Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

How can we be patriotic with such a crap national anthem?

the british/english national anthem is dire, scotland and wales are alright because they have really good anthems of their own, but we are stuck with "god save the queen".

it is bland, uninspiring and in no way powerful or beautiful... it makes me embarassed to sing it because it is so awful. other countries have really great national anthems, when you hear them at sporting evens or the like, they just have this effect on you even if you aren't anything to do with their country... then we come along with "god save the queen" which is old and stuffy and just kind of pathetic. there are MUCH better songs out there that we could have as our national anthem and when i hear them, for example on poppy day etc., it they make me feel really patriotic and proud and emotional eg.

[video="youtube;MKRHWT6xdEU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKRHWT6xdEU[/video]

[video="youtube;i_ROlkMOL9s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ROlkMOL9s[/video]

OR EVEN

[video="youtube;yHNfvJc99YY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHNfvJc99YY[/video]

*as suggested by a few others so will add to list*
[video="youtube;7MG27BKwjaI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MG27BKwjaI[/video]

i'm sure there are other contenders better than god save the queen...

opinions? anyone actually like "god save the queen"?

(edited 11 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Astonix

Apart from at The Proms and Football, we aren't a patriotic country in the first place.

Reply 2

Einheri

Original post by Astonix

Apart from at The Proms and Football, we aren't a patriotic country in the first place.

Historically it was. It's only the PC brigade going into over-drive that has recently associated patriotism with racism and hence made it semi-taboo.

Reply 3

najinaji

It's not my favourite song, but the message behind it is excellent for the pure reason that our monarch is ultimately the final defender of our rights and freedoms. Were we ever to fall into the hands of an oppressive dictatorship, supported by the Commons and the Lords, she is the only one who could save us all from that, and I'll sing 'God save the Queen' because of that.

EDIT: To the neggers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Prerogative_in_the_United_Kingdom

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 4

Triq6

Are national anthems suppose to be nice? I thought they're boring everywhere.

Reply 5

Martyn*

Patriotism is the evil of our time, or at least one of them. The less patriotism there is in the world the more peace there is between nations.

Reply 6

cgraham15

Original post by Martyn*

Patriotism is the evil of our time, or at least one of them. The less patriotism there is in the world the more peace there is between nations.

Not being proud of your country is a form of oppression. If patriotism didn't exist then the majority of Scots would vote for an independent Scotland, but we don't because we're proud of the Great Britain.
Stop being so PC and get over yourself.

Although God save the Queen is a tradition, however it's kinda boring. I mean there's nothing wrong with the lyrics, but it is boring...

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 7

ckingalt

I watch the olympics specifically for the opportunity to watch an athlete from any nation listen to their national anthem with tears in their eyes. I pity any person who fails to be inspired by such moments.

Reply 8

Slosh

Politicians and nationalists excluded, I can't remember the last time I heard sincere British patriotism xD Just view Land of Hope and Glory as our unofficial anthem :P

Reply 9

Martyn*

Original post by cgraham15

Pride and megalomania (National Pride) are two different things.

Reply 10

Harry Styles

I think me and my group should record the National Anthem.

Who agrees?

Reply 11

Bellissima

Original post by Harry Styles

I think me and my group should record the National Anthem.

Who agrees?

simon save us from one direction

Reply 12

dominicjohnson

Patriotism leads the way to nationalism. The only thing that you should be proud of a country for is its tolerance and welfare systems.

Reply 13

Slosh

There's also little hope of finding a better tune for a national anthem than the Russian one :P

Reply 14

cryptic-clues

I think anthems are quite the voice of the imagination of the country. And I think many western anthems are founded in rather violent visions of the nation: the US for example says bombs bursting in the air, and "Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.". Also the French one says: "They're coming right into your arms, To cut the throats of your sons and women!"

Though I am not a Pakistani, I like theirs: it says,
"May the nation, the country, and the Republic
Shine in glory everlasting!
Blessed be the goal of our ambition
The flag of the crescent and star
Leads the way to progress and perfection
Interpreter of our past, glory of our present
Inspiration for our future!
Shadow of God, the Glorious and Mighty".

I think it sits very well with their vision of a faith based nation, founded as the Pak land. And I like that it knows the difference between country, nation and republic. At least not as daft and violent as some of the others...