The crudest thing I've done as a teacher was to require students to write a national anthem for their country and sing it themselves.

I'm fiercely patriotic, and the flag and the anthem is something that I really, really respect.

Any kind of anthemic song, for the most part, they're on the positive side of things. It's not hard to identify when a melody is just one degree too complicated or one degree too simple and where that line of pop memorability lies.

Anthemic rock music is inherently fascist - anything intended to move huge masses of people is politically offensive to me.

Why don't you get a haircut? You look like a chrysanthemum.

When I heard the royal family wanted to have me perform in celebration of Prince William's marriage, I knew I had to give them a little something. 'Wet' is the perfect anthem for Prince William or any playa to get the club smokin'.

What I worry about is, if you are on the side of feeling it's disrespectful to kneel during the anthem, that somehow you're racist, or somehow you're not in favor of bettering this country and finding equality and common ground.

'I Think We're Alone Now' just makes people feel good. It became a teen anthem twice. How cool is that?

Lesley Gore's part-time field was pop singer, and in her brief but urgent prime, she was the Queen of Teen Angst. She endured heartbreak as a birthday girl betrayed by her beau in 'It's My Party,' savored revenge in the sequel 'Judy's Turn to Cry' and belted the proto-feminist anthem 'You Don't Own Me.'

If you know anything about the issues in our country, you know we have a lot of deep-rooted anger and anxieties that spark a lot of passion. When you talk about our national anthem or the flag or race relations or the criminal justice system, it brings up a lot of those fears and insecurities.

The Olympic Gold medal in 1968 was definitely the highest moment of my career. It was a dream come true. I was a 19-year-old boy, and it was just amazing to be standing on top of the podium and hearing the National Anthem in the background.

"Across the centuries the moral systems from medival chivalry to Bruce Springsteen love anthems have worked the same basic way. They take immediate selfish interests and enmesh them within transcendent, spiritual meanings. Love becomes a holy cause, an act of self-sacrifice and selfless commitment.

"THE ANTHEM OF HOPE

"The organist was almost at the end of the anthem's long introduction, and as the crescendo increases the cathedral began to glitter before my eyes until I felt as if every stone in the building was vibrating in anticipation of the sweeping sword of sound from the Choir.

Any kind of anthemic song for the most part they're on the positive side of things. It's not hard to identify when a melody is just one degree too complicated or one degree too simple and where that line of pop memorability lies.

Oh I will always be honest with my music. The records are black boxes for me. Like if you want to know who I am my views my perspective things I love things I hate my convictions my anthems. I've never let people's opinions affect the way I write.

For President Obama 'home of the brave' are not just the last words of our national anthem but also a call to action. This is why the president's policies and our platform include incentives to train and hire our troops returning home. Not only because of our moral responsibility but because it makes for a stronger more secure American economy.

And you know being able to wear the stars and stripes when you step up on one of the blocks or you know when you step off of an airplane or when you hear the national anthem play you know it's one of the greatest feelings in the world because you know that there are people at home who are supporting you and watching you.

When I heard the royal family wanted to have me perform in celebration of Prince William's marriage I knew I had to give them a little something. 'Wet' is the perfect anthem for Prince William or any playa to get the club smokin'.

I think as a Canadian hockey player you go through it in your mind so many times being able to stand on that blue line and hear your national anthem play and being a gold medal champion you dream of that. And then to be able to accomplish that and actually win a gold medal and represent your country its an amazing feeling.