Random AIBU - lyrics confusion over I Vow to Thee my Country

[Tailypo]

I've got another thread running at the moment, where I've asked what pieces of music people find moving.

One of my favourite ever pieces is the hymn I vow to thee my country.

I find the words and music really moving, mainly because it seems to suggest a really selfless and noble love (IMHO, as I know some people get offended by it as they think its really nationalistic!), but have realised that I don't actually understand it very well

At the start, the words are: 'I vow to thee my country, all earthly things above'. This has me stumped tbh!

I used to interpret it as 'I give/pledge to my country (i.e. England or Britain) all earthly things above', although I never thought about what that meant.

Now, I think it means that the 'country' and 'all earthly things above' are the same thing. So maybe the country is heaven, as it's 'above'?

Although I'm not sure then where 'all earthly things' comes into it, as I don't understand how 'all earthly things' can also be 'above', IYSWIM.

The other bit that I don't understand is the ending, where it talks about 'another country that I've heard of long ago'. I took this to literally mean another country, but I've read that it might actually be a metaphor for the human spirit.

What does everyone else think? I'm feeling really thick

I think it means the speaker vows to give their all to their country over and above all earthly/material things.
The other country I've always took to mean some sort of heavenly paradise place.
Probably all wrong though!

I make my vow to thee, my country, above all other earthly things i.e. my loyalty is first and foremost to my country.

The 'other country' I see as Heaven.

I'm pretty sure it is heaven. Doesn't it say something about 'final sacrifice'? Which I assumed was Jesus' sacrifice.

I've always understood it to mean that the singer values their country above all earthly things, but not as much as "the other country" i.e. heaven.

For some reason, it always makes me think of the Narnia books. Not sure why.

I'm with Smiling except without the Narnia reference.

The other country is defnitely heaven. It is classic Christian imagery of the time. Heaven is often referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven. the last line is a line from the psalms. The other clue is the line 'soul by souls and silently the shining bounds increase', .which is a reference to a spiritual kingdom

Have to say I have never thought about the first line though! It seems to me that it means I commit to my country above all earthly things.

Wikipedia says it was writting during world war one, and the first verse is all about the sacrifice made my young men in the war - selfless sacrifice for your country.

I think the Narnia reference is because in the last book it becomes clear that all other lands are just a reflection(or shadowlands) of Aslan's country, or heaven.

Or I could just be spouting complete bollocks.

I agree with this vicar (www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2494028/Patriotic-hymn-I-Vow-To-Thee-My-Country-obscene-fit-Christians.html)

I think it's horrendous. Propaganda, an ode to the most pointless, epic waste of life the world has probably ever known, glorifying the millions of deaths for no good reason in a war that never should have happened.

Good tune, but thats Holzst for you.

Lairy that article is really interesting. I read something similar the other day when I was trying to work out the words. I can understand why people would come to that conclusion.

My personal view, though, is that the hymn acknowledges the nobility and selflessness of laying down your life for your country but doesn't actually glorify it. Instead, I think it frames dying for your country as the ultimate act of humanity and brotherly (and Christian love). I think this is really powerful (and, in line with what precious posters have said, comparable with the final sacrifice made by Jesus with his crucifixion).

Rather than interpreting the words as propaganda for the First World War, I see the hymn as a description of a selfless love for one's country and, above that, for God (and for humanity), because of the last verse mentioning 'there's another country I've heard of long ago... etc.'

Doesn't the verse about the other country say "we may not count her army/ we may not see her king/ her fotress is a noble heart/ her pride is suffering" (apologies if that's wrong, haven't sung in 20+ years) which always made me think that because we couldn't see this other place/its army and because it's fortress and pride were also invisible therefore the country itself was invisible i.e. Heaven.

Interesting interpretation of what "another country" could be twisted to mean in the film of the same name. (Russia. And defecting to it.)

Lairy - I totally see your point of view.

Interestingly though the original first verse did glorify war, and he re -wrote it, to remove the idea of glorifying war and replace it with the nobility of sacrifice for a greater good.

In my 2017 eyes, I don't see anything good in the sacrifice of WW1, but seeing it through the view of one living at the time, I guess it is an attempt to see the young men as not having died in vain, not because they died for the war, or even the goal of winning the war, but because they were dying for someone else, ie an act of sacrifice.

In that sense it was quite radical for its time.
Whether or not we should still sing it is another matter.
Better than Rule Britannia though, which should either be re written with new words to the tune, or banned!

It's

I vow to thee [...] the service of my love.

Lots of troublesome bits in the poem, tbh, but you need to look at more than one line at a time to get the sense.

Hey OP I thought you might be interested in this...

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0076xbb

Ahh thanks Enid :)

That makes a lot of sense Pengggwn - thanks! It's a lot clearer to think of it that way than how I interpreted it before.

I love the tune,but I don't agree with the sentiment - I don't think that a country should have first call on love,devotion,sacrifice ahead of all other considerations - it's "I vow to my country my service and love in its entirety,ahead of anything earthly,ie God does get precedence,but nothing else"
And "the love that asks no questions..."
No,just no.
And the other country is heaven,it's King is Jesus.