DEAR ABBY: I would like to know who gives singers the right to change the melody of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful"? Some of them who are featured on national TV don't even get the lyrics right. Many of us would love to hear our national anthem without the additional flourishes. Isn't anything sacred anymore? These so-called singers can add their individual squealing to their own songs, but I wish they would leave Francis Scott Key's version in its original format. Am I alone on this issue? -- NOT TONE-DEAF IN WASHINGTON STATE
DEAR NOT TONE-DEAF: You're far from alone in feeling as you do. Our national anthem is notoriously difficult to sing, and the lyrics difficult to remember. However, performers are, to a greater or lesser extent, artists. And some artists can't resist the temptation to add their personal interpretation to the classic, which has proved embarrassing for the singer and the listeners. It proves the truth of the old saying, "Sometimes less is more."