NATIONAL ANTHEM

The real problem with the Star Spangled Banner is not that it’s too hard to sing (I can sing it), but that most Americans really don’t learn to sing like they did several decades ago, when folks went to church regularly! I don’t ever want them to change it, except maybe to God of Our Fathers.

We’ve got a cracking good one in the US, we just don’t use it…

The official one, while inspiring and all that (thumbing its nose at the Brits as it does :)), is impossible to sing for the average person. The really good one we’ve got (America the Beautiful) is much easier to sing, less antagonistic, and a much nicer song. But nobody is willing to step up and get the thing changed.

J

I don’t think the Soviet Anthem is uplifting but I grant you it is stirring. That kind of thing is why I like the classical Russian composers.

Erm, no, Scotland doesn’t have a national anthem either. Put simply the Nation is “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” which has God Save the Queen as a national anthem.

The countries which make up the UK are not individually nations. The fact that Scotland resolutely insists on using its own tunes at major sporting events (when we get to them ;)) is a reflection on the pride we have in our culture, but not an official anthem.

There is some confusion about the Scottish “anthem” anyway. When I grew up it was always Scotland the Brave but recently Flower of Scotland has gained huge popularity. The third verse contains the lines:
Those days are past now,
And in the past
They must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,

See, not a nation – yet. 🙂

I always thought England’s sports teams used Land of Hope and Glory. No reason why England shouldn’t have its own tune – and no doubt the same confusion over which one to use.

I was always led to believe that Robert Burns ‘Scots Wha Hae’ was our so called national anthemn and that the latter day ditty ‘Flower of Scotland’ by The Corries had become the ‘unofficial’ one, made popular at sing-alongs by Scottish rugby and football fans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_Wha_Hae

There have been other contenders of course, like ‘A Man’s a Man For Aw That’, ‘Highland Cathedral’ and of course ‘Scotland the Brave’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_of_Scotland

As for ‘God Save The Queen’, I always preferred the Sex Pistols version, but can you imagine the England football team (when they qualify) lining up for that ? :diablo: Perhaps as once suggested by Billy Connolly, our UK Olympic squad would look rarther dapper marching round the field in the opening ceremony to the theme from ‘The Archers’…:D

English Rugby Union Tours National Anthem could be “we plough our seed and scatter”, or is that just a cheap shot (pardon the pun).
Cheap shot = sorry.

I don’t think many in the UK would get past “don’t cling so hard to your possessions”! :rolleyes:

Can we change to the Russian anthem?

B^gger knows what they are singing but it makes me feel proud…[/url]

“Unbreakable Union of Freeborn Republics…Two bits of information in the first four words which were completely detached from reality, so for lyrical bombast it won’t be an improvement over ‘Rule Britannia’ or ‘God Save the Queen’. But absolutely agree, it’s an uplifting piece of music.

Here’s my suggestion. It’s what you’ll end up with after looking for a new England after all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk69e1Vcmvg
(ooooh…. so proud of my pun!)

Personally I think the best way is that each member nation of the United Kingdom has, and uses their own anthem for events where they are individually represented.

For events under the UK banner, where all member nations are banded together, there should be one anthem, but it should be an anthem that is dedicated to the country, not individuals within it, no matter their standing.

Can we change to the Russian anthem?

B^gger knows what they are singing but it makes me feel proud…

…and I’m a lackey of the imperialist running-dogs! 😀

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PY0NZ0be50&feature=related

Some suggestions

http://www.toonarmynyc.com/new_page_1.htm

Judging by summer tours by the English cricket side and their very cheerful fans who tour with them, I thought the English national anthem was “Barmy Army!! Barmy Army!!!” repeated over and over ad nausium.

You could always try the evergreen favourite, “Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler?”

Something most people don’t know is God Save the Queen is New Zealand’s official National Anthem too. We have two National Anthems. Our more commonly heard one these days is God Defend New Zealand, which was adopted as National Hymn in 1940 but seldom used till the 1970’s when we were winning golds at the Olympics and everyone asked why NZ was playing the British anthem. So it started to get played at sporting events and then was adopted as the second anthem. God Save The Queen is still used at state events and by the military, etc. Most kiwis nowadays have no idea that GSTQ is our anthem.

What about “why aye man” by Mark Knopfler

Nah, The Queen would need elocution lessons to understand that one, along with the rest of the country.
Nice thought though.

Like it or not, our National Anthem is a tradition, it isn’t likely to be changed, nor should it.
Comments are made about changing it for something else, particularly ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, but whats the point, they are all pompous songs after all, thats what it’s all about, accept it and be happy!!
Leave it be for the moment, we still hang on to our traditions now, I feel it could change drastically in the future, how soon that could come about is anyones guess, lets just revel in Trooping the Colour and all the rest of our traditions before PC and alternative cultures take over.

What about “why aye man” by Mark Knopfler

The scots etc have their own which they use when Scotland are in something

Erm, no, Scotland doesn’t have a national anthem either. Put simply the Nation is “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” which has God Save the Queen as a national anthem.

The countries which make up the UK are not individually nations. The fact that Scotland resolutely insists on using its own tunes at major sporting events (when we get to them ;)) is a reflection on the pride we have in our culture, but not an official anthem.

There is some confusion about the Scottish “anthem” anyway. When I grew up it was always Scotland the Brave but recently Flower of Scotland has gained huge popularity. The third verse contains the lines:
Those days are past now,
And in the past
They must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,

See, not a nation – yet. 🙂

I always thought England’s sports teams used Land of Hope and Glory. No reason why England shouldn’t have its own tune – and no doubt the same confusion over which one to use.

….wouldn’t that irritate Jerry, what, old chap ?….

Almost certainly…… :diablo:

Or you could leave the words out completely.

Elgar wrote it as an instrumental piece, after all.

Anyway, how about the “Dambusters March”?

….wouldn’t that irritate Jerry, what, old chap ?….

You could always change the words to:

“Land of no-hope and fading glories….”:dev2:

Or you could leave the words out completely.

Elgar wrote it as an instrumental piece, after all.

Anyway, how about the “Dambusters March”?

I think its obvious what it should be chaged to

land of hope and glory (well it might not be strickly true anymore haha)

You could always change the words to:

“Land of no-hope and fading glories….”:dev2:

Hi Kev 35
I would vote for “I VOW TO THEE MY COUNTRY”
All the BEST

Ask Andrew Lloyd Weber to come up with one.