New English anthem.

[Beorn]

Considering the anthem being sung by English sportsmen at the Common Wealth Games will be 'Jerusalem', and apparently all 50+ million English people were asked () as to whether this song was an anthem which represents and conveys the English, I was wondering what song you would believe to be the best to represent us English?

I personally don't mind shouting at the top of my voice GSTQ, seeing as the Queen is more Scottish than English and this is a twofold "fuck you you Scots wankers" hymn for me, but ultimately I'd prefer a more sedate, more poetic love song to the nation which has birthed and raised me.

With that in mind, I have fallen in love with Ralph McTell's 'England'. A real humdinger of a love song dedicated to the nation of England. It is reminiscent of the pace by which the Irish sing 'Soldiers Song' which infuses history and current ethnic struggle. It also recalls the passion of 'Land of my Father's' which is dutifully sung by the Welsh, or the Scots favourite of 'Flower of Scotland'.

All other choices for an English anthem pail into insignificance compared to McTell's love song.

What say you all?

[Wulfhere]

Any country that keeps on going on about changing its national anthem is finished. England/Britain has the oldest national anthem in the world.

In Mercia we finally settled on this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDDWFBtyA4M

[Osweo]

Hmm. I'd heard you mention this McTell song before, but this is the first time I've actually got round to listening to it. hmm........ I don't think it fits very well for this purpose. The chorus nearly does, but it's too sweet and conversational, and not VERY easy to belt out for the non-singer.

Heh, and he mentions Cornwall, Beorny, whadyer fink o that?

Hmm, and what's this about?:
And our accents and our colours change


These sort of songs need a bit of historical story to em, not just musings on how we feel at home cos of our experience growing up here.

[Óttar]

[YOUTUBE]8VgjxPcVols[/YOUTUBE]
Though the beginning sounds a bit queer.

Come to think of it the whole song save the riffs sounds queer, but his heart is in the right place.

[Wulfhere]

Hey Brennus, if you're going to post "You're mother sucks strangers cock" onto my profile, you can at least learn how to speak English first. It's your mother.

And what's with the dago-style insults, anyway?

[Beorn]

The chorus nearly does, but it's too sweet and conversational, and not VERY easy to belt out for the non-singer.

That's true. It is the only downfall in my eyes. The power and range of the average English anthem singing man is not one to set your scales by, but...it can be altered in both tempo and pitch to cater for the more tone deaf of us English

Heh, and he mentions Cornwall, Beorny, whadyer fink o that?

LOL! I knew someone would say something about that particular line. My only way around it is we should plead Ralph to alter it from going West to North to East to North, in which case the line will go: "from Kent in to Northumberland..."

Hmm, and what's this about?:
And our accents and our colours change

It is suspicious. I'm glad you noticed it too, but I prefer to stick my head in the sand and think he's mentioning the passion of regional allegiances. A prime example would be the War of the Roses, perhaps?

These sort of songs need a bit of historical story to em, not just musings on how we feel at home cos of our experience growing up here.

And yet 99% of us have no real discernible recollection of history and only a love and appreciation of personal musings.

[hereward]

I am happy with 'Jerusalem'

Hmm, and what's this about?:
And our accents and our colours change

It seems nothing can be wrote, sung or spoken now without mentioning such pernicious rubbish.

[Guapo]

This is the future anthem

[YOUTUBE]bAN7Ts0xBo[/YOUTUBE]

[Wulfhere]

Brennus - posting "WOOF! Shut your whore mouth before I cum in it." onto my profile is not the most efficient way of announcing your homosexuality to the world.

[Troll's Puzzle]

Just as it would be improper for the English national myth in song to be inspiration in building a Mekka, Babylon, or Zimbabwe, so it is unnacceptable for the national anthem to be sung to Jew-rusalem, no matter how pretty the melody or inspiring the words otherwise.
This is instinctively understood by the People. See how the noble, nordic Aryans in the UK women's hockey team awaken and refuse to sing to Jewrusalem midway through, with some unable to supress a laugh at the very idea.
It's also too long.
'God Save The Thing' is not a proper national anthem either and is the worst 'anthem' out there musically and lyrically. Its words consist soley of praise to the (alien) ruler by the (subjected) People. It would be half-acceptable if (i) there actually was an English monarchy and (ii) the lyrics contained at least a little mention of the glory of the people, rather than the personal glory of various aristocrats. Add to that the tune is blander to the ear than chewing wet cardboard to the palate.
That leaves 'land of hope and glory', which is OK but still too turgid for my liking. I disagree strongly with Bumwulfwer that the anthem should be 'sedate', when it should be epic and stirring, like the scientifically-proven-to-be-best anthem, the Russian one.
What is needed for a new, national era, is a new, national anthem, the first 'real' anthem of the glorious English People. I propose that, when the revolution comes, this song be written by the People's songsmiths: Stock, Aitken & Waterman; and given an official recording by the People's singer, the flame-hared Yorkshireman, mighty scion of vikings, Rick Astley.
Such a combination will write a glorious People's Anthem to remain fresh for all tomorrow's centuries, yet will also hark back to the zenith of human arts and aesthetics (the 1980's) and the place of English People at the cutting edge and apogee of this era; the product will be an electro-totalitarian anthem that would leave all other peoples agog in awe and spiritually broken in competition at the very sound of it.

This is my dream for England! You say: can we fix it? I say: Yes, we can! [img]http://******************/flag-smiley-7324.gif[/img]