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National Anthems

Political comedian, Mark Thomas, lobbied for a new anthem for the UK and this was the Jedi March. He got us all in the audience to practise it. Over and over again.

It became part of his manifesto.
 
I always liked Soviet/Russian anthem. Very anthemy. Possibly the most.
But somehow it started to make me want to puke recently. Weird how musical taste changes.
 
Well, goddammit, why do you think I plunged for all-purpose anthems with one-word lyrics, like the Batman theme? They'd say it all, to a lively tune!
 
What the song is should be good, tradition and all that. It's the no talent Whining Houston clones that caterwhal it out that should be carefully vetted before permission is given to sing anything.

Especially the anthem. I just heard one opera themed version wailing off the tv downstairs before a soccer game.
She was awful. The song is aged poorly and probably never that great from new, but that no talent wounded cat imitator made it far worse.

Even Roseanne Barr had her turn butchering it once. Why oh why did anyone think she was capable of singing?
 
Spektator said:
In that case, the French national anthem is first-person also, albeit plural.
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Same with Amhrann na bhFiann, basicly a group of soldiers singing about their attempts to free Ireland.

If we're going for rock anthemns then Ireland's has to be Dearg Doom.

Though on second thoughts every former British colony should have Some Say the Divvil is Dead.
 
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sackett said:
Heck, I don't propose trying to eliminate any old songs, especially a bangup rabble-rouser about impure blood watering our furrows. Banning music is European stuff, and just look at how well it works.

But introducing additional anthems, whether old tunes or new, old words or (usually) better ones, would mean competition. Let the band strike up something Sousa or Brahms or Scott Joplin, and we'll see how fast the crowd starts skipping and swaying and singing along.

When the time comes to roar defiance, we'll revert to la Marseillaise and Whose Side Are You On.

After all, What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor is set to the tune of an Irish rebellion song.
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Nitpick - That's not strictly correct and would be more so if you'd have written that an Irish rebellion song was set to the tune around 1916, some 80 odds years after WSWDWTDS was first heard. That song itself based on a shrouded in the mists of time folk song, "Oh Welcome Home".
 
I'll let Billy Connolly give you his opinion on the UK's national anthem.

 
Steve said:
Uk's anthem benefits a little for being short. Most of them are far too long.
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That's because most of us only know the first few lines - that's the gods truth - watch any event where they go past that and if they start on the second verse you'll see everyone mumbling!
 
Trying to play any anthem past the first verse is futile, and should be treated as a public nuisance. First offense, a warning. Second, misdemeanor and a fine.

Third time, six months confinement in a home for wayward accordionists. That'll teach 'em manners.
 
There was the time the Olympics played the borat for a Kazakh athlete. If that counts, that is the best one.
 
sackett said:
Heck, I don't propose trying to eliminate any old songs, especially a bangup rabble-rouser about impure blood watering our furrows. Banning music is European stuff, and just look at how well it works.
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:rolleyes: Really? So all the "Satanic Music" panics and the war on rock music and heavy metal were entirely imaginary?


sackett said:
After all, What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor is set to the tune of an Irish rebellion song.
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No.
 
The Star Spangled Banner is the perfect national anthem for the United States. It's music is from an old English drinking/pub song, with lyrics written by a lawyer (from a slave-owning family), about getting your butt kicked, standing back up, and asking, "Is that all you got?". Bonus - Explosions.

The fact that it's really hard to sing in tune, just makes it better.

If we ever replace it, the successors should come from this list:

The Theme to Team America

I Feel Good, by James Brown.

Let's Get It On, by Marvin Gaye.

I think "I Feel Good" would be awesome at Olympic medal ceremonies.
 
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