Best national anthem

[shooter mcgavin]

Depends if you mean in terms of tunefulness and ability to provoke emotion in the anthem or by the words themselves.

As an Englishman, I can't stand our national anthem of God Save the Queen (which shouldn't be unless a unified GB team is competing) as I find it dull and uninspiring. Listening to the French or Italian anthems seems to provoke an uplifting feeling, which our dirge of an anthem fails to do.

Can you imagine singing "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Jerusalem" before an England footy game? It would all go off!!

 

[londonblue]

I personally like the French one, especially at the end of Escape to Victory.

However, as per the Commonwealth Games, I think England should use the English National Anthem - Land of Hope and Glory.

Can you imagine singing "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Jerusalem" before an England footy game? It would all go off!!

I refer my learned to friend to my earlier post!

That said, I have been told that overseas God Save the Queen is considered a very rousing anthem. I wonder if we don't see it that way because we hear it so often we're bored of it.

 

[londonblue]

Is it just me who, every time they hear the US national anthem" thinks of
"we wish you a merry Christmas"

No, you're not the only one!

 

[Blues Trader]

You can't beat the French national anthem for passion. I've always loved Land of Hope and Glory and always sing the old words not the new. I did it in Spain on holiday and upset a few lefties after we beat Trinidad & Tobago in The World Cup. Was well ****ed that night!

 

[Reading Shrimper]

Depends if you mean in terms of tunefulness and ability to provoke emotion in the anthem or by the words themselves.

As an Englishman, I can't stand our national anthem of God Save the Queen (which shouldn't be unless a unified GB team is competing) as I find it dull and uninspiring. Listening to the French or Italian anthems seems to provoke an uplifting feeling, which our dirge of an anthem fails to do.

Can you imagine singing "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Jerusalem" before an England footy game? It would all go off!!

Can't agree with you on that....God Save The King/Queen is a very rousing anthem imo and I wouldn't see it changed for anything

 

[C C Csiders]

My absolute favourite was always East Germany until the buggers decided to unify with the West!

Always liked the old Soviet Union anthem, which Russia has now re-embraced.

Italy is a jolly little whistle-a-long.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

For a rousing Anthem I would go with the French. However, if we dumped the dreary God Save the Queen and replaced it with Rule Britannia, that would get my vote every time.

Seconded, although I'd also go for Jerusalem... "Bring me my bow of burning gold..." - marvellous!

:angel:

But La M****illaise is cracking - during the Six Nations, the only two anthems that make the hairs stand up on the back of the neck are La M****illaise and Land of My Fathers...

Matt

 

[TrueBlue]

Always like Italy's one

 

[chaco27saf]

Is it just me who, every time they hear the US national anthem" thinks of
"we wish you a merry Christmas"

Whenever I hear "God Save the Queen" I think of "My country tis of thee," but I suppose there is probably a reason for that, seeing as it's the same song, just different words. :p

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The US national anthem must be the best as the Americans feel the urge to play it everytime more than two of them meet.

I also love its prophetic references to being "the land of the free" (no other country has 2 million people locked up) and "the home of the brave" (presumably the Indian reservations).


ps Sorry Seth!

 

[chaco27saf]

The US national anthem must be the best as the Americans feel the urge to play it everytime more than two of them meet.

I also love its prophetic references to being "the land of the free" (no other country has 2 million people locked up) and "the home of the brave" (presumably the Indian reservations).


ps Sorry Seth!

:mad: :fury: :mad:

:p

I think you're forgetting that the Star Spangled Banner was written nearly 200 years ago during the War of 1812, things have changed slightly since then! Although there was actually a movement to change the national anthem at the end of the last decade to America the Beautiful, but that lost all momentum after 9/11.

Your post did give me an idea though. I'm considering downloading the national anthem on my cell phone, so that every time I meet up with friends (or even complete strangers) I can play the song. I might even carry a little flag with me so that we can have something to look at while we place our hands over our hearts and sing along. :p

 

[canveyshrimper]

:mad: :fury: :mad:

:p

I think you're forgetting that the Star Spangled Banner was written nearly 200 years ago during the War of 1812, things have changed slightly since then! Although there was actually a movement to change the national anthem at the end of the last decade to America the Beautiful, but that lost all momentum after 9/11.

Your post did give me an idea though. I'm considering downloading the national anthem on my cell phone, so that every time I meet up with friends (or even complete strangers) I can play the song. I might even carry a little flag with me so that we can have something to look at while we place our hands over our hearts and sing along. :p

It seems to me that most Americans I meet normally have a flag about their person, either as part of their clothing, or produce one from a pocket somewhere.

Am I right in thinking that the original writing of the Star Spangled Banner was a poem, rather than a song?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

:mad: :fury: :mad:

:p

I think you're forgetting that the Star Spangled Banner was written nearly 200 years ago during the War of 1812, things have changed slightly since then! Although there was actually a movement to change the national anthem at the end of the last decade to America the Beautiful, but that lost all momentum after 9/11.

Your post did give me an idea though. I'm considering downloading the national anthem on my cell phone, so that every time I meet up with friends (or even complete strangers) I can play the song. I might even carry a little flag with me so that we can have something to look at while we place our hands over our hearts and sing along. :p

Americans come in two categories: ones who shout out that they are Americans and ones who have to pretend they are Canadian when they leave the country. I strongly suspect that you may have a Maple Leaf sewn onto your backpack.

 

[chaco27saf]

It seems to me that most Americans I meet normally have a flag about their person, either as part of their clothing, or produce one from a pocket somewhere.

Am I right in thinking that the original writing of the Star Spangled Banner was a poem, rather than a song?

You're right, the Star Spangled Banner was originally a poem, it became a song, and eventually the national anthem, later in the 19th century.

 

[canveyshrimper]

You're right, the Star Spangled Banner was originally a poem, it became a song, and eventually the national anthem, later in the 19th century.

Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[chaco27saf]

Americans come in two categories: ones who shout out that they are Americans and ones who have to pretend they are Canadian when they leave the country. I strongly suspect that you may have a Maple Leaf sewn onto your backpack.

I'm actually quite patriotic, I feel the US is a great country that is in need of a new direction, since it's obviously headed on the wrong path at the moment. There are certain things that make me mad such as people who stereotype Americans as dumb or naive, but if someone makes negative comments about how the country is being run I'll usually agree with them. This is mainly because many of the best ideals that this country was founded upon, ideals that my ancestors fought for, are being ignored. I'm proud to be an American because I feel that this nation still has loads to offer the world, but I realize that this isn't currently happening.

I agree with your first comment though, and I feel that is the biggest problem in the US. The first group act like the US can do no wrong and that our government has a divine right to behave like it does. The second group act ashamed, and therefore many don't work hard enough to change the way the country is run.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I'm actually quite patriotic, I feel the US is a great country that is in need of a new direction, since it's obviously headed on the wrong path at the moment. There are certain things that make me mad such as people who stereotype Americans as dumb or naive, but if someone makes negative comments about how the country is being run I'll usually agree with them. This is mainly because many of the best ideals that this country was founded upon, ideals that my ancestors fought for, are being ignored. I'm proud to be an American because I feel that this nation still has loads to offer the world, but I realize that this isn't currently happening.

I agree with your first comment though, and I feel that is the biggest problem in the US. The first group act like the US can do no wrong and that our government has a divine right to behave like it does. The second group act ashamed, and therefore many don't work hard enough to change the way the country is run.

I have been fortunate to have travelled quite extensively in the US, and I have a number of good friends there. I also like Americans in general, plus their hospitality and generosity of spirit is second to none. However there is also a certain naiveity about some folk, who tend to believe in the Hollywood style of American heroism. What I mean by that is the Ramboesque, Arnie & Top Gun style of presentation and that one gung ho American can take on hordes of Vietcong and reign supreme. However we all know the sad truth of Vietnam.

However, the intrinsic problem is that since the break up of the Soviet Union, the USA is left alone as a sort of global gunslinger. If they don't intervene in some far off dispute they are accused of being isolationist, and don't care. But if they do the accusation of imperialism, and trying to inflict the US way of thinking is thrown about. So whoever is President they are in a permanent state of being between a rock and a hard place. After 11/9 they were left with a problem, do they sit on their hands or do they retaliate. Retaliation was the obvious course which is what happened in Afghanistan. But the invasion of Iraq IMO was out of revenge to what happened to George Bush senior in the first Gulf War, and motivated from revenge not WMD, but purely regime change.

I honestly think that the President (whoever that maybe), is not really the best person for the job, as they are often selected based on the size of their financial war chest, as opposed to their political prowess. The next presidential race to a degree fills me with dread, as the Democrats seem set to field Mrs Clinton, and the bloke whose name I have just forgotten:( , bugger. It is very unclear from here as to whom the Reublicans select.

It may be an unpallatable truth but the world needs a strong USA and a strong President who will not be deflected but revenge or big business, and also one who will not mistake his di*k for a cigar.