Favorite National Anthem

(can be past or present)

I'll say:

Germany

he rejected knighthood from the british empire...song no longer really works because of the division of india

Hatikvah. Very mournful, but hopeful.


On edit: I am also partial to the US Anthem.

I think its crap. Although it is better than the one before it, "God Save The Queen".

The current one was put in place in 1977 or thereabouts after a referendum that also included Waltzing Matilda.
It also has no reference to Australia's original inhabitants, the aborigines and it's second verse has too many British references for my liking.

I challenge any Australian to sing the last two verses of 'Advance Australia Fair'.
We all know the first verse, off by heart but the other two we never sing.

I hope that when Australia becomes a republic it also gets itself a new national anthem, one that is more in tune with what Australia truly is.

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Very moving music.

It's not as if there is a big difference:
Russia, since 2000

http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~makarov/anthems/anthem-sovietunion-1977.mp3">Soviet Union


Unless of course you mean the Internationale:
http://www.fysel.ntnu.no/~makarov/anthems/internationale-ru1.mp3

All three(two actually) are very beautiful.

http://www.skazka.no/anthems/
Edit: made a mistake with the third link - sorry; it's now corrected. Added fourth link.

Almost makes you want to march off to war.

I can't decide.

Listen here.

Russia http://national-anthems.net/cgi/find.shtml?from=real&what=v_russia_long

Israel http://national-anthems.net/cgi/find.shtml?from=real&what=v_israel

O Canada is my pick.

Very inspiring

+

That's the one.

impure blood waters our fields!"

I can sing that anthem word-for-word in French. My awesome 3rd grade teacher took it upon herself to teach all her students French, and everyday we sang the French national anthem (in French) after the pledge of allegience...it's just funny to picture a bunch of 8 year olds cheerfully singing "march on till their impure blood waters our fields!" every morning before language arts time. :D

stirring, rousing, beautiful, everything you want in a national anthem.

Soviet Union (post-Lenin era Soviet anthem) 3. La Marseilles (France) 4. Waltzing Matlida (Australia). Honorable mention: Oh, Canada and God Save the Queen (especially the Sex Pistols version).

not Waltzing Matilda.

and that's what they had for Australia.

definitely Advance Aust Fair though. Waltzing Matilda is more of an unofficial sporting events anthem, which is a bit strange given it's about a guy who steals a sheep and then commits suicide rather than be caught.

check out http://www.paddy.de/lyrics/songs/waltzingmatilda.html

I just love that song, but still get a lump in my throat whenever I hear the Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful.

of course the best :)

I think it was taken as Finland's national anthem.

this is my song
oh god of all the nations
a song of peace
for lands afar and mine

this is my home
the country where my heart is
here are my hopes
my dreams my holy shrine

but other hearts
in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams
as true and high as mine

my countries skies
are bluer than the ocean
and sunlight beams
on clover leaf and pine

but other lands
have sunlight too and clover
and skies are everywhere
as blue as mine

oh hear my song
oh god of all the nations
a song of peace
for their land and for mine

Granted, not much of an Anthem, but Beethoven and Schiller : who can beat that ? :hi:
http://europa.eu.int/abc/symbols/anthem/sounds/anthem-96kbps.mp3
rtsp://webcastvod.coe.int:554/audio/ea12.rm
http://www.geo.auth.gr/phonolites/music/beethoven_joy.mp3

Edit:
Concerning other national Anthems, I have to admit: I really like the US Anthem.

....that they picked that song!

I exclude the USA because, well, Im biased :X

Anyways, I listened to the Israel, Russian, UK, French, and India.

This is how I rated them.

1. UK --Simply amazing
2. France --I guess this makes the french FEEL good :)
3. India -- Very nice


Im only ranking these because there are on the voting block BUT
4. Israel --sounds very quiet, like a funeral song
5. Russia --utter horrible , but then again, I hate operas.

I bet there are better ones but i just rank them based on the 5 here.

http://www.statehousegirls.net/hi/symbols/song/

Hawai'i Pono'i

Hawai'i pono'i
Nana i kou Mo'i
Ka Lani Ali'i
Ke Ali'i

Makua Lani e
Kamehameha E
Na kaua e pale
Me ke ihe

Hawai'i pono'i
Nana i na Ali'i
Na pua muli kou
Na poki'i

Hawai'i pono'i
E ka Lahui e
'O kau hana nui
E u'i e

Translation

Hawai'i's own
Look to your King
The Royal Chief
The Chief
Chorus

Royal Father
Kamehameha
We shall defend
With spears
Chorus

Hawai'i's own
Look to your Chiefs
The children after you
The young
Chorus

Hawai'i's own
O Nation
Your great duty
Strive
Chorus

I'm interested in the Hawai'i's brief but fascinating time as an independent state.
And I'm REALLY interested in the new independence movement.

http://www.hawaii-nation.org

The Nation of Hawai'i supports full independence, with puka-shell currency or whatever, the seat in the U.N., and the rest of it. Presumably that would include a Hawaiian navy rather than the U.S. presence at Pearl Harbor.

Other groups such as Ka Lahui Hawai'i support a "nation-within-a-nation" model similar to what tribal (First) nations enjoy on the U.S. mainland. Alas, KLH has no website at present. They actually tried to get my non-Hawaiian self to be their webmaster! Entering the name "Mililani Trask" (former KLH kia 'aina, or governor) into your friendly neighbo(u)rhood search engine might help.

Finally there is the story of a fellow named Ashford, who travelled to Hawai'i from Canada in the 1880s, and tried to get the Kingdom to join the fledgling Confederation... you'd have a warm-weather province, and we'd have a hockey team, and no Bush*... (sigh)

We're looking for a friendly island nation to team up with.
The first choice right now are The Turks and Caicos.
Hawai'i would be better, IMHO.

...often misunderstood in the USA, the last verse is actually has some noble sentiment:

Für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach laßt uns alle streben
Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Sind des Glückes Unterpfand:
Blüh im Glanze dieses Glückes,
Blühe, deutsches Vaterland!

3. Unity and Right and Freedom
For the German Fatherland!
After these let us all strive
Brotherly with heart and hand!
Unity and Right and Freedom
Are the pledge of happiness.
Bloom in the splendour of this happiness,
Bloom, my German Fatherland!
Bloom in the splendour of this happiness,
Bloom, my German Fatherland!

And the tune is pretty good too.

..for the tune I think the Marsellaise is good...really rousing...

Not to mention most abused.

The tune is Austrian, by Haydn. It used to be the tune for the Austrian Anthem.

The slightly modified tune with lyrics by von Fallersleben were written in and for the German Democratic movement. That movement wanted to form a Democratic German nation, when no Germany existed.
In that context the "Germany above all" part does not mean Germany above all other nations, but Germany above Prussia, Westphalia, Hesse, Bavaria... . :shrug:

It was written by Franz Josef Haydn to be the national anthem of Austria. The Prussians stole it.

The Weimar Republic was the first German Nation to use the Song of the Germans with Haydn's melody.
Prussian Anthem:
http://echo.funpic.de/kaiserhymne.wma

Technically it is not stolen BTW, as the original Hymn is dedicated to Franz - at the time Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations (Sacrum Imperium Romanum Nationis Germanicae).

A highly misunderstood song.

The US National Anthem is supposed to be your favorite. To be honest I don't like any of them.

with the old "Hymn to the Soviet Union" coming in second.

Translated into English, it goes something like this:

It got all the way to 48 degrees last July.
Every damned wod in our language starts with "FJ."
The shape of our coastline is a mapmaker's nightmare!
Doesn't it make you proud to be from Norway?

Before Francis Scott Key took his swipe at the tune.

from http://www.contemplator.com/america/anacreon.html

To Anacreon in Heaven, where he fat in full glee,
A few fons of Harmony fent a petition,
That He their Infpirer and Patron would be;
When this anfwer arrived from the Jolly Old Grecian
"Voice, Fiddle, and Flute,
"no longer be mute,
"I'll lend you my Name and infpire you to boot,
"And, befides, I'll infruct you like me to entwine
"The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's Vine.
Play the melody.

II
The news through OLYMPUS immediately flew;
When OLD THUNDER pretended to give himfelf Airs
"If thefe mortals are fuffer'd their Scheme to perfue,
"The Devil a Goddefs will ftay above the Stairs.
"Hark, already they cry,
"In tranfports of Joy,
"Away to the Sons of ANACREON we'll fly,
"And there, with good Fellows, we'll learn to entwine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BUCCUS'S Vine.
Play the melody.

III
"The YELLOW-HAIRED GOD and his nine fufty Maids
"From Helicon's Banks will incontinent flee,
"IDALIA will boaft but of tenantlefs Shades,
"And the bi-forked Hill a mere Desart will be
"My Thunder, no fear on't,
"Shall foon do it's Errand,
" and, dam'me! I'll fwinge the Ringleaders, I warrant,
"I'll trim the young Dogs, for thus daring to twine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCUS'S Vine.
Play the melody.

IV
APOLLO rose up; and faid, "Pr'ythee ne'er quarrel,
"Good King of the Gods, with my Vot'ries below:
"Your Thunder is ufelefs." - then, fhewing his Laurel,
Cry'd, "Sic evitabile fulmen, you know!
"then over each Head
"My Laurels I'll fpread;
"So my Sons from your Crackers no Mifchief fhall dread,
"Whilst fnug in their Club-Room, they jovially twine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCUS'S Vine.
Play the melody.

V
Next MOMUS got up, with his rifible Phiz,
And fwore with APOLLO he'd cheerfully join
"The full Tide of Harmony ftill shall be his,
"But the Song, and the Catch, & the Laugh fhall be mine
"Then, JOVE, be not jealous
Of thefe honeft Fellows.
Cry'd JOVE, "We relent, fince the Truth you now tell us;
"And fwear, by OLD STYX, that they long fhall entwine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCUS'S Vine.
Play the melody.

VI
Ye fons of ANACREON, then, join Hand in Hand;
Preferve Unanimity, Friendfhip, and Love!
'Tis your's to fupport what's fo happily plann'd;
You've the Sanction of Gods, and the FIAT of Jove.
While thus we agree
Our Toaft let it be.
May our club flourish happy, united and free!
And long may the Sons of ANACREON intwine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCUS'S Vine.

La Marseillaise - France

Thje music is just so bright, vibrant, and full of life, it's so upbeat, too!



And The French national Anthem?

That has to be the national anthem with the most violent lyrics in the world.

the star spangled banner

I like the Star Spangled Banner as long as no one is singing along to it. It sounds great with a brass orchestra, and pretty shitty otherwise.

Other than that, God Save the King!

Putin brought back the old Soviet national anthem in a bout of neo-fascist Ostalgie.

Nevertheless, Shostakovich wrote it, so it is good.

Translated means, rising up from the ruins.

A very uplifting tune, ironically more appropriate for West Germany.

favs:

France
Germany
Italy
Australia
Israel
Japan
Russia (USSR)
Canada

Kimigayo - (His Majesty's Reign)

May thy peaceful reign last long!

May it last for thousands of years,

Until this tiny stone will grow into a massive rock

And the moss will cover it all deep and thick.

of course. Rousing, but still slightly meloncholy. Sorry can't find a link with the music.



Last verse of "God Save the Queen"

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 King!

Not widely sung these days strangely.

Top Ten Reasons "Advance Australia Fair" is My Favorite National Anthem:

1. It's perfectly accurate. If you've never been to Australia, you cannot begin to imagine the "beauty rich and rare," nor the "radiance" of the Southern Cross.

2. There's not a single reference to "God" in the entire official version.

3. It does not glorify war (as does the Star Spangled Banner).

4. The original "Australia's sons let us rejoice" was changed to the gender-inclusive "Australians all let us rejoice". (Ditto "For loyal sons beyond the seas," changed to "For those who've come across the seas...")

5. Certain U.K.-centric verses were cut, and rightly so; i.e., "From England, Scotia, Erin's Isle," which excludes anyone not of British descent.

6. Also cut: "Her sons in fair Australia's land / Still keep a British soul"; "Old England's flag..."; and "Britannia rules the wave" -- all of which negate both Australia's diversity and growing desire for sovereignty. (With all due respect to Mother England, can you really blame the Aussies for wanting OUT from under the Union Jack? Hell, we did the same damned thing in 1776 -- it's just taking a tad longer for our Down-Unda mates to catch up!)

7. The tune is actually sing-able -- and, once heard, always recognizable.

8. It's much older than most realize; while adopted officially in 1984, the original version dates back to the late 1800s.

9. It does not rip off an old English drinking song (as does the Star Spangled Banner).

10. It is a slap in the face to the American creep(s) still refusing to release the copyright to "Waltzing Matilda"!

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free,
We've golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We'll toil with hearts and hands
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share,
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

E Ihoa, Atua,
O nga Iwi! Matoura.
Ata whaka rongona;
Me aroha noa.
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau to atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa.

God of nations at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet.
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star
From the shafts of strife and war.
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.


And then they do the HAKA and kick ass at rugby! :D

Edited to add that I'm still proud of "The Star Spangled Banner" regardless of the present administration.