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Top 5 National Anthems


Guest Pompey

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Mines are, in no particular order:

1. Land of our Fathers - Wales

2. Hatikva - Israel

3. Himno Nacional Brasiliero - Brazil

4. N'kosi Sikelel'i'Afrika - South Africa

5. La Marseillaise - France

Honourable mentions for England (Land of Hope and Glory), Russia, Ireland and Italy for being ones that would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up if you belonged to them

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1) - Flower of Scotland

2) - New Russian National Anthem - (New words to the Soviet National Anthem - Gimn Sovetskogo Soyuza)

3) - Inno Di Mameli (Italy)

4) - Deutschlandlied (Germany - new words)

5) - Himno Nacional Do Brasil (Brazil)

Land Of Hope & Glory would be there as well, but for the fact that I consider it to be just a hymn and not an anthem as such... ;)

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La Marseillaise is truly wonderful, especially if you look at the words. It's a rousing hymn to collective endeavour and the common weald, in stark contrast to the sickeningly arse-licking paean to pelf and privilege that is "God Save the Queen" - surely the most dismal and worthless dirge ever to be passed off as a national anthem. N'kosi' sikele is just beautiful, and the old Soviet anthem was stirring stuff - is that right that it's now the Russian anthem ? I didn't know this. Don't think I've heard the Brazilian or Israeli anthems. Isn't the Italian anthem called Il Bersaglieri ? And has Germany got a new anthem too ? Blimey, it's hard to keep up with the latest in the world of anthems.

I actually think Flower of Scotland isn't the best one we could have. A good song, but it's too focused on feckin over the English, and Scotland is about much, much more than that - not that I don't appreciate feckin over the English, mind. A great piece of music which evokes Scotland for me is Hamish MacCunn's "Land of the Mountain and the Flood", although it may not serve as an anthem, having no words.

Honourable mentions here for "The Red Flag", "The Internationale", and "No Passeran" ;)

Edited by Bill Lees
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The unspeakable Irish one always reminds me of the Woody Allen film - think it was "Bananas" - Rebels are we, born to be free...blah, blah, blah...like it was made up while they were all pished and stoned while planning to smash school windies. Disrespect intended :ph34r:

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La Marseillaise is truly wonderful, especially if you look at the words. It's a rousing hymn to collective endeavour and the common weald, in stark contrast to the sickeningly arse-licking paean to pelf and privilege that is "God Save the Queen" - surely the most dismal and worthless dirge ever to be passed off as a national anthem. N'kosi' sikele is just beautiful, and the old Soviet anthem was stirring stuff - is that right that it's now the Russian anthem ? I didn't know this. Don't think I've heard the Brazilian or Israeli anthems. Isn't the Italian anthem called Il Bersaglieri ? And has Germany got a new anthem too ? Blimey, it's hard to keep up with the latest in the world of anthems.

I actually think Flower of Scotland isn't the best one we could have. A good song, but it's too focused on feckin over the English, and Scotland is about much, much more than that - not that I don't appreciate feckin over the English, mind. A great piece of music which evokes Scotland for me is Hamish MacCunn's "Land of the Mountain and the Flood", although it may not serve as an anthem, having no words.

Honourable mentions here for "The Red Flag", "The Internationale", and "No Passeran" ;)

Bill - Totally agree on how much of a dirge GSTQ is. As I recall Phil Jupitus put it into Room 101 for exactly that reason :lol:

Regarding the Russian anthem. I believe that after the USSR split up, they decided to have a new anthem in place for Russia, but no-one ever took to it. So they decided to revert back to the Soviet anthem but with revised words. That's what they did in Germany - from your point of view Bill it prolly ain't a new anthem they've changed the words from "Deutchland Deutchland uber alles..." to stuff like "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" - translated to something along the lines of "Unity and Rights and Freedom" - that's all I meant by new words :rolleyes:

And don't worry Bill - I just nicked the names of the anthems off a website - they may/may not be correct.

On the Subject of FoS - I put it at #1 just because I'm Scottish and it means more to me than any other anthem, not because it's the best tune that COULD be on - it certainly ain't that! "A Man's A Man for Aw' That" or something along those lines would be far better...failing that, "Scots Wa Hae" would sound good at the fitba.... :ph34r:

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Don't think I've heard the Brazilian or Israeli anthems.

Honourable mentions here for "The Red Flag", "The Internationale", and "No Passeran" ;)

La Marseillaise probably has the best words of any national anthem - it just typifies France and the French, and is so patriotic. I remember going to watch France v Scotland at Hampden, and a fair few Scottish fans were singing along to it....

N'kosi Sikelel i'Afrika is very haunting, especially when sung solo - it's one of the few anthems that sounds better sung by a man (Wales is another), it's a vast improvement on Die Stem

The Russians adopted the Soviet anthem last year, cos their other one was, frankly, pish. It isn't Unbreakable Union though, they've changed the words

You must have heard the Brazilian one, it's really fast and South American - the anthem of a banana republic! The Israel anthem starts as very similar to South Africa's, but ends up really slow

Re the Internationale - I once saw in one of the papers a Scottish anthem written to that tune, but it was s***e.....I only remember the first line being "Oh Scotland, virile and pure"..... :blink:

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I honestly think the Star Spangled Banner is a cracking anthem - interms of rousing your own punters it is magnificent. When sung by a group (choir or something it is superb). Only problem is that we generally get to see Mariah/Whitney/some other screamer murdering it. No doubt that will happen at the Superbowl this weekend.

Apparently the version sung by Meadow Soprano in New York last month was excellent. She's no screamer...except when she is with me :rolleyes::rolleyes:

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I honestly think the Star Spangled Banner is a cracking anthem - interms of rousing your own punters it is magnificent. When sung by a group (choir or something it is superb). Only problem is that we generally get to see Mariah/Whitney/some other screamer murdering it. No doubt that will happen at the Superbowl this weekend.

Apparently the version sung by Meadow Soprano in New York last month was excellent. She's no screamer...except when she is with me :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Bajan - how can you say that?! :o

The Star Spangled Banner is a pish anthem - it's too hard for the ordinary punter to sing with the range of notes involved, and the tune - it rips off "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" near the end of it! :lol:

Mind you, "America the Beautiful" is even worse, ripping off GSTQ... :ph34r::ph34r::ph34r:

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I honestly think the Star Spangled Banner is a cracking anthem - interms of rousing your own punters it is magnificent. When sung by a group (choir or something it is superb). Only problem is that we generally get to see Mariah/Whitney/some other screamer murdering it. No doubt that will happen at the Superbowl this weekend.

Apparently the version sung by Meadow Soprano in New York last month was excellent. She's no screamer...except when she is with me :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:

Bajan - how can you say that?! :o

The Star Spangled Banner is a pish anthem - it's too hard for the ordinary punter to sing with the range of notes involved, and the tune - it rips off "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" near the end of it! :lol:

Mind you, "America the Beautiful" is even worse, ripping off GSTQ... :ph34r::ph34r::ph34r:

Elvis _ the American Trilogy....now that is an anthem worthy of the 21st Century. Its a time when icons need to be reviewed, i.e. the f'k'n Corries :blink:

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The Scar Strangled Banner is the most pompous and arrogant piece of tosh ever to be committed to the ear drums. Land of the free, is it? Home of the brave? Yeah, it's free as long as you say what everyone else wants and you don't upset the status quo. As for home of the brave well it was before all the white blokes turned up and slaughtered them. America the Beautiful? Who says the Yanks don't get irony?

The French anthem is the only one that really does the biz. World Cup final '98. France, inventors of the international competition and beaten World Cup semi-finalists on four previous occasions, are finally doing the business against champions Brazil in front of a massive TV audience. However, Desailly gets his marching orders. Will the French wilt? Do they have the character to hold on? Will the Brazillians power their way back?

Then it starts. The fans chanting La Marseillese. Quietly at first then building up as it catches on around the stadium. It gets louder and louder. The crowd in the pub is silenced as Les Bleus afficionados rise, with one voice, to a glorious, lust-filled crescendo, playing the part of The Twelfth Man exactly when it's needed. The hairs rise on the backs of ALL our necks as we applaud our European friends.

Emmanuel Petit, in the final minute, runs the length of the park and tucks it away to make it three.

Only a song sung by the people about a famous and magnificent victory by the people can give such heart. From such stuff legends are made.

VIVE LE FRANCE!!!!!

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"A Man's A Man for Aw' That" or something along those lines would be far better...failing that, "Scots Wa Hae" would sound good at the fitba.... :ph34r:

Agreed - "A man's a man..." definitely should be the Scottish anthem in place of Flower of Scotland. When Aly Bain and Phil Whatshisface played it at Donald Dewar's funeral I was in feckin floods. It speaks of equality, fraternity, and so on ..... much like the French. There was something in that auld alliance, you know........ :D

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Horst Wessel was a martyr to the Nazi cause and his song was the oficial Nazi anthem - (Often sung at the young journalists club in Bishopton :lol: )

There's a young journalists club in Bishopton? Must get along to that when i get home from Edinburgh tomorrow :P

Why I am I being portrayed as a sort of Nazi type person anyway?

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All national anthems are crap and should be banned.

I'm in complete agreement with Reidy. Not only are they (almost) without exception pish-awful songs, the whole concept of national anthems is outdated and devisive. A bit like Roman Catholic schools and non-denomination schools I suppose, but maybe that's a different debate. <_<

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Apologies for that Horst Wessel nonsense. Just seeing if anyone was awake. Even the Germans are embarrassed by that one, however I know a couple of Saints fans who sang it in a pub in Bordeaux during France '98 and, believe it or not, a number of locals joined in. Hmmmm <_<

As far as I'm concerned there should be one anthem for the world. Something to do with hope & happiness for all. That one day we will all be together in where we're going. That we all have hope in going to that happy place. That we're not only going there we're propelling ourselves forward. Can anyone think of such a song.....?

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As far as I'm concerned there should be one anthem for the world. Something to do with hope & happiness for all. That one day we will all be together in where we're going. That we all have hope in going to that happy place. That we're not only going there we're propelling ourselves forward. Can anyone think of such a song.....?

I'd like to teach the World to Sing by the New Seekers . Load of cack but has the sentiments you require if you can forget the C*c* C*l* connections.

Also Melting Pot by Blue Mink. anyone remember the gnashers on the lead singer?

Another pile of cack, though!

Speaking of National Anthems, none of that 'Flower of Scotland' nonsense on Saturday, please!

Edited by BongoVonBudvarStoneColdRockPump
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ST SID Posted on Jan 23 2003, 05:48 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isn't the USA anthem the French one played backwards?

No, your thinking of 'In the City' and 'Holidays in the Sun' , Sid!

That Cope chap's a bit of the Barker/Genius ilk.

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ST SID Posted on Jan 23 2003, 05:48 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isn't the USA anthem the French one played backwards?

No, your thinking of 'In the City' and 'Holidays in the Sun' , Sid!

That Cope chap's a bit of the Barker/Genius ilk.

He was part of the Slade School of Art Scene that was at its peak in the 80's. I went to a few of the parties back then, crackin' fun. Got kicked out of Wham's "wake me up before you gogo" video for simulating sex during a shot of the extras on the dancefloor. Those were the days ^_^

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Er....actually I was thinking of....

Oh when the Saints go marching in,

Oh when the Saints go marching in,

I wanna be in that number,

When the Saints go marching in.

Bongo add "tube" to your name, you rumpled up postmaster schemie Neilsonian git. :double:double:ugly:moony2:headbang

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