Joseph R. Biden Jr. he delivered his inaugural address today after being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Near the end of his speech, President Biden quoted lyrics from Gene Scheer’s composition “American Anthem,” which he called his “favorite song.”
Written by Scheer in 1998, “American Anthem” was first performed by Denyce Graves that year at the Smithsonian Institution during an act to launch Bill and Hillary Clinton’s “Save America’s Treasures.” Graves re-performed the song for George W. Bush’s second inauguration in 2005. Later, Norah Jones further popularized “American Anthem” by covering it for Ken Burns’ World War II documentary series. The war.
Before the opening ceremony, Lady Gaga performed the national anthem while Jennifer Lopez went out to sing a medley of “This Land Is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.”