VOTD: Steven Tyler Mangles The National Anthem At New England Patriots Game

The National Anthem—sure, it’s a stirring and poetic encapsulation of the best elements of the American spirit, but have you ever tried to sing that thing?  It’s not exactly easy.  Which is exactly what Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and American Idol found out on Sunday, when he turned in an atonal and frankly embarrassing version at AFC Championship game.  Check out the video after the jump.

Tyler’s voice was not only raspy with age and hard-living, the once virtuosic singer also had apparent trouble hitting the high notes, with his voice just not matching the challenges that Francis Scott Key’s patriotic tune lays down.

Check out the video:

What do you think?  Are we being too harsh?  It seems at least that Tyler is giving the song and the performance his all; the problem lies with the fact that the National Anthem is just an insanely difficult song to sing.  One would think that an American Idol judge would know better than step out to perform such a difficult tune; but then again, Steven Tyler, after years of touring with Aerosmith, is not exactly known for his great decision making skills.

What do you think—how was Tyler’s performance?

Source: The Huffington Post