[Closed] Always wondered, are English folk embarrassed by their national anthem?

Fine for me. It's only a song anyway.

Im not exactly a royalist.
I would prefer rule Britannia.

Not big on nationalism full stop.
I secretly long to be able to represent my county at something just so I can refuse to sing that awful song and get all Daily Mail/Sun readers in a lather.

Interestingly, the song was written at the time when the Jacobite Rebellion was in full swing - it's basically a plea for God to save them from the Scots.

Seems appropriate at the current time?

I think you think too hard about things

I have no issue at all with it

I think the Australian one is one of the most embarrassing cringeworthy ones I've heard. Only marginally better than GSTQ.

this gets my vote..

It's a crap, boring anachronistic dirge that should've bin scrapped a long, long time ago.

I don't sing it, and don't see why, as a person living in a'democracy', I should be told or expected to.

Why can't we have something jolly; the Italian one is a good tune?

are English folk embarrassed by their national anthem?

Isn't God Save the Queen also the official National Anthem for Scotland, Wales and NI too?

Great National Anthems?

The Marseillaise

Italian one (il canti or something)

Old Soviet Union One

Welsh.

I think Land of hope and Glory would be better, just like the tune.

Either that or Eye of the Tiger.

yes embarrasing. totally innapropriate.

"Ghost Town" should be our national anthem 😆

God save the queen is awful, as Elfin said, it's a dirge. Of all the anthems i hear regularly, i like the Italian and Spanish best - far more uplifting.

It is utter gash.

i'd prefer to sing 'the club is alive (with the sound of music)' by JLS.

actually, i think national teams should be forced to perform a barbershop-quartet style version of whatever is no1 in the charts at the time of the match... the team that does the best version gets to kick-off first.

[i]I don't sing it, and don't see why, as a person living in a'democracy', I should be told or expected to.[/i]

Quite right, but have actually ever been told or expected to sing it?
I don't know the words, so it's largely academic to me.

England doesn't have a national anthem. God Save the Queen is the anthem of the UK.

Personally, i'd rather have Land of Hope and Glory, or even Jerusalem. But it does make me laugh to see the Scots/Irish/Welsh foaming at the mouth when they have to hear GSTQ at the Olympics etc.

I cringe whenever I hear it being sang (or played by some bloody trumpet) at England football games. It's a terrible song anyway.

Patriotism is OK for underdogs, but when exercised by the top country (i.e. England) it is just hubristic.

funny you should say that but our defining moments of identity are set against a backdrop of us being underdogs - wwii for instance.

Awful song, awful sentiment.

To be honest, Its all in the presentation.

I have heard on a rare occasion. GSTQ, sound utterly fantastic, but it does need to be played, actually a little slower appears usual, and the low/high dynamic needs enhancing. If the anthem starts quietly, say sung as a single choral line, and then builds up from there as the orchestra builds, then it's great. Don't forget, it is an anthum, and designed to be sung along to, so I don't think brass band/military band treatment is particularly kind to the tune, it's too loud and one note all the way through. A proper conductor, at the right pace, can get a ripple of tension running through the piece, which "explodes" towards the end, turning it into a great tune.

There are however, a large number of people who have never managed to hear a really good rendtion, with some remarkably predictible and frankly tiresomely unoriginal thoughts worthy of any 5th former. I don't get why someone whouldn't sing their own, but then moves on to endorse another anthem. Thats being contrary just for the sake of it. Have a principle and stick to it, or don't.

It also has to be said, all those harping on about "former glories", are falling into that cliche about GSTQ being some sort of rallying cry for the right wing, or getting all hissy about the history of the nation. Industrialisation happened here first, and to a certain extend, so did parliamentary democracy, and this little nation was a "game changer". Rather like a child taking its first steps, there were some things that with hindsight were not that great, but the fact is that the queen is largely irrelevant, and that if we can be bothered we can vote out the man with the real power at the top, are principles paid for in blood thoughout the centrries. That people have a freedom to follow whatever religion, again, places us 100's of years ahead of many states today. We might revile dodgy dave for his cancelling of the bin collection, but Iam free to type this without state police swooping this afternoon on me, and have unfettered access to the internet. Think how many *dont* have that, before you get all upset about singing the anthem. You can rightly still be proud to sing it, without being right wing, left wing or whatever. Jyst remember all the good things, without dwelling too hard on the *mistakes* we, like every nation made along the way in its development.

The next time you hear it, think, despite UK plc appearing a bit tired and run down, and that we have essentially stepped back in the last 100 years from "greaest nation status", think how many people round the world would much rather it was *their* anthem, for the freedoms it brings.

advance australia fair is terrible, maybe they should sing GSOGQ? seeing as australians are subjects of the Queen of australia.

Used to think it was poo, but I rather like it now. Just has such a grand feel to it.
I suppose it helps to occasionally hear it after winning something (jenson) rather than before getting trounced (england football team).

If we changed to national anthem to Robbie William's 'Angels' at least most people would know the words.

May she sedition hush,: and like a torrent rush,: Rebellious Scots to crush,

Works for me.

The tune is a dirge though. It should be I vow to thee my country.

If I was Australian I'd probably think that some of the words in AAF were fairly inappropriate given the land thefts and suppression of the aboriginal peoples that has taken place over the last century....

I did think Cav looked a bit uncomfortable at the worlds sorta mumbling along to GSTQ. I think something like Crass's Shaved Women would be much better as I think you could really get into the shouty bits and it would be quite intimidating for 1st and 2nd losers. You know put them in their place.

I thought this was the Aussie anthem...

How about The the ,This is the 51 state of the USA? That would work

I think you think too hard about things

I have no issue at all with it

This, don't even know the lyrics to it. Wouldn't be able to recognize any other countries national anthems either. I just really don't care.

Like all cockneys, I love it. I get a tear in my eye every time I hear the National Anthem. When John Terry sings it with gusto before a match, I find myself welling up, with images in my head of eating Dundee cake on the jubilee line, the Queen Mum (bless 'er) eating a swan, and Michael Caine only supposed to be blowing the bloody doors off. A magical tune.

TBH, I've more of a problem with the 'god' bit than the 'queen' bit. We've got a pretty well saved Queen, all things considered. Quite why we still have a national anthem that's essentially a prayer to some fictitious sky wizard is beyond me.

Like most of the country, I'm fairly apathetic to the monarchy and patriotism. It's difficult to be anything else; the English flag has lost all meaning these days, being hijacked by football fans and the BNP.

The anthem itself is a dreadful funeral dirge; I think I'm more embarrassed about that than its lyrics.

The irony of an Australian telling us about bad national anthems eh??

Be happy we've allowed you to have one and clear off back to your bar job in Earls Court you stereotype!

as someone who doesnt believe in god and cannot stand royalty i hate it. Land of hope and glory is much better.

as someone who doesnt believe in god and cannot stand royalty i hate it. Land of hope and glory is much better.

you may find Land of Hope and Glory somewhat flies in the face of that too 😀

Personally, i'd rather have Land of Hope and Glory, or even Jerusalem. But it does make me laugh to see the Scots/[b][i]Northern[/i][/b] Irish/Welsh foaming at the mouth when they have to hear GSTQ at the Olympics etc.

FTFY.

Just make sure you have your facts straight when you're next in a rush to "Send Post".

Though, to be fair half the population are probably the most enthusiastic singers of GSTQ in the UK.

We have our own anthem about killing British people 😀

Wouldn't it be less embarrassing to copy the Spanish, and have an anthem without any words? EG

It's a crap, boring anachronistic dirge that should've bin scrapped a long, long time ago.

This. It's ****ing awful. Though if we are going to use it we should definitely have the verse about crushing the Scots in it. 🙂

I like Jerusalem, even though it's religious and I'm not. It's just evocative and stirring, unlike the dirge of GSTQ.

We have our own anthem about killing British people

I didn't realise this was the Irish national anthem.

Who was Marshal Wade anyway?

What about the use of the slave spritual "swing low sweet chariot"? Always makes me cringe.

Its a vile Nationalist durge about bunch of Jerry
Benefit scroungers.

I dislike it. I want to sing along to Elgar:

Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still, and wider, shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!

Truth and Right and Freedom, each a holy gem,
Stars of solemn brightness, weave thy diadem.

Tho' thy way be darkened, still in splendour drest,
As the star that trembles o'er the liquid West.

Throned amid the billows, throned inviolate,
Thou hast reigned victorious, thou has smiled at fate.

Land of Hope and Glory, fortress of the Free,
How may we extol thee, praise thee, honour thee?

Hark, a mighty nation maketh glad reply;
Lo, our lips are thankful, lo, our hearts are high!

Hearts in hope uplifted, loyal lips that sing;
Strong in faith and freedom, we have crowned our King!