Best National Anthem Melody?

[ThoughtCriminal]

Years ago, I had to collect every national anthem for a project. Most of them became rather tedious to listen to, but I found the Italian anthem appealing.

[deadparrot]

1. I've always loved "O Canada."

Don't know why, but I do.

[jakefrep]

2. Me too

It sounds great and is easy to sing.

I like the Australian and French anthems as well.

[SeattleGirl]

4. I love the Canadian one too.

I know most of the words to it. It's easier to sing than ours, as far as the tune goes.

[LostinVA]

3. I like teh British One -- because it oddly sounds JUST like

"My Country, 'Tis of Thee."

[Mizmoon]

27. I loved Eddie Izzard's version

God please attack the Queen
Send big dogs after her
to bite her bum!

LOL

[Nutmegger]

5. I'm with you on the Italian anthem. [nt]

[Telly Savalas]

9. Yup. It's a great tune for a crowd of drunk people in a sports bar

to sing after their national team has won a soccer game. (And this is really what the point of having a national anthem is.)

[Hardrada]

6. Austria

by F.J Haydn (also known as Deutschlandlied)

[nemo137]

7. God Defend New Zealand.

It has a gorgeous melody, and some reall fantastic words, a real class act.

[Catch22Dem]

8. I used to hear the Japanese anthem every day

When they played retreat when I was stationed in Japan. They played the Japanese anthem followed by the US anthem. It's a very nice song, I think.

[Allenberg]

11. Kimigayo

I remember it also from Japan. I always thought they missed a note at the end. It has an odd ending.

[Catch22Dem]

13. Exactly!

It does have an odd ending.

[RevCheesehead]

10. The Russian (Soviet?) anthem gives me goosebumps.

Kinda makes ours pale in comparison.

[ThoughtCriminal]

12. I was quite surprised at the 2002 Winter Games

In fact, I think it was one of my first posts at DU was to ask if somebody had goofed and played the wrong anthem.

The "Hymn of the Russian Federation" uses the same tune, but has different lyrics from the old Soviet Anthem. The anthem had changed to a new one in 1991, but in 2000 they decided to revive the old Soviet tune.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Anthem_of_Russia

[AllegroRondo]

25. As a former Army Musician...

I've played quite a few. Some are darn good, some really odd.
Every band has a file cabinet with sheet music for the DOD approved versions on file for every country, just in case. Occasionally we would pull some out just to play for warm ups before a rehearsal, lots of fun.

European anthems tend to be stately and hymnlike. Germany has a very nice one, written by Joseph Hayden.
Latin American anthems tend to be very long and meandering. Some change style several times, so right when you think "ok, its over", it goes into another section.

My favorite - the Soviet anthem. Russia still uses the tune, with new words. I got to see the USSR Army Band perform it during their tour of the US in 1989.

Some national anthem facts...
Japan has the shortest.
Greece has the longest (It has over 100 verses. But they usually only play the first)
The Netherlands has the oldest, from around the 1500s, although the words to Japan's anthem are much older.

[Lucy - Claire]

26. Me too/

The French and German National Anthems are great too. I love yours too, especially compared to ours.
God Save The Queen is awful and lacks passion.

[bumblebee1]

14. I like "Oh Canada"

However, I don't know all the words.

While I was stationed in Greece, as we held colors, we'd raise both the Greek and American flags. We would also play both national anthems.

A couple of years ago, I had the priveledge to attend the Skate America competition. They played the Chinese national anthem for the winners of the pairs competition. I commented to my neighbor, "I could certainly wake up inspired by that anthem."

[TheMightyFavog]

15. Italy.

It's so upbeat, and fun, and full of life!

[barb162]

16. Russia or France, they're equal

[meow2u3]

17. One more for the Italian anthem

It sounds like a freakin' opera....and I'm a closet opera buff, thanks to my Italian grandfather (long gone, God rest his soul).

[TheMightyFavog]

18. Actually, to me it sounds like a happy, celebratory drinking song...

No offense meant.

[tjwmason]

19. I have a soft-spot for Latin American ones.

They're all about half an hour long and ridiculously grandiose.

Other than that the Italian and French are fine tunes; God save the Queen is a dignified stately anthem (very English); the Welsh as sung by their rugby fans in impressive too (remembering that they're singing in a language other than their normal).

[Peter Frank]

20. I've long thought that Ray's version of "America The Beautiful"...

...should be our national anthem.

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. "God Save the Queen"...it's just so, so, so...filled with adoration.

:hi:

[GalleryGod]

22. The Old USSR wasn't that bad....

[AllegroRondo]

24. Russia still uses that anthem

I always liked it.

[TheBaldyMan]

23. the EU's anthem is 'Ode to Joy' by Beethoven,

others that I like in no order:
RSA, Russian Federation, France.

[kay1864]

28. Why do all of you hate America?

<jk>

Me, I think our national anthem is AWFUL. It's not a very good tune (isn't it based on a drinking song? Or is that Happy Birthday?) and it's a song glorifying *WAR*, for crissake.

Why can't we have America the Beautiful instead?

/rant

Heck I'd even vote for My Country 'tis of Thee, except it would be confusing hearing the same melody at Olympic Games and such. :P

ps I like "O Canada" too. It can of course be sung in French as well, which somehow makes it seem even more spirited.

[Nutmegger]

30. I agree about our anthem

Glorifying war isn't my cup of tea.

I always liked America the Beautiful and think that would be a good fit.

[GalleryGod]

31. Lots of Historical Commentary has lead some to believe

F.S. KEY might've been a "little tasted" when he scored it!:beer:
It would explain a great deal about the anthem.

[SmileyBoy]

29. I love the Turkish anthem.

It almost brings a tear to my eye.

[CBGLuthier]

32. The unofficial UK anthem Jerusalem is my favorite

Oddly enough while researching it I learned that the UK does not have an official anthem. God save the Queen is just considered the anthem but is not official. Kind of like he US anthem prior to 1931.