Best national anthem

[Napster]

A post by ORM has spurred me for a vote. When I was a kid, there was an arcade game, that played your national anthem, depending on which country you represented. I always loved Japan for some reason.

Now some anthems are absolutely bonkers. But what's your favourite?

Let's look at some examples.

England
Scotland

La M****illaise- France - (excerpt)

Let's go children of the fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us tyranny's
Bloody flag is raised! (repeat)
In the countryside, do you hear
The roaring of these fierce soldiers?
They come right to our arms
To slit the throats of our sons, our friends!

Germany's national anthem (only recognised stanza)

Unity and right and Freedom
For the German fatherland;
For these let us all strive,
Brotherly with heart and hand.
Unity and right and freedom
Are the pledge of happiness.
|: flourish in this fortune's blessing,
flourish, German fatherland. :|

Singapore's national anthem (excerpt)

Come, fellow Singaporeans
Let us progress towards happiness together
May our noble aspiration bring
Singapore success
Come, let us unite
In a new spirit
Let our voices soar as one
Onward Singapore
Onward Singapore

Bangladesh (full version)

My Bengal of Gold,
I love you.
Forever your skies,
Your air set my heart in tune
As if it were a flute.
In spring, O mother mine,
The fragrance from your mango groves
Makes me wild with joy,
Ah, what a thrill!
In autumn, O mother mine,
In the full blossomed paddy fields
I have seen spread all over sweet smiles.
O mother mine, words from your lips
Are like nectar to my ears.
Ah, what a thrill!
If sadness, O mother mine,
Casts a gloom on your face,
My eyes are filled with tears!

Or the wonderful Norwegian one (excerpt)

Farmers their axes sharpened
wherever an army advanced,
Tordenskiold around the coastline thundered
so that we could see it back home.
Even women stood up and fought
as if they were men;
others could only cry
but that soon would end!

Finally, the Palestinian one (full)

My country, my land, land of my ancestors
My country, my country, my country
My people, people of perpetuity
With my determination, my fire and the volcano of my revenge
With the longing in my blood for my land and my home
I have climbed the mountains and fought the wars
I have conquered the impossible, and crossed the frontiers
My country, my country, my country
My people, people of perpetuity
With the resolve of the winds and the fire of the guns
And the determination of my nation in the land of struggle
Palestine is my home, Palestine is my fire, Palestine is my revenge and the land of endurance
My country, my country, my country
My people, people of perpetuity
By the oath under the shade of the flag
By my land and nation, and the fire of pain
I will live as a fida'i*, I will remain a fida'i, I will end as a fida'i - until my country returns
My country, people of perpetuity.

fida'i = one who risks his life voluntarily; one who sacrifices himself; fedayeen.

Or see here for all of them to make another choice

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

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Spain ~ no words to learn!

 

[Pubey]

Kazakstan!!!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

There are some great verses in our our national anthem about slaying rebellious Scots, which don't seem to be sung any more.

 

[Napster]

There are some great verses in our our national anthem about slaying rebellious Scots, which don't seem to be sung any more.

Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
And like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the Queen!

 

[steveo]

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.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Look out Steveo, I'm agreeing with you :D

However, Jerusalem should be the national anthem.

 

[Mad Cyril]

A post by ORM has spurred me for a vote. When I was a kid, there was an arcade game, that played your national anthem, depending on which country you represented. I always loved Japan for some reason.

Was it one of the following?

Summer games
Summer games II
Winter games
World Games

 

[Uncle Leo]

I'm a big fan of Italy's. A good rousing chorus of 'ITALIA, ITALIA, ITALIA, ITALIA' really gets things going. If you're at a sporting event involving Italy anyway.

Love the 'Star Spangled Banner' too.

 

[Napster]

Was it one of the following?

Summer games
Summer games II
Winter games
World Games

Ah, now summer games rings a bell

 

[Slipperduke]

"With my determination, my fire and the volcano of my revenge
With the longing in my blood for my land and my home
I have climbed the mountains and fought the wars
I have conquered the impossible, and crossed the frontiers"

It's a bit more lively than our snivelling, "born to rule over us", isn't it?

If I played for England, and that's a really big if, I'd be like The Neviller and refuse to sing a single word of it.

 

[chaco27saf]

Love the 'Star Spangled Banner' too.

I'll second that one

O say can you see, by the dawn's early light
what so proudly we held at the twilights last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly steaming
And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
O say does that star spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave

 

[chaco27saf]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Canada yet, great anthem IMO.

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

SSB always reminds of 'Red Dawn'.

 

[mattytheshrimper]

our national anthem is deff best

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

It's not unique though ...

"God Save the King" was the very first song to be used as a national anthem, although the Netherlands' national anthem, the Wilhelmus, is older. Its success prompted a number of imitations, notably in France and, later, Germany. Both commissioned their own songs to help construct a concrete national(ist) identity. The first German national anthem was a copy of "God Save the King" with the words changed to Heil dir im Siegerkranz and sung to the same tune as the British version. The tune was either used or officially adopted as the national anthem for several other countries, including those of Russia (until 1833), Sweden, and Switzerland.

It is also the melody to the United States patriotic hymn "Let Freedom Ring" (better known by its first line, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"), and was played during the Presidential Inauguration parade of President George W. Bush on 20 January, 2001. In Iceland it is called Eldgamla Ísafold. The tune is also used as Norway's Royal anthem entitled Kongesangen. The rock band Queen plays "God Save the Queen" at the end of all of their concerts.

The tune is still used as the national anthem of Liechtenstein, Oben am jungen Rhein. When England met Liechtenstein in a Euro 2004 qualifier, the same tune had to be played twice, which caused some minor confusion.

The melody of "God Save the King" has been and continues to be used as a hymn tune by Christian churches in various countries. The United Methodists of the southern United States, Mexico, and Latin America, among other denominations (usually Protestant), play the same melody as a hymn. The Christian hymn "Glory to God on High" is frequently sung to the same tune, as well as an alternate tune that fits both lyrics.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Canada yet, great anthem IMO.

That sort of talk will see you in camp X-Ray in no time.

 

[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.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Love the 'Star Spangled Banner' too.

I say can you see
Viet Cong in the tree? .....

 

[Firestorm]

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

I thinks its at about this bit "O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?"

I'll get my coat