What are the best national anthems?

[WillyBrandt]

My top three:

(1) France
(2) Israel
(3) (yes) The Soviet National Anthem.

UK has an interesting one. USA has an OK one. Canada's is just terrible.

On edit: the USSR anthem is a good one to wake up to if you have an MP3 alarm program. UK has a great line: "Frustrate their politics"

[rucky]

1. Australia - by a Mile!

Waltzing Matilda

[rooboy]

3. I think our national anthem sucks. n/t

[dreissig]

9. Purple Mountain Majesties

Some say America the Beautiful should be our national anthem. I'm glad it's not. It's mawkish.

[A HERETIC I AM]

14. The National Anthem os Australia is not "Waltzing Matilda"...it is...

"Advance Australia Fair" they last took a poll in '77 and Waltzing Matilda lost by a landslide http://www.ausflag.com.au/debate/amr/amr23.html

[bikebloke]

79. For a while, it was unofficially...

"Down Under" by Men at Work. At least amongst the Aussie backpackers I wandered with from time to time.

Personally, I fancy Marseillaise.

[tedoll78]

16. God yes!

By all means.

[Paul Hood]

2. I like Canada's anthem.

[kodi]

63. the best, most beautiful and easy to sing too

although the french have a nice one too.

[CanuckAmok]

70. Yes, if you know "O Tannenbaum", you know "O Canada"

in-joke!

[rooboy]

4. Wales, USA, France. n/t

[Cheswick2.0]

5. I'd have to go with your choices...... I am a little partial to the USA's

I can sing it

[TrogL]

59. Glad you can, I can't and I'm a trained singer

Its range is just too large especially in the key it's normally played in (Bb major, in deference to the band instruments). Low Bb is too low for sopranos and impossible for basses so they have to sing it in tenor register, which makes the high F later on too high for them.

[Snow]

73. So am I, and I can sing it......

but I'm a basso profundo. My rendition tends to be hard on the furniture, the floor, local seismographs......

[dreissig]

6. Too French

French things very rapidly become too French. The Marsellaise is a good example. It is so so gory.

"... that their impure blood should water the fields ...." Gross!

Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
Contre nous, de la tyrannie,
L'étandard sanglant est levé,
l'étandard sanglant est levé,
Entendez-vous, dans la compagnes.
Mugir ces farouches soldats
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
Egorger vos fils,
vos compagnes.

Let us go, children of the fatherland
Our day of Glory has arrived.
Against us stands tyranny,
The bloody flag is raised,
The bloody flag is raised.
Do you hear in the countryside
The roar of these savage soldiers
They come right into our arms
To cut the throats of your sons,
your country.


Aux armes citoyens!
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons!
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons.


To arms, citizens!
Form up your battalions
Let us march, Let us march!
That their impure blood
Should water our fields

[George_Bonanza]

7. Portugal

I like God Bless America and Stars and Stripes Forever more than the Star Spangled Banner.

[WillyBrandt]

8. Stars and Stripes forever is Great!

I can listen to that over and over. Not so much a fan of God Bless America as America the Beautiful

[dreissig]

11. Parse That Sentence

I'll bet not one person in ten can parse the sentences of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Here are some questions:

• Where was the flag?
• What was it doing?
• Where were we standing?
• What time is it?
  
  
  

[A HERETIC I AM]

18. i'll try and parse a tad

Here are some questions:

Where was the flag?
Flying over Ft McHenry, in Baltimore Harbour, although the lyrics do not indicate such
What was it doing?
"Gallantly streaming"
Where were we standing?
at the Ramparts; "Oe'r the Ramparts we watched"
What time is it?
Morning. Specifically, Dawn. "By the dawns early light"

Btw...i knew this before i did the search for the lyrics...i swear...on my honor as a new DU'er

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?


On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.


And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.


Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!



Francis Scott Key (1779 - 1843)

[recidivist]

37. Three out of four. "WE" were standing ...

... on the deck of a British warship, where Francis Scott Key had gone aboard to negotiate a .... parole? pass?

I forget the exact item of business, but Key was a guest of the Royal Navy during the bombardment of Ft. McHenry. He witnessed it from just offshore. Best seat in the house.

[A HERETIC I AM]

74. sorry i wasnt specific enough...Yes, the Ramparts were aboard a ship

My apologies for not being complete. The "Ramparts" o'er which we watched were most certainly aboard a ship in Baltimore Harbour.

[everythingsxen]

10. My top 3

(1)USSR - I agree it is beautiful
(2)Germany - I'm a sucker for Deutchland
(3)ok.. USSR again :D

[CanuckAmok]

12. I'm partial to The Internationale, but it's an anti-national anthem...

Stand up, all victims of oppression
For the tyrants fear your might
Don't cling so hard to your possessions
For you have nothing, if you have no rights
Let racist ignorance be ended
For respect makes the empires fall
Freedom is merely privilege extended
Unless enjoyed by one and all

Chorus:
So come brothers and sisters
For the struggle carries on
The Internationale
Unites the world in song
So comrades come rally
For this is the time and place
The international ideal
Unites the human race

Let no one build walls to divide us
Walls of hatred nor walls of stone
Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
We'll live together or we'll die alone
In our world poisoned by exploitation
Those who have taken, now they must give
And end the vanity of nations
We've but one Earth on which to live

And so begins the final drama
In the streets and in the fields
We stand unbowed before their armour
We defy their guns and shields
When we fight, provoked by their aggression
Let us be inspired by like and love
For though they offer us concessions
Change will not come from above

So come brothers and sisters
For the struggle carries on
The Internationale
Unites the world in song
So comrades come rally
For this is the time and place
The international ideal
Unites the human race

[ironflange]

13. USSR's later Russia's

What a great tune! Almost makes you want to march off to war.

[everythingsxen]

15. Definately

:evilgrin:

However comrade, it is not marching off to war.

It is gloriously defending the people. :D

[whirlygigspin]

19. great song

needs a remix, change a few words here and there and presto
modern pop.

lol

[whirlygigspin]

85. Try a sing along, bwaaah

RUSSIAN LYRICS (Latin script)

Vstavaj, prokljat'em zaklejmennyj,
Ves' mir golodnyx i rabov!
Kipit nash razum vozmushchennyj
I v smertnyj boj vesti gotov.
Ves' mir nasil'ja my razrushim
Do osnovan'ja, a zatem--
My nash, my novyj mir postroim:
Kto byl nichem, tot stanet vsem!

CHORUS:
Eto est' nash poslednij
I reshitel'nyj boj,
S Internacionalom
Vosprjanet rod ljudskoj!
(repeat chorus)

Nikto ne dast nam izbavlen'ja--
Ni bog, ni car' i ni geroj.
Dob'emcja my osvobozhden'ja
Svoeju sobstvennoj rukoj.
Chtob svergnut' gnet rukoj umeloj,
Otvoevat' svoe dobro,--
Vzduvajte gorn i kyjte smelo,
Poka zhelezo gorjacho!

Lish' my, rabotniki vsemirnoj,
Velikoj armii truda,
Vladet' zemlej imeem pravo,
No parazity--nikogda!
I esli grom velikij grjanet
Nad svoroj psov i palachej,--
Dlja nas vse tak zhe solnce stanet
Sijat' ognem svoix luchej.

---

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Arise, ye slaves who know starvation!
Shake off the curse that binds the earth!
Our reason boils with indignation,
And makes us die to gain new birth.
We'll tear down our planet's false foundation,
Then build a better world anew,
While he who lived in humble station
Will stand erect, as is his due.

CHORUS:
Through the conflict comes power,
Each will lift high his face.
And thus will come to flower
At last, the human race.
Through the conflict comes power,
Each will lift high his face.
And thus will come to flower
At last, the human race.

We want no condescending saviors
to rule us from their judgement hall
We workers ask not for their favors
Let us consult for all.
To make the theif disgorge his booty
To free the spirit from its cell
We must ourselves decide our duty
We must decide and do it well.

The law oppresses us and tricks us,
the wage slave system drains our blood;
The rich are free from obligation,
The laws the poor delude.
Too long we've languished in subjection,
Equality has other laws;
"No rights," says she "without their duties,
No claims on equals without cause."

Behold them seated in their glory
The kings of mine and rail and soil!
What have you read in all their story,
But how they plundered toil?
Fruits of the workers' toil are buried
In strongholds of the idle few
In working for their restitution
the men will only claim their due.

We toilers from all fields united
Join hand in hand with all who work;
The earth belongs to us, the workers,
No room here for the shirk.
How many on our flesh have fattened!
But if the norsome birds of prey
Shall vanish from the sky some morning
The blessed sunlight then will stay.

[devilgrrl]

17. Ohhhhhh Canadaaaaaa....

Our home and native land....

CANADA!!!!!

[July]

39. Hey! Go Bills!

As for the anthems, I do like Canada's.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

20. Don't diss Canada's!

I am a wannabe Canadian and I resent that. :D

[Zuni]

21. The Internationale (USSR)

is simply majestic. It is one of the most compelling anthems I have ever heard.
France's 'Marseilles' is absolutely wonderful.

Canada's is terrible.

[SiobhanClancy]

28. Definitely the Internationale...

The USA's is terrible,too. One person in a million can actually sing it.

[Zuni]

30. The tune comes from

an old English Drinking song called Anachrion in Heaven or something.

[JVS]

44. .

wrong post

[JVS]

43. It was replaced with "The hymn of the Soviet Union" in 1943

[Zuni]

67. That is the one i thought of

I got that confused with the Internationale. The Soviet national Anthem was the superior tune.

[whirlygigspin]

88. and the new lyrics added in 2001

Russia - our holy country,
Russia - our beloved country.
A mighty will, a great glory -
Are your inheritance for all times!

Be glorious, our free Fatherland!
Eternal union of fraternal peoples,
Common wisdom given by our forebears,
Be glorious, our country! We are proud of you!

From the southern seas to the polar region
spread our forests and fields.
You are unique in the world, inimitable,
Native land protected by God!

Wide spaces for dreams and for living
Are opened for us by the coming years
Faithfulness to our country gives us strength
Thus it was, so it is and always will be!

[emad]

22. The Polish one is much quoted for its opening first line, much

quoted during World Cup football matches:

"Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" - 'Poland hasn't lost yet'.....

[Kamika]

23. Have to say USSR's one

YEs it sucks that just they would have the best anthem.

[phaseolus]

24. No one's mentioned South Africa??

One of the most beautiful songs ever written...

[MaineDem]

34. Isn't it sung in three languages?

I've heard it on rugby telecasts. It's pretty neat!

[mac56]

25. Mel Brooks as the 2000 Year Old Man:

The first national anthem:

"Let 'em all go to hell
Except Cave Seventy-Six!"

[CanuckAmok]

52. Ha ha! "Hold the Mayo" n/t

[mac56]

54. I don't think I know that one.

Is that also from "2000 Year Old Man"?

[CanuckAmok]

64. yes, when the interviewer mentions the 2000yo man's

observation at the Mayo Clinic.

[mac56]

65. got it!

Thanks.

"A lion is biting my foot off...
Somebody call a cop!"

[Kolesar]

89. Aaah, you beat me to it.

What else does a national anthem need to say anyway? I remember seeing that joke in the animated version of Reiner's routine.
edit: was that Carl Reiner or Mel Brooks?

[trigz]

26. Italy, Brazil, USSR, France, in that order.

The Norwegian national song sucks; a 100 % boring national anthem.

[MaineDem]

27. New Zealand, Russia, Ireland

My top three. :)

[Flaming Meaux]

29. Germany's was written by Ludwig Van Beethoven

You can't get any better than that.

[recidivist]

35. Haydn, actually.

But your general point stands. I vote Germany's anthem #1.

[libertad]

40. Austria

n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

31. San Francisco!

San Francisco, open your golden gate
You let no stranger wait
Outside your door!

[Zero Gravitas]

32. Italy

Italy's NA is a real toe tapper!

Has the UK changed its one to the them from The Archers yet?
Dum-di-dum-di-dum-di-di

[MaineDem]

33. I had forgotten about Italy's

I think of it as the Ferrari Song. :)

I like the way it changes tempo in the middle.

[Zero Gravitas]

36. yup

I'm used to hearing just about every other Sunday. I liked how Schumacher used to "conducted" the bouncy bit in the middle until some Italian pol. slapped him down for doing it.

[Twillig]

82. Absolutely the most cheerful

Especially after the boring German or Brazilian anthems play.

Let's hear the Happy Ferrari Song! :-)

I still get to 'conduct' it.

[youngred]

38. I Object!

Canada's is the best ever, not Terrible!

I do enjoy the US national anthem, I do not enjoy watching it be routinely butchered by pop stars who don't understand that being a vocal showoff does NOT mean the song, melody or harmony are better off for their 'artistic' additions.

[TrogL]

60. I still think the best version was done by Jimi Hendrix

[Zolok]

41. French by a mile...

loud crude and martial....no wonder Petain banned it.
The Soviet Anthemn doesn't hang together too well by comparison but it ends on a strong note....
Our anthem is a perfectly unsing-able bore which is the secret of America's enduring strength imho....
Crappy patriotic songs (we have nothing to compare with the bombast of "Rule Britannia") no Field Marshals....clearly a shining city on the hill.

www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com

[Screaming Lord Byron]

42. The Marseillaise rocks! That's an anthem to decapitate rich people to!

Until it goes into "All You Need Is Love" though. Then they lose me.

[Bridget Burke]

45. That scene in "Casablanca"

When Viktor Lazlo (sp?) leads the denizens of that gin-joint in a mighty chorus to drown out the Nazis---still brings goose bumps!

[noonwitch]

46. I like "O Canada" better than the US anthem

Mainly because it's easier to sing. Plus, it always makes me think of hockey.

[Beer Snob-50]

47. I used Oh Canada

as a lullabye for my oldest son. For some reason it calmed him down when I sang it to him.

[Endangered Specie]

50. You cant beat the German one, Internationale second.

Germany (Das Lied der Deutschland, or, Deutschlandlied) preferably the original one with all 3 verses, it has an intersting history to it

I cant stand the newest English lyrics, best sung the British way, or in German French Russian.

Oh, the Dutch one is nice too.

TO find nationalanthems in mp3...
www.national-anthems.net , www.nationalanthems.org

[zanana]

48. Have you ever heard the Turkish national anthem?

It sounds something like "Jingle Bells".

[SmileyBoy]

71. It doesn't sound anything like "Jingle Bells".

Here's the main page of the file:

http://www.national-anthems.net/countries/main/tu.shtml

[whirlygigspin]

83. interesting note

the national anthems web site has a seperate song listed under
Canada for Quebec. OOps! better not let the canadians know!

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

For what it's worth, it's also "the birthday song"--you just insert
the persons name instead of "gens du pays" and voila! Happy Birthday.

[whirlygigspin]

87. Le Quebec song, in English! Sacre Bleu!

"Gens du Pays" quick translation with artistic license--sing along?

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


The time that we take, just to say "I love you"
is all that is left us, at the end of our days.
The wishes that we make, the flowers that we plant,
Each of us will pick them on our own,
In that great gardin of our time.

-refrain-
Folks of the land, it's now to you,
to let us speak to you of love,
Folks of the land, it's now to you,
to let us speak to you of love.

Time to love each other, oh and when to say it!
melting like the snow does, under the sun.
Celebrate our joys, celebrate our laughter,
In those eyes where are stares found love,
Oh to be twenty one again!

-refrain-

The River of our Days, suddenly arrested
now forms into a pond, where each can see.
Just as in a mirror, our love is reflected
To those hearts, I wish to give,
The time to live out all your Dreams.

-refrain-

[Bertha Venation]

49. O Canada is far superior to The Star Spangled Banner

It's more melodic, it's easier to sing, and it's an ode to the country it represents. The U.S.' anthem is a glorified battle cry. It's a horrible representation of the country.

[Endangered Specie]

51. Speaking of rivating movie scenes

Any one remember in Air Force One when the prisoners break out into the Internatonale, thats can generate a goose bump or 2.

And, if you really want chills running down your spine, listen to some of old German Military Music
( http://wahm.no-ip.com/music/music.htm ) Site is up only a couple hours a day.

At least the US national anthem isnt God Bless America, but you never know.

[Bertha Venation]

55. "At least the US national anthem isnt God Bless America" - Amen!

Uh... so to speak. ;)

I think it should be America the Beautiful. But what do I know? I'm just a U.S. citizen.

[terrya]

61. Why couldn't we adopt "America the Beautiful" as the national anthem?

It's far more positive about America than "The Star Spangled Banner".

Plus, "America the Beautiful" is more melodic and at least you can remember the words. And easier to sing.

[Zuni]

66. not a battle cry

It is a poem about triumph over adversity. I think the words are brilliant, the tune is lame.

[Tyler Durden]

53. FINLANDIA by Edvard Greig in a walkaway steal.

Of course "La Marseillaise" will make you want to throw away your citizenship and join the Legion Etrangre. If you can keep your seat while Paul Henreid is leading the group sing in Rick's Cafe Americain, Check your pulse; I think you're DEAD.

[JVS]

68. That was Sibelius. Grieg was Norwegian.

[TrogL]

56. Canada's isn't all that bad

• Coherent structure.
  
• Singable in the right key (Eb) as long as you don't go high at the end (which isn't as written)
  
• interesting opportunities for harmonization
  
• short
  

I played it and God save the Queen on a huge pipe organ in a concert November 2nd.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

57. No talk of violence, pretty inclusivist. Not bad.

A damn sight better than God Save the Queen! (especially that verse they don't use anymore about 'Rebellious Scots to crush'

[Darth_Kitten]

78. When I was a child.....

We sang O Canada, God Save the Queen, and then had to recite the Lord's Prayer at school.
By the time we were finished it was 10 o'clock. ;)

[TrogL]

58. Another O Canada story

My organ teacher took my on a tour of pipe organs in the Buffalo, North Tonawanda and Toronto area. We visited a synagogue in Buffalo that had a lovely organ up in the balcony. After we had played for a bit, the secretary came forward with a request - O Canada. She was an ex-pat Canadian and wanted to hear her national Anthem.

[VOX]

75. Agreed. "O Canada" sounds fine to my ears.

:toast:

[TrogL]

62. Austria's is nice

My mother's maid was from Austria and would get me to play it sometimes. She would promptly burst into tears.

I didn't know my playing was that bad.

[SmileyBoy]

69. Turkish national anthem. Also, "O Canada".

I wish I could find you a file of the Turkish anthem...

[Cottonball]

72. I have always loved....

Jimi Hendrix'z version of the " Star Spangled Banner". His anti-war themed songs would still fit in todays atmosphere.

[Buns_of_Fire]

76. Alan Sherman wrote the best one for the French

(Intro: The beginning bars of The Marseillaise...)

Louis the Sixteenth was the King of France in 1789...
He was worse than Louis the Fifteenth,
He was worse than Louis the Fourteenth,
He was worse than Louis the Thirteenth,
He was the worst!
Since Louis the First!

(Segue...)

King Louis was living like a king,
But the people were living rotten
So the French people, they started an uprising, which they called the French Revolution, and of course they had a battle cry which will never be forGOTTTTTTTen.....

(Into: Tune from "You Came a Long Way from St. Louis")

You went the wrong way, old King Louie
You disappointed all of France
But then, what else could we expect from a king in silk stockings
And pink satin pants

You filled your stomach with chop suey
And also crepes suzettes and steak
And when they told your wife, Marie, that nobody had bread
She said, "Let 'em eat cake!"

If you had been a nicer king
We wouldn't do a thing
But you were bad, you must admit
We're gonna take you and the queen
Down to the guilloutine
And shorten you a little bit!

You went the wrong way, old King Louie
So we must put you on the shelf
That's why the people are revolting, 'cause Louie...
You're pretty revolting yourself!

[Darth_Kitten]

77. Canada's is BEAUTIFUL.....

listen to it, it's very inspirational and I don't know ANY other anthem that can be compared to it!!!!! :evilfrown:

[solinvictus]

80. Deutschland, Deutschland Uber Alles

in die welt!!!

[Kellanved]

86. It's called "Unity and Right and Freedom" now

(Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit) or "Song of the Germans, 3rd verse".

:hi:
And as the third verse was the best all along it's hardly a loss.


1. verse: "Deuschland über alles" ("Germany above all")
2. verse: "deutsche Frauen, deutscher Wein" ("German women, German wine")
3.verse : "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit"

And it goes:
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
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!

Unity and Right and Freedom
For the German fatherland!
For that let's all strive,
Fraternally with heart and hand!
Unity and Right and Freedom,
are the pledge of hapiness.
Flourish in the splendor of this hapiness,
Flourish German fatherland!

[Dookus]

81. well, not national....

but the European Union's anthem is The Ode to Joy - the most beautiful piece of music I know.

[whirlygigspin]

84. I love the Republic of China's anthem (Taiwan)

it's short and sweet, and it drives the commies nuts.