---
title: "Cyndi Lauper fluffs line after line of US anthem"
description: "Okay, in truth it was just one line, but we couldn't resist that headline. On the weekend, US pop star Cyndi Lauper showed that it's not only South Africans who have a problem remembering the words to our national anthem. By THERESA MALLINSON."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Sci-Tech"
author: "Theresa Mallinson"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/theresamallinson/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-09-13-cyndi-lauper-fluffs-line-after-line-of-us-anthem/"
published: "2011-09-13T08:19:31"
updated: "2013-02-01T20:08:24"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 278
---

# Cyndi Lauper fluffs line after line of US anthem

> Okay, in truth it was just one line, but we couldn't resist that  headline. On the weekend, US pop star Cyndi Lauper showed that it's not  only South Africans who have a problem remembering the words to our  national anthem. By THERESA MALLINSON.

By Theresa Mallinson · Published 13 September 2011, 10:19 SAST · Updated 1 February 2013, 22:08 SAST

## Content

On Saturday Cyndi Lauper was tasked with singing the Star-spangled Banner at a 9/11 memorial at the US Open. As early as the fourth line she stumbled, replacing: “O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming” with “O'er the ramparts we watched, as our flag was still streaming”. Granted, it's not quite as bad a stuff up as [we're used to closer to home](../article/2011-08-25-o-brother-where-ard-thou), but just what is it with singers the world over being unable to remember the words to their national anthems?

Apparently Lauper, like Ard Matthews before her, had a moment. On Sunday she tweeted: “Whew, I just did the anthem for the US open. It was an awesome experience.I got choked up in the middle remembering 9/11… The moon shone done on us and I tried to say a prayer at the same time… I hope I didn't mess up too bad. I wanted it to be comforting. Xcyn”.

*Watch: Cyndi Lauper flubs national anthem during US Open 9/11 memorial, on YouTube*

[Media](https://www.youtube.com/v/KRNqjRrfyA8?version=3&hl=en_US)

We suggest that in the face of continuing public anthem disasters, broadcasters invest in auto cues to give over-emotional stars a hand. Or they should just stick to the failsafe method of getting a choir to sing the anthem: if one person out of several forgets the words on live TV, it's not going to be a national embarrassment. **DM**

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**![Image](//www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/legacy_resized_images/3385dd9253f49bd8b824c57e67a9cff0.jpg)**

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**Read more:**

- Cyndi Lauper forgets words to US national anthem during 9/11 memorial, in the [Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/12/cyndi-lauper-us-national-anthem?CMP=twt_fd);
- Ras Dumisani, The Star Mangled Banner and other Sour Notes, in the [Daily Maverick](../article/2009-11-16-Ras-Dumisani-The-Star-Mangled-Banner-and-other-Sour-Notes);
- Cyndi Lauper blames 9/11 memories for flubbing national anthem at US open, on [E! Online](http://www.eonline.com/news/cyndi_lauper_blames_911_memories/263127#ixzz1XkylDNaJ).

*Photo: REUTERS*