Alexis Normand probably won't be getting requests to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" anytime soon.
During Saturday's Memorial Cup game, the Canadian singer severely distorted the U.S. national anthem, stumbling through the lyrics and even pausing at times as she seemed to forget full phrases. Fortunately, audience members at the Canadian ice hockey tournament were good sports and helped Normand finish the song.
Normand followed her horrible rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" with a much better version of "O Canada," the Canadian national anthem. The May 18 match got underway, and the Halifax Mooseheads went on to triumph 7-4 over the visiting Portland Winterhawks from Oregon.
After the blunder, the Saskatoon-based jazz singer took to Twitter to apologize.
Normand also explained to The Toronto Star that she was asked to sing the anthem mere hours before the game, and it was her nerves that led to the botched lyrics.
"I’m usually a quick study and I’ve been learning songs for a long time," Normand told the Canadian daily newspaper. "I had learned all the lyrics, but nerves just got the best of me and I got really nervous and it all unwound from there."
Watch the Canadian singer fumble through the national anthem in the video above, and see Twitter reactions to Normand's performance in the gallery below.