I'm from the US--I know the first verse of the Star Spangled Banner, but I know there are a few others that are not commonly sung anymore, and I don't know them. I must say that I don't really like it, however--it is difficult to sing, even for talented singers, and in my opinion a national anthem should be the kind of song that all citizens, from the talented to the most tone deaf, can at least sort of follow. But as soon as you hit 'And the rockets red glare!' it is usually agony to listen to if you're singing it in a crowd. I would definitely vote to change it to "The Battlecry of Freedom," an old Civil War song that is much easier to sing but still has a good tune and some relevance.
You want to hear a cool national anthem? Look up the Romanian national anthem--it is so passionate! There is actually a rock version of it on Youtube, and it is pretty righteous--any song that can be rocked is a good candidate for a national anthem, in my opinion!
Partake in patriotism? I try to as much as I can, but what passes for patriotism these days is pretty sickening. Patriotism does NOT mean you vote to allow your country's army to brutalize the populations of other countries. Patriotism does not mean that you support your government without question. Considering that the US was formed from a violent rebellion, it seems strange that patriotism has come to mean loyalty to the government. In my mind, Patriotism means loyalty to the country, not the government. The basic principle that, I think, sums up what the US is supposed to be is this: Do whatever you want so long as you don't infringe on anyone else's freedom to do what they want. There are a few things that are needed to clarify it, but that is pretty much it. All this country is is a group of people who have agreed to live by those few basic principles. Or rather, that is all this country is supposed to be. But since WWII we have started mixing other stuff in there as well, to where I think there is really very little left of the US that was.
Hand on heart, tears on cheek, etc? No way. I think that flag used to be a symbol of this country. Now it is a symbol of its government, and the powerful forces that manipulate that government.
Strong emotions when I sing it? As I said earlier, I don't particularly like the song, so no, I don't get emotional when I sing it. It doesn't really speak to me. It doesn't encompass what I feel it means to be part of this country. And I think it's become symbolic of some pretty bad things.
