To think England has one of the worst National anthems in the world?

[1066vegan]

I was reading the thread about the neighbours who want to follow the much loved/greatly dreaded Thursday clap with a neighbourhood singalong.

The Welsh and Russian national anthems were both mentioned and it got me thinking. I really love the Welsh and French national anthems (I live in 1066 country now but was born in Wales to Welsh parents so when it come to rugby or national anthems I'll always assert my right to call myself Welsh 😊), the Russian anthem is pretty rousing and the South African anthem is also great.

But dear God, the English national anthem is terrible. The words are about sucking up to royalty rather than love for the country. The origin of the lyrics and the usually omitted verse about the Scots make them even worse. The tune is a complete dirge.

Surely not many countries can have a national anthem that's even worse than God Save the Queen.

"It's quite possible to say "I hate the English national anthem" without it being construed as "I hate England"."

how many times does it need to be said that it's not the English national anthem?

It is utter shite.

The Russian one is good, even the Pet Shop Boys like it.

how many times does it need to be said that it's not the English national anthem?

I did actual state upthread that England and the UK don't have official national anthems anyway. I felt correcting an accusation of bigotry trumped being pedantic on this one occasion ...

Yeah, I'd go for Land of Hope and Glory (which seems rather aspirational atm tbh), Jerusalem (too Christian/ warmongering?) Or my own personal choice: Waterfall by The Stone Roses (it wouldn't even matter if people mumbled it because it's sort of written to be mumbled )

I vote for the Archers theme tune instead.

Sure we could sort some lyrics

"I am skipping around Ambridge,
We don't have any Covid,
I am skipping around Ambridge,
Sod the rest of you!"

Sorry, couldn't resist

The best national anthem is... South Africa’s.

Yeah, I'd go for Land of Hope and Glory (which seems rather aspirational atm tbh), Jerusalem (too Christian/ warmongering?)

I’d have thought land of hope and glory was more war-mongery than Jerusalem, surely?

I disagree.

I'm no monarchist, not am I a fan of the general lyrics, but it's stately and stirring enough.

I'm not a fan at all of the trumpety jingly jangly style nonsense lots of countries seem to have that are all on the same level all the way through.

Welsh- brilliant to listen to in the Principality Stadium, or now known as Dragons Heart! (I’m Welsh, born here, still live here, but don’t speak Welsh, so I just make the right sounds every couple of notes!!)

Irish- I love

Scottish- I love

English- so boring, is the worst

Italian- bouncy and I can sing the whole tune thanks to Moto GP and years of Rossi winning!!!!!

I agree@Theresnobslikeshowb - and, to be fair, the Welsh win the singing wherever they are.

I suppose it's easy to appear anti-English when you're being somewhat negative about something that many English people are pretty passionate about. I've no problem with England or it's people at all.

Then again, being Scottish I don't take any personal offence to the poster who loves GSTQ despite the line about crushing us...

At least it's not Advance Australia bloody Fair. We went from one dirge to another.

As others have said God Save the Queen is the UKs anthem not England's.

Does the 100th person to point out that it's the UK, not English, anthem win a prize?

@Dazedandconfusedpart2 Then again, being Scottish I don't take any personal offence to the poster who loves GSTQ despite the line about crushing us...

It wasn't you, it was specifically the Scots involved in the 1745 Jacobite rebellion. Most weren't. And that verse hasn't been used for over 200 years.

So I repeat:

The "General Wade" verse was unofficial and so far as we know never used at any official occaison. Some Jacobites responded with this alternative verse, also unofficial:

God bless the prince, I pray,
God bless the prince, I pray,
Charlie I mean;
That Scotland we may see
Freed from vile Presbyt'ry,
Both George and his Feckie,
Ever so, Amen.

@PhoneLock

I know that, I was making an observation about how a love for GSTQ could be taken as anti Scottish sentiment when that verse is included (and I've definitely heard it sung by some - obviously not the national teams) similarly to the way some have said that a dislike for GSTQ is akin to anti-English sentiment.

As it happens I'm neither bothered about God, nor the Queen (or any coming after her) being saved so I'll never catch myself having to go along with the singing of it.

As a republican, I'd love an anthem for my country that I was actually able to stand for and sing. The UK anthem isn't an inclusive anthem for a whole nation. It's about a privileged elite. This should not be what any modern democratic society looks like. Plus it's a terrible dirge and always sounds woeful at events like the Olympics when compared to the great tunes of other nations like the US or France.

For obvious reasons related to the British history with that region, 'Jerusalem' isn't an ideal choice either. I'm agreed that 'Land of Hope and Glory' is a much more rousing tune. I'll vote with that one!

I’m a serious note though, WHY doesn’t England have its own anthem? A lot of people have called for one over the years I think.
People get annoyed that England and Britain seem to be used interchangeably, yet England doesn’t seem to be allowed to carve out an identity other than ‘British’.

I think it would be nice if all the UK countries had their own specific identities and anthems, then a specific British one on top of that when it is the whole of Britain represented