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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Inauguration One of the Highlights of the Day

Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 3:37 PM

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I love the passion.

Posted by kim on January 20, 2009 at 3:45 PM

I love the hat.

Posted by Dan Savage on January 20, 2009 at 3:47 PM

True the hat was something special.

Posted by kim on January 20, 2009 at 4:04 PM

That hat is shirley-temple-awesome.

Posted by yucca flower on January 20, 2009 at 4:08 PM

at about 2:44 - did she just tell someone to shut up in the middle of the song? She looks down...and I swear...says shut up to someone.

Posted by uncouthheathen on January 20, 2009 at 4:09 PM

Yeah, part of me always wished I was either Queen Elizabeth or the wife of a Southern Baptist minister so I could dress like that.

Posted by sickgirl on January 20, 2009 at 4:15 PM

Much better than her performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the World Series last year.

Posted by DJJC on January 20, 2009 at 4:30 PM

The hat alone almost (almost) makes up for that douchebag Warren that preceded her.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on January 20, 2009 at 4:39 PM

Sorry, but that hat his hideous.

Michelle's dress on election night looked better.

Posted by Frank Sinclair on January 20, 2009 at 4:50 PM

Hat by Rem Koolhaas.

Posted by Andy Niable on January 20, 2009 at 4:50 PM

Sorry, but that hat is hideous.

Michelle's dress on election night looked better.

Seriously...

Posted by Frank Sinclair on January 20, 2009 at 4:51 PM

"pilgrim's pride" is the worst lyric ever. it makes me think of turkeys (which i do not enjoy eating--or in any other capacity) and zealot geeks with rotting genitals, witch fixations, and retarded buckles on their hats and boots. pilgrim's pride, indeed! my heart doth not swell.

Posted by adrian! on January 20, 2009 at 5:10 PM

wtf, her voice sounded like a South Park parody of singing... or am I missing something? I swear to god, she sounded funny/bad to me.

Posted by But then I'm not a singer. on January 20, 2009 at 5:46 PM

Love the hat too. Not in a gay way, obviously. But I do love it.

Posted by elenchos on January 20, 2009 at 6:06 PM

Does anybody else think she sounded more like Sylvester?

Posted by Uve on January 20, 2009 at 6:20 PM

Would have loved to hear her sing "Chain Of Fools," as Bush, Cheney, et al. made their exit. Yes her voice is strained. Have not heard her live recently but she is not 12 anymore and she has sang her heart out. The gesture, the unmistakable Aretha was still present in all her glory and her funky hat... baaaybe, not to mention the voices behind her.

Posted by somegirl on January 20, 2009 at 6:32 PM

I can never hear this song without thinking of Angelica Pickles' mangled rendition in a Rugrats episode that I can't have seen more recently than fifteen years ago. It drives me crazy.

Posted by Propaniac on January 20, 2009 at 7:23 PM

"...and Miss Aretha Franklin, the First Lady."
-- Parliament, "Chocolate City"

Posted by Kathy Fennessy on January 20, 2009 at 7:27 PM

shoulda sang chain of fools.

Posted by olive on January 20, 2009 at 8:53 PM

The hat was criminal, but what did you expect? The lady, despite her undeniable talents, has EVER been a really lousy dresser. Her clothes seldom fit, the lengths of her skirts always look wrong and her bosom constantly threatens escape. I'm just glad she had to wear a coat. Have a look:
http://www.xanga.com/DavisMcDavis/641871…

Posted by k on January 20, 2009 at 10:16 PM

i'm sorry. as someone who was at the inauguration today in DC - i live in Seattle btw - Aretha's performance was less than perfect. i was expecting to hear her soul and heart in that song. she was doing it gospel style, which she's very good at singing. However, today was not her day. perhaps the cold air doesn't do well with her voice but it's still that she shouldn't have to worry about. opera singers at her age can give performances that bring the house down. she couldn't do that today. and yes i'm black and gay. btw, I wasn't the only one who thought that as well on the inauguration grounds.

Posted by apres_moi on January 20, 2009 at 11:04 PM

I thought Dan was talking about her pause between the two syllables in "country".

Posted by Alex on January 20, 2009 at 11:34 PM

she wears that hat so the aliens can't read her thoughts..

Posted by reverend dr dj riz on January 21, 2009 at 1:20 AM

I think the cold air gave her some trouble. It's drying out her throat and probably hurts a bit.

At the start of the song, she's working in some husky soul tones that require her to gulp in air. Then there's a bit of trouble, and she switches to a higher range, which allows shallower breaths.

Listen to the difference "Of thee I sing", husky. "Land where my..." her voice cracks a bit, and she adjusts the next line into the different voice.

Posted by eclexia on January 21, 2009 at 1:35 AM