Aretha Franklin MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE Inauguration Day 2009 - YouTube Aretha Franklin MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE Inauguration Day 2009 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jan 20, 2009 Singing live minutes before President Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States 01/20/09. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted this song during his "I Have A Dream" speech. The lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The melody was derived from the British national anthem, God Save the King or Queen. Category Barack Obama chose Beyonce: Pop and Presidential inaugurations - Telegraph Music news Barack Obama chose Beyonce: Pop and Presidential inaugurations As the White House prepares for Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor to perform at Barack Obama’s second inauguration, we look at which musicians Presidents in the past 50 years have picked to help swear them in.

By Alice Vincent , Entertainment Writer, online 12:41PM GMT 21 Jan 2013 Follow Barack Obama will be sworn in for his second four-year term this evening. But once all the Bible-kissing, oaths and ruffles and flourishes (a suitably-named fanfare) have passed, the West Front of the Capitol is cleared for musical greats to perform. Obama has chosen R’n’B superstar Beyonce to sing the American National Anthem at the event, and pop star Kelly Clarkson has been working on a new arrangement of My Country ‘Tis of Thee to perform after the President has taken the oath of office. Fire and Rain singer James Taylor will be taking on America the Beautiful. It’s an admittedly cool line-up - and what less could we expect from a President who spontaneously sung Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together at a fundraiser? But these musicians are regular Obama supporters, and follow Aretha Franklin’s glitzy rendition of My Country at the President’s first inauguration.

Obama may be taking the edge with his celebrations (Saturday saw a Kids’ Inaugural Ball for his daughters Sasha and Malia, with performances from Katy Perry, Usher and the cast of popular TV musical show Glee), but he’s certainly not the first to combine pop with presidency. John F. Kennedy got showbiz help with his inauguration in 1961 in the form of Frank Sinatra. The swing singer hosted Kennedy’s pre-inaugural party the day before, with guests including Bette Davis, Laurence Olivier, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Gene Kelly. According to David Gergen, director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University and CNN contributor, such celebrations “became sort of standard” as a result. Related Articles Why Frank Sinatra will always be The Voice 13 Apr 2012 While assassinations, resignations, hostages and extreme cold put dampers on Presidential parties until Bill Clinton brought back the tradition. A free concert on the Mall preceded the ceremony, as Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and rapper LL Cool J all performed for the public.

Clinton’s Presidential Gala, the night before the inauguration, included Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand and Elton John. Famously, Clinton managed to reform Fleetwood Mac for the event, who performed the President’s campaign song Don’t Stop. George W. Bush showed his Texan roots by having moustachioed country duo Brooks & Dunn, Wayne Newton and, curiously, Latino crooner Ricky Martin perform at his pre-inauguration. To welcome in his second term, Bush held a ‘Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball’. The musical element is just one aspect of the events which occur around Presidential inaugurations - Kennedy marked another first in 1961 by inviting poet Robert Frost to participate in the ceremony, a tradition which has continued with other poets since. Add in the parades, luncheons and hundreds of unofficial balls held by the American public, and organising Beyonce isn’t such a big deal after all. Oliver Burkeman's Inauguration Diary: Liveblogging the inauguration ceremony | US news | The Guardian Close Photograph: AFP/Getty 10am (all times eastern): So much has been said and written about the significance of this moment.

But now, finally -- hard though it is to believe -- here it is. At around 11.30am today, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, and the first African-American to hold the office. (A little after 12.30, he'll escort George Bush to a waiting helicopter; might we assume there will be cheering?) The atmosphere in Washington DC this morning, where millions of people are gathering to share the moment, is electric: inaugurations are always quasi-religious affairs, but never in living memory has one been as freighted with meaning as this. The day's full schedule is here ; the Obamas have just arrived at the White House, where they're joining the Bushes and the achy-backed Dick Cheney and his wife for coffee, before proceeding to the capitol. Join me here imminently for history in the making, plus wisecracks. 10.05am: Here's how big the crowd is: the entire stretch of the Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capitol has now reportedly been closed. See the satellite image here for what a vast stretch of space that is: it's fourteen long city blocks, or more than a mile.

Barack and Michelle Obama arrive at St John's Episcopal Church before today's swearing-in ceremony. Photograph: Reuters 10.11am: Bringing an official start to proceedings, we're now listening to the US Marine Band. I feel sorry for the flautists and the clarinettists, who have to wear fingerless gloves so that they can use their instruments. The bass drum guy has it so easy by comparison. 10.18am: Senior diplomatic and military types arrive to take their VIP seats on the Capitol steps. Nope, I've no idea who most of them are. Magic Johnson did arrive a little earlier, though. Everyone already looks very, very cold, and they've got plenty of time left to sit there getting colder. (Smugly, I've come back into the warmth -- it's the only way to follow the proceedings up close and to liveblog this thing -- but I was there just before and let me tell you it was freezing.) 10.26am: Ben Smith notes the audacity of French socialist politician Segolene Royal, who this morning claims credit for having inspired Obama. His team copied hers, she explains (except for the bit about winning).

10.33am: While we're waiting... an amusing inaugural fact from 1829, when another "people's president", Andrew Jackson, tried to hold an "open" inauguration, albeit on a different scale to today's. "About 20,000 people trample mud and horse manure into the White House, destroy rugs, break satin-covered chairs, smash crystal and china, and spill liquor. Fights break out, women faint and Jackson has to escape through a window. Order is restored when barrels of whiskey are placed on the South Lawn, drawing the crowd outside." Back in 2009, senior congressional leaders are arriving on the steps. 10.37am: At the White House, the Obamas and the Bushes are finishing up their coffee -- what wouldn't you give to be a fly on the wall at that particular meeting? -- and any moment they'll enter two limousines, the men in one and the women in another, the departing president sitting on the right, the president-elect on the left.

It's not a long journey from the White House to the Capitol, even when the roads aren't cleared and empty for you, so we'll expect to see them arrive minutes later. 10.40am: Many great comments below -- do read them. Ted Kennedy arrives, thereby answering the question of whether he'd be well enough to attend. John Kerry and George HW Bush follow on; it's a dignitary bonanza up there! 10.43am: Jill Biden and Lynn Cheney leave the White House and step into a waiting limo, followed by Michelle Obama and Laura Bush. ... And Joe Biden and, in a wheelchair, Dick Cheney, who injured his back yesterday moving into his new home. 10.48am: Two significant moments, almost simultaneous: at one end of the city, at the Capitol, John McCain arrives to watch the man who defeated him get sworn in, and at the other, Obama and Bush step out to the north portico of the White House to loud cheers.

(Who knew Bush was so well-loved?) Photograph: AP 10.53am: What must it be like to be Bush today, and to look down the Mall, as he will a little later, and see millions of people clamouring not only in support of your successor, but also for you to leave? I suspect Bush may be as relieved as anyone that he's leaving power today, but the man's internal life continues to baffle and fascinate. I don't mean to sound sympathetic, but... 10.59am: How they're welcoming Obama in Puri, India: a three-tonne sand sculpture. 11.05am: It's amusing, and rather touching, to see how many of the bigshot senators and other political figures are clutching digital cameras, snapping away, recording the moment. 11.08am: My colleague Richard Adams, who nabbed himself a good seat for today's events, and who is a show-off, texts to say he just ran into Al Franken on the way to the bathroom, but that Franken was too busy to stop to have his photograph taken. He's doubtless using every last minute to raise funds for his Minnesota court case.

Meanwhile, Al and Tipper Gore arrive. [UPDATE: I misread Richard's text. This happened to someone sitting near him, not to him...] 11.17am: The Carters arrive... and the Clintons. And then someone really important, Rahm Emanuel, who will basically be the second most powerful person in the world within the hour. Meanwhile we learn that, following tradition, Bush left Obama a note in the White House . "The White House today declined to provide intimate details of the message the two-term Republican left for the incoming Democrat, saying only that Bush wrote it on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk." Your guesses? 11.20am: Chaos on the DC metro as a woman falls from a platform onto the track, closing two major stations. (They've now reopened.) At the White House, currently unoccupied by any president, moving crews are unloading boxes of Obama's stuff -- it's a lightning-fast operation . 11.25am: Here are Sasha and Malia Obama, in blue and pink winter coats respectively, and a roar carries down the Mall -- first, the people who are close by, then those watching on screens a long way away.

11.31am: Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are in their seats. And now here's Bush arriving at the Capitol, looking oddly apprehensive. "No more Bush! No more Bush!" chant the crowd, though they haven't seen Bush on the jumbotron screens yet, I don't think. 11.37am: ...Aaaand Bush and Cheney are announced to a military fanfare, accompanied by congressional leaders, and now a rendition of Hail To The Chief. Up on the Capitol steps, it's all smiles and polite applause, of course. Not so up by the Washington Monument, I'll warrant. 11.39am: Biden is announced, to raucous flagwaving. Backstage, there's footage of Obama walking through the Capitol building, looking even more completely sober and calm than usual, which is saying something. Though on second thoughts, maybe there's something in the cast of his expression this morning that speaks of the pressure he's under. He seems to be holding himself in. Any moment now, he'll walk into the cold open air. 11.43am: "Ladies and gentlemen, the president-elect of the United States, Barack H. Obama." The Mall explodes.

For a moment on the carpeted staircase, Obama looks very slight, small, and solitary. But it only lasts a moment; now he's back in his element, shaking hands and taking his seat. 11.45am: Dianne Feinstein takes to the podium for her call to order. "The world is watching today as our great democracy engages in this peaceful transition of power... we gather to etch another line in the solid stone of history. The freedom of a people to choose its leaders is the root of liberty. In a world where political strife is too often settled with violence, we come here every four years to bestow the power of the presidency upon our democratically elected leader... Future generations will mark this morning as the turning-point for real and necessary change in our nation. They will look back and remember that this is the moment when the dream that once echoed across history from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial finally reached the walls of the White House." 11.48am: Here's the controverial evangelical pastor Rick Warren to provide the invocation. The invocation won't be controversial, you can be sure, though. Eyes are closed up and down the Mall.

(Obama's too.) "We celebrate a hinge point of history, with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land... where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest levels of our leadership." Dr King is "shouting in heaven" he says. "Help us to remember that we are Americans related not by religion or race or blood but by our commitment to freedom and justice for all... We now commit our new president and his wife Michelle, and his daughters Malia and Sasha, into your loving care." He concludes with the Lord's Prayer. 11.53am: They're going to have to get through the rest of the ceremony pretty fast: Biden has to be sworn in first, but in accordance with the constitution, Obama has to take the oath by noon at the latest. We're running a good 20-25 minutes late compared to the official announced schedule. 11.54am: And yet first here's Aretha Franklin, approaching the podium to sing My Country Tis Of Thee , accompanied by the marine band. Which is, of course, our own beloved British national anthem. Only with different words.

And, you know, better, when Aretha's singing it. 11.57am: Supreme court justice John Paul Stevens is introduced, to administer Biden's oath of office. Biden lays his hand on the bible. The oath: "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God." And thus America has a new vice-president. Biden does a little arms-wide "how about that then?" gesture; Bruce Springsteen chuckles. (Bruce Springsteen's chuckle is not a consitutional requirement.) 12 noon: It's noon, so I guess that means Robert Gates is president for a few minutes ? (UPDATE: No, it turns out. Bush is still president, Biden is vice-president. How weird is that? UPDATE II: Confusion reigns. Apparently it's Biden.

Or maybe not.) The star-studded quartet of Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill are introduced. They're playing a selection of music arranged by John Williams, which lends an appropriately cinematic tenor to proceedings. (It's based around the Shaker song Simple Gifts .) 12.04pm: And here's Obama, with Chief Justice John Roberts. Obama uses his full name, of course, as protocol dictates, but it's still somewhat extraordinary to remember that America just elected someone with the middle name Hussein. He stumbles slightly over the oath, actually, though it seemed that it was Roberts who stumbled first... but they get through it. And so here we are. You can imagine the scenes on the Mall. Photograph: Reuters 12.07pm: Obama takes the podium. "Thank you, thank you... My fellow citizens, I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors." Forty-four people have taken the oath, he says, but "every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms...

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood": war, economic crisis. "And each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet." 12.11pm: "Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: they will be met." 12.13pm: He praises "the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things... time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions." America is still the most prosperous nation on earth, he says, its minds no less inventive, "our capacity... undiminished... But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions: that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." 12.16pm: A pointed reference to "restoring science to its rightful place," and harnessing "the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories." Now he's rejecting the notion that this isn't a time for grand ambitions.

"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them: the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply." The question isn't big or small government, but whether government works; not whether the free market is good or bad but that it needs a "watchful eye." "As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." 12.18pm: "And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more..." America will "begin responsibly to leave Iraq to its people" and start to "roll back the spectre of a warming planet... [but] we will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken.

You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you," because America's "patchwork heritage" is a strength, not a weakness. Pretty aggressive stuff. He mentions Americans' various religions, and also "non-believers": a first for an inaugural address? That's impressive. 12.21pm: "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy." We can no longer afford to ignore "suffering outside our borders," he says. "Nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect." And more about the international community: a real internationalist focus here, which as a non-American I can't help finding some of the most rousing stuff.

(I take the commentators' point, though, that Euroliberals would probably have condemned some of Obama's words on spreading the American ideal abroad if it had been uttered by George Bush as, indeed, it was, in his 2004 inaugural...) The sense of being somewhat stressed that was evident on Obama's face a little earlier has vanished; at this podium, it seems, is where he feels most at home. 12.24pm: And now the much-anticipated passage on personal responsibility. The whole speech, indeed, is notable for how much focus Obama's putting on seeking to buck Americans up, to stiffen their spines, to call them to action. "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility: a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship... This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed...

and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." Huge, huge applause. 12.26pm: Building to a finale now, remembering George Washington's words in the harsh winter of 1776. "In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. Thank you. God bless you. May God bless the United States of America." 12.28pm: A long poem now by Elizabeth Alexander . (I'll let others dissect it later.) The civil rights leader Reverend Joseph Lowery is here to deliver the benediction.

(Only a few minutes until the Bush Helicopter Moment now!) "Mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and delivery us from the exploitation of the poor," Lowery asks God. "...We walk together, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead." And then a rather unexpected rhyming riff about racial diversity and co-operation, which I missed and will post here as soon as I get hold of a copy. UPDATE: Here it is. Lowery called for the day "when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white would embrace what is right." So there. 12.39pm: The national anthem concludes this part of the proceedings, with hundreds of thousands on the Mall joining in -- although quite a few left immediately after the swearing-in, doubtless to avoid the crush. Bush and Obama move through the crowd together now. The helicopter awaits. The crowd on the Mall: are they ecstatic? Yes, they are ecstatic. 12.47pm: Obama and "the former president Bush" -- there are two of them, now! -- enter the Capitol building.

They'll walk through it to the east side, where Marines line the staircase and a helicopter waits in the courtyard. The helicopter is Executive One; it's only Marine One when the president is inside it. 1pm: The new president has to sign numerous official documents now, and then he'll have a private lunch with Congressional leaders. This liveblog will get a bit more sporadic for a while now; I might get some lunch too, though not with Congressional leaders, I fear. Thanks for all your comments so far. 12.50pm: The Obamas and Bushes emerge onto the steps and pose for photographs. I've got to say, Bush looks positively glowing now that it's all over. They're exchanging what looks like small talk. (What could it be?) 12.52pm: A positively jovial mood seems to prevail between the two men as they walk towards the helicopter flanked by Michelle Obama and Laura Bush. A pat on the shoulder from Obama to Bush, words between George and Michelle, and then a final handshake between 43 and 44. The helicopter's staircases swing up and closed, leaving the Obamas and the Bidens on the east Capitol steps.

The helicopter rotors start turning, blowing Michelle Obama's hair. 12.56pm: And Bush goes up and away; the helicopter grows small. There is, as you might imagine, quite a bit of cheering from the crowds on the Mall. Apparently the helicopter may go on a bit of scenic tour of DC, but it's headed ultimately to Andrews Air Force Base, whereupon the Bushes will board a plane for Texas. "Na na na na, hey hey, goodbye," sing the spectators on the Mall. 1pm: The new president has to sign numerous official documents now, and then he'll have a private lunch with Congressional leaders. This liveblog will get a bit more sporadic for a while now; I might get some lunch too, though not with Congressional leaders, I fear. Thanks for all your comments so far. 2.07pm: I had a chicken sandwich. Obama ate food from Lincoln's era , although not technically one hopes. The menu is here . Pheasant, duck, sour cherry chutney and molassses sweet potatoes, followed by apple cinnamon sponge cake. 2.41pm: They're still eating; Nancy Pelosi is addressing the diners.

The crowds lining the parade route remain excitable. The inaugural parade is, well, a parade. The one genuinely intriguing question is whether, when, and for how long Obama will get out of his limousine and walk for part of the route along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Carter was the first president to walk the entire route , but security concerns mean that if Obama walks it'll almost certainly be just for a small portion of it. 2.51pm: "Medical emergency reported at Congressional luncheon," MSNBC reports Ted Kennedy has been taken out of the luncheon on a stretcher. Obama is speaking to the diners now, and begins his remarks with words of praise for the Massachusetts senator. UPDATE: And 91-year-old Robert Byrd, who was " removed in his wheelchair under the supervision of medical personnel ." UPDATE II: Byrd's going to be OK, apparently, and the reports on Kennedy seem broadly upbeat, too. 3.20pm: And the parade begins. The Obamas and the Bidens, looking exceptionally cold on the Capitol steps -- Michelle looks positively exhausted -- stand for a military march-past. There are many tubas.

3.24pm: The first couple enter the Beast , the president's extraordinarily well-protected limousine, license plate USA1. Obama seems a little awkward saluting the various military personnel lining the route. The motorcade progresses at walking pace out of the Capitol grounds. 3.36pm: The limousine reaches the parade route, with tens of motorcycles, blue and red lights flashing, in the lead. The crowds lining the route -- only five or six deep at this point, because access is restricted -- whoop and scream. 4.03pm: Finally, as the motorcade reaches the Navy Memorial, the limousine slows to a halt -- not that it was going fast in the first place -- and the Obamas get out, several blocks earlier than planned, apparently. They're striding purposefully up Pennsylvania Avenue now, flanked by Secret Service personnel, waving at the onlookers. (We're running so far behind schedule now that the light is beginning to fade.) They're walking significantly faster than the car was travelling, by my reckoning. This administration can't be seen to be taking things easy. 4.11pm: And back into The Beast.

4.15pm: The motorcade approaches the White House, where the Obamas will take their positions in a heavily bulletproofed viewing stand to watch the passing parade. I'm going to wrap this up now, but if you've got access to TV coverage, you've got plenty of parading left to watch, should you so choose. What a day; what a moment to have witnessed. Thank you for reading and commenting. More post-inauguration blogging from me here tomorrow. G2 gets the experts to answer the big questions surrounding Obama's inauguration | US news | The Guardian Close So can he dance? I've studied the footage of Obama doing eight dances in the course of the festivities this week and I think he's a good all-rounder - even if he is a bit one-dimensional, he has great musical interpretation. I saw the one dance where he was doing a bit of bump and grind - it looked really good, quite funky. I thought the president's and first lady's "first dance" at the inaugural ball was particularly good. I couldn't really give it a name - it was more of a smooch. But it had a nice musicality about it.

Considering it was like your average wedding dance, I thought it was very nice. I don't think the two of them have had dance lessons: it didn't look that way to me. There were no formal steps in their routine of the sort you would be taught in a studio. His hold was a tad loose for my liking. He could have had a slightly stronger posture. I have watched clips of lots of the presidents' inaugural dances and Obama ranks up there with Jimmy Carter, who is my favourite. Carter is by far the most naturally talented. The worst was George W Bush. He was embarrassing. You can tell by people's faces when they are doing something they don't want to be involved in - and that is Bush's dance vibe. The main thing with dancing is that you have to do it with confidence - it's just the same as being president. Obama's confidence really showed on the dancefloor. If I was judging him on Strictly, I would give him a seven. Len Goodman • Len Goodman is head judge on Strictly Come Dancing What was in the white box? Just what was the gift, inside a white box with a red ribbon wrapped round it, that the Obamas gave to the Bushes on the morning of the inauguration?

What sort of present do you give someone on the very day when your mutual displays of pretend niceness become optional? Was it some sandwiches for the journey? A boxing glove on a spring? A fruitcake with a turd in the middle? A "No Really, I Used to Be President" T-shirt? According to news commentators, the box was actually intended to be a parting gift from Michelle Obama to the outgoing first lady. Internet speculators immediately suggested that it might contain the number of a good divorce lawyer, or a pair of shoes for Laura Bush to throw at her husband when they got home to Texas. The truth, when it emerged, was more mundane: it was a leather-bound journal engraved with the day's historic date, for Laura Bush to write her memoirs in. Tim Dowling Why did Aretha Franklin sing the British national anthem? It did sound a bit like God Save the Queen, but for a good reason. In fact, Franklin sang My Country 'Tis of Thee, an American patriotic song written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831, and quoted by Martin Luther King in his "I have a dream" speech.

Smith apparently came up with the words in 30 minutes after Lowell Mason, a friend and leading figure in American church music, asked him to write new lyrics to tunes in a German school songbook. The tune Smith alighted on came from Symphony Number 3 in B Major by Muzio Clementi, an 18th-century composer. Charitably described by Mozart as "a charlatan, like all Italians", Clementi was one of a number of composers who incorporated the familiar tune of God Save The King into their work: it turns up in Bach's sixth keyboard concerto, Beethoven's Battle Symphony and Haydn's Opus 9. God Save the King had also been used as the tune for at least six other national anthems, including those of Prussia, Liechtenstein, Denmark and Norway, and to various popular American patriotic songs of the 18th and 19th century: a version was sung at the inauguration of George Washington.

My Country 'Tis Of Thee served as a de facto American national anthem before a 1931 law was passed adopting The Star Spangled Banner, which took its melody from a British drinking song popular with members of the 18th-century gentleman's club, the Anacreonic Society. Alexis Petridis How good-looking is my wife? Not our question, you understand, but one posed by President Obama himself, addressing the crowd at the Neighborhood Ball, the first of the 10 official inauguration parties. On the surface, this question could definitely stick in a feminist's craw, focusing, as it does, on Michelle Obama's looks rather than her accomplishments, and setting her up as something of a trophy date. (As if it needs repeating, Michelle attended Princeton and Harvard law school, and went on to have a brilliant career, be an inspiring public speaker, and, by all accounts, a warm, loving mother.) Was he trying to relegate her to a piece of arm candy? Of course not. What could have been a slip actually came across as pretty charming.

This was, first, because it was a heartfelt compliment, and, second, because Michelle could, thankfully, never be so easily dismissed, and, third, because, of all the rhetorical questions he could have asked, none was more apt at that moment. Michelle emanated confidence, happiness and humour throughout the day, and embodied that characteristic essential to great beauty: feeling entirely comfortable in yourself. And she looked most comfortable of all dancing with her husband that night. Kira Cochrane Is he really president? Early debate over the fluffed oath of office centred on who was at fault - Obama or supreme court chief justice John Roberts - but it wasn't long before internet pundits and Fox News commentators raised the possibility that, since Obama never did get all 35 words out in the right order, he isn't technically president. Does he need to retake the oath? The constitution is no help here: article 2 says the president-elect must take the oath before he "enters in the execution of office", while the 20th amendment states that the presidential term begins at midday on 20 January, making no reference to the oath at all. Obama, however, isn't the first person to mess it up.

When Herbert Hoover was sworn in in 1929 he was wrongly prompted ("preserve, maintain and defend" rather than "preserve, protect and defend") by chief justice William Taft, who had himself once been president, and should have known better. But there is also precedent for retaking the oath to make it stick. When Warren G Harding died, his vice-president, Calvin Coolidge, was hastily sworn in by his father, a Vermont notary public, but was re-sworn properly in Washington two days later, just in case. It wouldn't hurt for Obama to do the same.Tim Dowling How cute are those girls? (And where can I get their coats?) The Obama kids are so cute! Like their parents, Sasha, seven, and Malia, 10, have faces that silently but decidedly radiate personality, and not in a beer-swilling Bushette way. In an interview once, Michelle said that Malia, her older, quieter child, took after her, while sassy little Sasha was pure daddy's girl. As if she needed to say it. The two were totally true to form at the inauguration.

Malia - as thoughtful but proud as her mother - stood quietly behind, taking photos on her digital camera (as though it was a private family event, not the most photographed event of the 21st century - SO CUTE!), while Sasha was jumping around (on top of her box, to give her extra height - SO CUTE!) and giving her dad a thumbs up. Seriously, how much would you pay to go to Malia's first slumber party? Hadley Freeman You can't get the coats just yet. The double-breasted blue coat Malia wore, and the light pink one Sasha wore, both accessoried with satin and velvet ribbons tied around the waist, were specially designed for the girls by the American chain J Crew. This company has been a favourite with Michelle Obama - the green leather gloves she wore to keep out the Washington cold were also from the label. In the week it was revealed that Sarah Palin had been given a $150,000 wardrobe budget for campaign outfits, Michelle appeared on Jay Leno's show in an outfit from J Crew, thereby endearing herself to millions of Americans with her choice of safe but stylish - and, crucially, affordable - clothes.

The company says that "highlights" from the girls' outfits will be available in its 2009 autumn collection. Emine Saner Is Michelle Obama now the most powerful woman in fashion? On Tuesday, Michelle Obama became first lady. By yesterday morning, she had a new title, courtesy of the Washington Post: the leader of the fashionable world. The level of interest in her wardrobe goes way beyond that of recent first ladies. The American people may have been very fond of Laura Bush, but they didn't want to dress like her. Some first ladies matter, sartorially speaking, and some don't, and not since Jackie Kennedy has a first lady mattered this much. It doesn't hurt that Michelle is young, tall and good-looking. But there is more to it than that. She looks wonderful in a totally different way from any previous first lady, and that matters. The image of a 6ft tall black woman walking down Pennsylvania Avenue and into the White House symbolises the fact that things really can change for the better, and sometimes sooner than we hoped. Right now, that is a message we all want to hear, which is perhaps why we're so obsessed with all things Michelle.

Barack Obama used his inauguration speech to show us he has stomach for the fight ahead, and he expects the same of us. With hindsight, I guess it was dumb to think he was going to stand up there and announce he had found $700bn dollars down the back of the White House sofa, and called in a favour from the Almighty to have the ice-caps refrozen. Still. We want, we need the Obamas to make our hearts sing. And that's where Michelle comes in. For the ceremony, she dressed herself and her daughters in a riot of glorious, vibrant, unexpected colour. Her coat and dress were a glinting, greenish-gold. (We're calling it lemongrass, or maybe citrine.) They were a daring choice even before she added the avocado leather gloves and clashing bottle-green patent shoes. Malia, the elder daughter, wore periwinkle blue and black, overturning once and for all the old wives' tale that blue and black don't work together. Sasha - the sassy little one - wore tangerine with candy pink, which really shouldn't work but just totally, totally did.

The shades were in themselves a neat celebration of a black first family - not many white skin tones could carry off a tangerine scarf, after all - and the contrast with Laura Bush in her cool, patrician seal-grey was positively joyous. No less telling than the clothes themselves were the labels inside them. Michelle's coat and dress for the ceremony were by Isabel Toledo, a 47-year-old Cuban-American designer who is well known to fashion insiders but has almost no profile among the public. On a day when titans of American fashion from Oscar de la Renta to Donna Karan were falling over themselves to dress her, Michelle chose a designer who is hugely respected within the industry but whose advertising budget stands at zero dollars. When it came to getting changed for the evening, she appeared in a one-shoulder ivory gown by Jason Wu, a 26-year-old Taipei-born, American-based designer whose name was previously known only to close readers of those New Hot Names To Watch lists in fashion magazines.

"Our minds are no less inventive," her husband told us on Tuesday, "than when this crisis began." By showcasing little-known American designers of diverse heritage, the new first lady deftly illustrated both the depth of talent and endeavour in the huge American fashion industry, and her skill as a cheerleader for it. The shoes for both events were Jimmy Choo; the bold jewellery - huge cocktail rings, long drop earrings - an extension of the fondness for statement jewellery she displayed during the election campaign. It takes a woman who understands the power of clothes to create two fashion moments out of one day, which is what Michelle Obama did. For the ceremony she presented a happy family in a bright colours; for the evening ball, with the children in bed, she gave us the newlywed image of a dark-suited man taking to the dancefloor with his bride in floor-length ivory, on the first day of a new chapter in their lives. The first look is about modernity, optimism for our children's future; the second is about eternal values, vows and promises. She knows what she's doing, this lady. In fashion, at least, our future is in safe hands. Jess Cartner-Morley Is this a good week for lefties?

"I'm a leftie, get used to it" - was that meant to be a joke? That's what Obama said as he signed his first official act - with his left-hand. At first it sounded like the sort of clever quip that might have been scripted months in advance, but then no one laughed. Is it possible that he just meant: "OK, so I'm left-handed. Get over it. It's not that weird."? One thing is for certain. This is a great time to be a leftie, as the southpaws of the world are now represented by a man who holds the highest office in the land. There hasn't been a left-hander in the White House since, oh, Bill Clinton. And before that ... Bush's dad. And Reagan. And Ford. Left-handers have, in fact, been rather over-represented in the White House. And McCain is also left-handed, so it would have worked out either way. Great! Tim Dowling Why did they choose At Last?

You don't need a degree in the semiotics of pop lyrics to unpick the significance of America's first black president repeatedly dancing to a song called At Last at each of his 10 inaugural balls, although MTV had someone on hand who apparently did have one: "The title could imply 'at last the United States has elected a black president'," explained Greg Johnson, associate professor at the University Of Mississippi. But the choice of Beyoncé Knowles as singer at the Neighbourhood Ball, the first celebration of the night, is intriguing. At Last, written in 1941, and originally performed by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, was released in its most famous version by Etta James in 1961, the year of Obama's birth. James is alive, well and touring at almost 71 - residents of Seattle can see her at the Paramount Theatre next Wednesday. Beyoncé , however, sings At Last on the soundtrack of her current film, Cadillac Records, a re-telling of the story of Chess Records in which she plays James.

It could do with a boost: the film has commercially underperformed and, when released as a single last year, At Last struggled to 79 in the US r'n'b chart. Whether the exposure causes a surge in popularity for the film or the song remains to be seen. It hadn't shot up the iTunes chart at time of going to press. If it does, you can be fairly certain that the first couple won't be among the buyers: having danced to various renditions of the song at all the balls, they presumably would happily never hear it again. Alexis Petridis What is the number of 'The Beast'? Well, the registration number of The Beast - the nickname for Obama's brand new presidential limo - is 44, but otherwise solid statistics are hard to come by for security reasons. "One of the specifications is that we don't talk about the specifications," says a General Motors spokesman. However the limo, which is effectively a stretched, reinforced Cadillac, is said to be 18ft long and 5ft 10in high, with five inches of armour-plating all round.

It reportedly boasts doors that are 8in thick, each weighing as much as an aircraft door, and 22in tyres of the type usually found on commercial trucks. It is also rumoured to carry its own oxygen supply, onboard tear gas cannons and spare bottles of the president's blood. Unfortunately, all this security comes at a terrible price: the Beast gets a mere eight miles to the gallon. Tim Dowling How many Barack Obamas are there? It's too soon for official statistics, but their numbers are certainly growing. In the city of Kisumu in Kenya, for example, Barack is now the new favourite name for newborn boys and Michelle tops the girl's list. On the day after Obama won the election in November, more than half of the babies born at the local hospital, near the village where Obama's father was born, were named either Michelle or Barack, and this week on Inauguration Day, three more arrived. Barack Obama (above) was born to Caroline Akinyi, while Irene Anyango and Linda Omondi both named their newborn daughters Michelle. In Florida, another Barack was born as his namesake was being sworn in.

The baby was overdue, but his mother Xanthe Munnings said: "He was determined to come on Inauguration Day. In between pushing I was looking at the TV." Perhaps the first baby to be named after Obama, though, is 13-year-old Noah Barak Bunnell (his mother changed the spelling) from New Hampshire, according to the local news-paper. David Frydman, a friend of Bunnell's father and a lawyer, recommended the name after meeting Obama at law school and noticing how he shone. "You're going to hear about this guy," he remembers telling his friends back in 1994. Emine Saner Repeat ceremony aims to silence internet conspiracy theorists Published: 22 Jan 2009

Question: Which song was sung by Aretha Franklin just before Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the USA in 2009?
Answer: My Country 'Tis Of Thee