National Anthem

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God Save the King. the national anthem is all about aggrandisement of the monarch. Other countries sing about the land, the people, the country. It seems so self centred and unpatriotic to have an anthem that is all about the monarch

With a few exceptions (US, France, Germany), national anthems tend to be dreadful. All things considered were not doing too badly:

I think that's the point of it

I think that's the point, as we are the King's subject and we should be singing to rejoice and bless him oddly.

I'm Welsh so ours I agree is a bit better, but I'm probably biased 🤣

Are there now 2 verses to sing also?
It's changed on the Royal Family website!

@CaptainBarbosa I much prefer the Welsh anthem (I'm not Welsh).

They are mostly awful 19c Empire anthems.

I’d be all for a vote to change it.

I like the Italian national anthem. I've no idea what the words are but the music sounds jolly. It'd be nice to have a jolly national anthem.

It's over quick and you don't have to renember too many words. What's not to love about it?

The New Zealand anthem is decent as is the polish and Japanese. In fact I found this classic fm rating:

www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/best-national-anthem/

My point is that the good ones big up the whole country not one person. Ours is so servantile and the opposite of the whole equality, levelling up modern agenda

Maybe write a new one?

I never sing it, don't believe in gods or monarchies so if the occasion demands it I'll stand in silence. Canada and Australia are both examples of revisiting and renewing the anthems- both are still very messy places re treatment of indigenous people and historical alignments with single religions but steps are being taken forward. E.g. O Canada "in all thy sons command" is now "in all of us command" and the French lyrics still refer to the sword and the cross when over a quarter of pop. have no religion and about 10% are specifically non Christian but religious. As much as I agree with you there never seems to be the impetus for this sort of modernisation in the UK. And times like these "mourning" weeks...every little thing is about carrying on tradition.

Ours isn't great, I agree.

A National anthem should be inspiring and uplifting celebrating the country and it's people. Ours is just depressing dirge aimed at 1 person. But then I'm an Atheist and Republican so asking God to save a King/Queen isn't something I can get on board with.

God save our gracious Queen/King,
Long live our noble Queen/King,
God save the Queen /King!
Send her/him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen/King!
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall!
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all!
Not in this land alone,
But be God’s mercies known,
From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see,
That men should brothers be,
And form one family,
The wide world o’er.
From every latent foe,
From the assassins blow,
God save the Queen /King!
O’er her/him thine arm extend,
For Britain’s sake defend,
Our mother/father, prince, and friend,
God save the Queen /King!
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her/him be pleased to pour,
Long may she/he reign!
May she/he defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen /King!

All the verses - there is a "God save us all"

No idea what happened to the formatting of the verses there

as we are the King's subject and we should be singing to rejoice and bless him oddly.

I am a citizen. I am nobody's "subject", and that is why I do not sing the national anthem.

I remember being in guides (or maybe brownies) 40+ years ago, and discovering the verse about pouring "thy choicest gifts" on the queen and being outraged. She's rich! She should be pouring gifts on me!

I was a young republican in the making back then I think!