Is the chosen English rugby anthem appropriate do you think?

[NothingWrong]

To me, it's an emotional song, about God really (coming for to carry me home). England has reduced it to bringing home a prize. Apart from cultural appropriation, is it appropriate for England to use a sort of Gospel song sung by black slaves as their rugby anthem?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Low,_Sweet_Chariot

Here's a link to its origins btw.

Personally I think it's arrogant of them to use this song in the way they do. I'm not looking for a fight! Rugby fans are generally respectful, so I'm just wondering A whether English fans know the origins of the song and B whether anyone else feels it's a little 'off'?

Funnily enough, I think the "bring me my chariot of fire" line in Jerusalem draws on the same old testament story as "Swing Low" does.
And there was the eighties film too.
The English must like this story.

Actually, read in context Blake’s preface to his work Milton (And did those feet in ancient times) appropriated by Parry for his jingoistic Jerusalem is a call to arms for the creative against the people who can only see materialism.

Rather than simply retelling the myth of Joseph of Arimathea bringing a young Jesus to England, it questions the insular view that England was so amazing that the lamb of god would up sticks from the Middle East to visit some hills in England (note the punctuation including exclMation marks and question marks in the original text)

It then moves on to challenge the view that there is anything holy In Blake’s contemporary England - again Blake questions this by asking whether Jesus can be present among “these (not those) dark satanic mills”, whether these mills are flour mills, cotton mills or churches (ie the established religion) is open to debate. Personally (and person interpretation is very much par for the course with Blake) I think he’s talking about the tangible status quo, where money and power sit.

He then talks about the future. The past is a lie, the present is shit, so what are we going to do? Can we make it better? Yes we can if we reject the status quo, we need to fight to take up arms of bows, arrows, spears and swords, not physically but mentally, we need to fight for change, to bring a new era where our God is not money and power but something more pure.

Whether the reference to “chariots of fire” relates to the Egyptian sun god Ra riding his chariot across the sky or the appropriation of the imagery in several places in the Bible, I think it’s asking us to see something new (or indeed old and largely forgotten or hidden- at Blake’s time). In kings 6:17 Elisha asks God to open a persons eyes, whereupon they see horses and chariots of fire, the army who threaten to overpower them have their eyes closed and do not see the Amazing truth that those with their eyes truely open see. This enables the army (a symbol of power and establishment) to be crushed

Just my thoughts on what Blake might have meant. Others might interpret it differently though (that’s the beauty of Blake).

But one things for sure - it’s not - isn’t England great? So probably not suitable for a national anthem!

NothingWrong.
The Fields of Athenry is not the Irish National Anthem. It's just a song Irish supporters like to sing
Amhrán na bhFiann is the Irish National Anthem- sung with gusto at Ireland rugby and soccer matches. Because the Irish rugby team consists of players from both sides of the Irish border, north and south, the Irish National Anthem was looked on as inappropriate for the Northern Irish players and supporters as it is fiery and praises rebellion against the ruling English. Most Northern Irish players would come from a Unionist background whatever their personal beliefs.
Hence both the Irish National Anthem and Ireland's Call are sung.
Ireland's Call is a compromise.

Ah, I recognise OP now. She's been on here under a few different usernames with some quite peculiar notions as to what it means to be Irish.

Northern Irish people don't count, protestants are Anglo Irish iirc, there was no such thing as wealthy Irish Catholics until recently etc etc etc.

I don't disagree with her about swing low though!

for a country that was one of the principal benefactors of the slave trade to adopt a song written by an ex-slave, about the hardship of life as a slave, as a symbol of their national pride

not a country, a sporting federation/the sport's fans.

Such a typical choice from England though, wouldn’t you say

Is it worth mentioning here that the UK was the first country to adopt legislation to address modern slavery? You know, just to address all the England/UK bashing on here?

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

nothingwrong I hope you enjoyed the match, I did 👏

Our Irish friends seem to have gone awfully quiet....which in some cases is a good thing