stars" doing it their way and messing it up. I would have like to have seen a mix of our military academy choirs sing it as it should be sung.

    February 7, 2011 at 11:55 am | Report abuse |
  4. Fake Outrage

    Somebody call the waaambulance to save the day.

    February 7, 2011 at 11:56 am | Report abuse |
  5. Jean

    She did it right a few times before. She is human and human being make mistakes.... Look at even the greatest musicians and performers make mistakes in concerts so stop being so judgmental. I am sure she felt pretty bad about it....

    February 7, 2011 at 11:57 am | Report abuse |
  6. fay b

    My only remark about this BIG mess is.....if you are ever going to sing the National Anthem in public or private...in front of people or alone in your quiet spot....learn the dang words! we are americans and this is our national anthem...we should all know it and we should all be proud enough to sing the right words! it wasnt me singing....but I sure was embarrassed!

    February 7, 2011 at 11:58 am | Report abuse |
  7. Billy Z

    The problem with that is, to the far Right – "Brotherhood" sounds a lot like socialism!

    February 7, 2011 at 11:58 am | Report abuse |
  8. Bob

    Should really look into getting the Cactus Girls to sing the anthem at events such as this. I've never heard such voices before. Absolutly beautiful

    February 7, 2011 at 11:58 am | Report abuse |
  9. Steve-O

    That's what happens when one is more concerned about yodeling, rather than singing and remembering lyrics!

    February 7, 2011 at 11:59 am | Report abuse |
  10. Paul Willson

    I would have thought she would have known the lyrics. Maybe celebs doing the anthem should be replaced by a military band leading the anthem

    February 7, 2011 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
  11. buffy420

    I think its rediculous that we pay these entertainers so much money! They don't do anything important, they look pretty on tv and in some cases can sing and dance. It is RETARDED that we pay these people ungodly amounts of money to entertain us! What about the people who save our lives, or the people who defend our country or the people who CHANGE our counrty and work to make it a better place? It is INSAINE how much women LIKE HER spend on shoes and handbags while SOOOOO many peolpe live below the poverty line.

    February 7, 2011 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
  12. AKILEZ

    American national Anthem is very hard to sing.

    February 7, 2011 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
  13. jim bob

    i thank Christina Aguilera it a al-quiada and he plot to blowup the superbowl was a disaster burn her

    February 7, 2011 at 12:18 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Jeff

    7 Million Americans out of work and they can't find anyone but this blonde bimbo, (she did look like a blow up doll), that can't sing a lick to sing the National Anthem. With the Money the NFL gave to her for this they could have helped out a local food bank/shelter or something, what a waste. Just sing the song with the crowd and move on. If they paid her more than minimun wage they paid to much. She should donate the money to a charity and promise to never sing the anthem again, until she learns to sing it correctly and/or learns the words. The Black Eyed Peas were just as bad, if not worse. Easily the worst half time show ever. The NFL needs to fire their talent scout, they are clueless.

    February 7, 2011 at 12:19 pm | Report abuse |
  15. jim bob

    Christina Aguilera is a tarrorist and al quiada

    February 7, 2011 at 12:19 pm | Report abuse |
    • shoops

      spell check Jim Bob

      February 7, 2011 at 1:30 pm | Report abuse |
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