‘Oh no’: Singer’s national anthem blunder ahead of Bathurst 1000

Fans were quick to spot a glaring mistake made by Aussie singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte during the national anthem on Sunday.

They say old habits die hard and it truly appeared to be the case on Sunday when it came to the Australian national anthem.

Ahead of the 60th running of the Bathurst 1000 from Mount Panorama, Aussie singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte stepped up to the microphone.

The former lead singer of the Rogue Traders belted out the national anthem in front of the grid as those in attendance stood and sang along.

Unfortunately she appeared to make one key mistake.

On January 1, 2021 the Australian anthem made a change in the opening verse with the second line changing from “For we are young and free” to “For we are one and free”.

Bassingthwaighte, however, may have missed the memo and appeared to sing the old version of the anthem ahead of the historic race.

The mistake didn’t get past those watching on from home with several users online pointing out the error.

“Oh no Nat Bass gaff during Bathurst national anthem ‘for we are young and free’ and so close to our Voice referendum,” one wrote.

Another added: “She sung the old version, not the new one.”

The Aussie singer sang the old version. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

The anthem was changed by the federal government in a move to reflect the unity of the nation in the national anthem.

Scott Morrison said while announcing the change it was “only right” the anthem reflected and acknowledged First Nations people.

“While Australia as a modern nation may be relatively young, our country’s story is ancient, as are the stories of the many First Nations peoples whose stewardship we rightly acknowledge and respect,” Mr Morrison said.

“In the spirit of unity, it is only right that we ensure our national anthem reflects this truth and shared appreciation.

“Changing ‘young and free’ to ‘one and free’ takes nothing away, but I believe it adds much. It recognises the distance we have travelled as a nation.

“It recognises that our national story is drawn from more than 300 national ancestries and language groups and we are the most successful multicultural nation on earth.”

While the mistake from Bassingthwaighte was a simple one, it comes on the brink of Australian citizens heading to the polls for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal.

The proposal, if successful, would embed a permanent Indigenous-led advisory body into the Australian Constitution.

News.com.au has reached out to Natalie Bassingthwaighte for comment.

Old habits die hard. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Bassingthwaighte’s mistake comes after singer Liliya Butonova suffered an unfortunate brain freeze during the AFL finals.

Ahead of Brisbane’s clash with Port Adelaide, the Brisbane-based soul singer started well enough, albeit a little off-key, before an issue arose towards the end.

Clearly thinking the anthem ended on the words “Advance Australia Fair” prior to the chorus, she held the word “fair” and then stopped singing.

Unfortunately, the chorus line “in joyful strains then let us sing, Advance Australia Fair” was still to come.

To her credit, Butonova realised her mistake and jumped back in after missing “in joyful”. It was a moment that didn’t get missed on social media.