Sport + National Anthems

[nelsonone]

Watching the RWC over the past coule of weeks has introduced me to a few new national anthems and funnily enough I seem to have had my likes and dislikes.......watching 20 stone thugs sing out loud without being in coo-eee of a note and with tears in their eyes always tugs at my heartstring....55555....so here goes

I'll start with my own two "Advance Australia Fair" + "God Defend New Zealand"...sorry its a long story why I have two...

generally I don't sing along with anthems but I'm happy to mumble along to Advance Australia fair....mostly because growing up as a kid I had to sing "God save the Queen" in Australia, NZ and England....which to me is a ridiculous anthem..why would you want to sing about an old queen....55555

"God Defend NZ" has too many notes and is very simplistic....I find myself singing it in my head with the words to "twinkle twinkle little star" as I did when I was an Aussie kid who moved to NZ (for a few years)...I wish that we just did the Haka only instead....but I do like the Maori words for the first half of it (a recent politically correct innovation)

I actually really like the SA anthem...especially the melodic african first half

The newer Eastern european dirges are fantastic....all mumbled and heartfelt.....as is the Italian one

I really like the way the Scottish and Welsh sing their national songs out proud and don't sing God save Lizzie.....also there is some controversy about the Irish one (se a separate thread in idle chit chat) but there is always plenty of controversy about anything Irish......even IJ 55555

The people of the Pacific Island Nations can all actually sing...even the Rugby players and I just love these...as i do their own versions of the Haka

But my absolute favourite is the french one....I just love the bloodthirsty words and delivery the French give it...

sorry but I don't get the USA one of singing about the flag

anyway there's a quick critique of mine....anyone else got their likes and dislikes

[steve@thaib]

I find ours mildly embarassing, it's a ridiculous sentiment that's a hundred years out of date. To be fair, most of them seem pretty excruciating and the cameras always seem to struggle to find a player who knows all the words.

When I was at Murrayfield and they sang 'Flower of Scotland' the hairs stood up on the back of my neck; it was awesome. That's what a national anthem should be.

[pablo]

Originally Posted by nelsonone

Watching the RWC over the past coule of weeks has introduced me to a few new national anthems and funnily enough I seem to have had my likes and dislikes.......watching 20 stone thugs sing out loud without being in coo-eee of a note and with tears in their eyes always tugs at my heartstring....55555....so here goes

sorry but I don't get the USA one of singing about the flag

Come on Nels'....

This guy (author) was on acid, and tripping out over seeing the "stars and stripes", through the haze and blasts of battle.

Wilkopedia:

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States, with lyrics written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key. Key, a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, wrote them as a poem after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, by British ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by nelsonone

sorry but I don't get the USA one of singing about the flag

I love the US one. Never get tired of hearing it before a ball game. Especially because it is not an easy one to sing, and really challenges the soloist who performs it. Even the top pro singers are pressed to hit all the notes right on. But it sounds great when someone really nails it, especially the last few notes.

Originally entitled "The Defense of Fort McHenry," it was a poem written by a young man who witnessed the siege of Ft. McHenry, the fort defending Baltimore, from a ship with the British fleet, which bombarded the fort continuously for 25 hours in support of a land assault that was going on simultaneously. The Brits had already taken Washington, where they burned down the White House, the Capitol, and a good bit of the city. The fires could be seen from Baltimore, 40 miles away. Baltimore was not expected to be able to hold out long against the powerful British forces.

The commander of the fort had a flag made, 42 feet by 30 feet, and flew it from the ramparts, so that for miles around, it could be seen, showing that the fort had not yet been taken. He was determined that it would not be. An hour before dawn, the din from the cannons and rockets fell silent. Mr. Key awaited the first light of dawn, expecting that the fort had fallen to the tremendous assault of the British. Then, in the early light, he saw the immense flag still proudly waving. He was overwhelmed with emotion, which inspired him to write the poem later that day after the British released him(he had boarded the British ship under a flag of truce to negotiate a civilian's release). The British fleet lost 22 vessels, and their forces made little headway with the land assault, so that morning, the decision was made that the price to take Baltimore was too costly. They abandoned the assault and withdrew.

So the poem, later made a song and renamed, isn't so much about the flag, as it is about the courage, valor, and determination of American fighting men to defend American soil against all odds.

[pablo]

Originally Posted by JayBee

I love the US one. Never get tired of hearing it before a ball game. Especially because it is not an easy one to sing, and really challenges the soloist who performs it. Even the top pro singers are pressed to hit all the notes right on. But it sounds great when someone really nails it, especially the last few notes.

Originally entitled "The Defense of Fort McHenry," it was a poem written by a young man who witnessed the siege of Ft. McHenry, the fort defending Baltimore, from a ship with the British fleet, which bombarded the fort continuously for nearly 24 hours in support of a land assault that was going on simultaneously. The Brits had already taken Washington, where they burned down the White House, the Capitol, and a good bit of the city. The fires could be seen from Baltimore, 40 miles away. Baltimore was not expected to be able to hold out long against them.

The commander of the fort had a flag made, 42 feet by 32 feet, and flew it from the ramparts, so that for miles around, it could be seen, showing that the fort had not yet been taken. He was determined that it would not be. Just before dawn, the din from the cannons and rockets fell silent. Mr. Key awaited the first light of dawn, expecting that the fort had fallen to the tremendous assault of the British. Then, in the early light, he saw the immense flag still proudly waving. He was overwhelmed with emotion, which inspired him to write the poem later that day after the British released him(he had boarded the British ship under a flag of truce to negotiate a civilian's release).

So the poem, later made a song, isn't so much about the flag, as it is about the courage, valor, and determination of American fighting men to defend American soil against all odds.

Geeeezzzus JB.

You mean, he wasn't tripping on acid? 5555

[D`OH! MER]

[quote=nelsonone;390488]But my absolute favourite is the french one....I just love the bloodthirsty words and delivery the French give it...

I agree with you, it has to be the French 1 for me too
I think we should change our 1 (Scotland) its only any good to lift us when were playing England, better of with Scotland the Brave.

[nelsonone]

Gee thanks JB.....now I absolutely love it.....

seriously though....I am really glad you US guys love your national anthem....whenever I've seen it performed in the US everyone goes nuts about it and I am really impressed by that reaction (rather than the song).....I wish i could love both anthems of mine that much too but i just don't.....

and I really liked the tripped out Hendrix version....but I find the song...not the love for it....really corny (sorry I really don't mean to offend anyone by saying this)

[nelsonone]

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

When I was at Murrayfield and they sang 'Flower of Scotland' the hairs stood up on the back of my neck; it was awesome. That's what a national anthem should be.

have had this experience too...it's awesome in the real sense of the word!

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by nelsonone

seriously though....I am really glad you US guys love your national anthem....whenever I've seen it performed in the US everyone goes nuts about it and I am really impressed by that reaction (rather than the song).....I wish i could love both anthems of mine that much too but i just don't.....)

I think a lot of foreigners hear it, like at the Olympics, or a sports event in a foreign country, where they just play the music. Without the vocals, it really doesn't do much for me, either. But a great vocalist, really makes it special...

The one exception to that being......

Originally Posted by nelsonone

and I really liked the tripped out Hendrix version

Jimi His instrumental version is the one and only to ever do it justice. Talk about being tripped out on acid...... That is it!!! Because he was tripping, for sure!

Originally Posted by nelsonone

but I find the song...not the love for it....really corny (sorry I really don't mean to offend anyone by saying this)

Well.....Anthems are supposed to be corny.... aren't they?

[retepg]

The only problem with the South African national Anthem is when at home, the first part (Nkosi Sikele) is mumbled by the crowd and the Afrikaans section is belted out with gusto. A bit embarrassing.

Mind you, The Maori section of God defend New Zealand is sung a little quieter than the English part. At times.

My personal favorite is Flower of Scotland. But that has as much to do with a Scottish grand-dad.

[Masterwoodsman]

When Queen Elizabeth II dies and should big ears or his eldest lad take the throne will the national anthem become 'God save our gracious King' ??

[Dodger]

No it will probably be re-written/ chose another anthem. I'm proud of my national anthem, nearly know the words, but I think most people would be sort of proud of their national anthem because it has been played at some world sporting event recognising their countries success at that event.

[Thin White Duke]

Funnily enough I was thinking about this while watching Australia singing which I thought was quite funny,but didn't want to say anything for fear of offending anyone.

For me NZ's is the best,especially the Maori part, followed by England.It's like a resounding anthem.SA's is quite interesting being an amalgamation of N'kosi sikilele iAfrika (God Bless Africa) and Die Stem(The Voice) and then a bit of English thrown in at the end.Nice of them to do that although it might be a bit too long........anyway it seems to keep everyone happy along with the new flag which is much better imo

[Thin White Duke]

Originally Posted by Dodger

No it will probably be re-written/ chose another anthem. I'm proud of my national anthem, nearly know the words, but I think most people would be sort of proud of their national anthem because it has been played at some world sporting event recognising their countries success at that event.

Really?I thought it was an anthem passed down thru' the ages and you would just change the gender of the monarch?

It would be a shame to change it completely imo.Might as well abolish the monarchy at the same time if they do that.......

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Masterwoodsman;

When Queen Elizabeth II dies and should big ears or his eldest lad take the throne will the national anthem become 'God save our gracious King' ??

Originally the song was "God Save The King," and the first line was, "God Save Our Lord the King!"

It was first published in 1745, although they had been singing it in the theaters of London already before then. It first appeared sometime between 1740 and 1745, and the first public performance is attributed to a number of different people, as are the writing credits. The tune had been around in various forms for a hundred years or more before that, as an instrumental or with different lyrics.

I don't think they will be doing away with it any time soon, although there have been efforts to have Parliament pass a resolution proposing to create a separate anthem for English sports teams to have as their own, something "with a little more oomph and no mention of God in it!"

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Dodger;

No it will probably be re-written/ chose another anthem.

Don't count on it. You're stuck with" God Save the King/Queen." Personally, I think it is quite nice, although I was shocked when I first heard it sung as God Save The Queen. In America, it is a very popular patriotic song, sometimes played at sporting events and often in schools, titled, "America!" aka, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." I was absolutely taken aback when I found out it had anything at all to do with Brits or Queens, as next to the "Star-Spangled Banner," it is surely the most popular patriotic song in the US, and many people favor it over the SSB. We never sang the SSB in school, but sang 'America" quite frequently. SSB, and "America," form 2 parts of the trilogy of US patriotic songs that everybody knows, the 3rd one being "America, the Beautiful." There aren't any others that I know of, in fact.

Originally Posted by Dodger;

I'm proud of my national anthem, nearly know the words,

As well you should be!

Originally Posted by Dodger;

but I think most people would be sort of proud of their national anthem because it has been played at some world sporting event recognising their countries success at that event.

Not necessarily. As an instrumental, Star-Spangled Banner is a bit dreary and boring. Plus very few people can sing it properly, let alone know the words. It takes a very high-caliber vocalist to due it justice, and that is why we love to hear it sung before the start of every ball game, because they usually get a top-notch singer to do it. Even then, it is interesting to see if they can really do it well, and amusing, when some wannabe fails, if their voice cracks or they are forced to drop an octave on the last few notes. You will hear some boos then! Years ago, when the sitcom actress/comedienne Rosanne Barr, atttempted it at a Dodger's game, it caused a national uproar, and took her years to live it down.

SSB is just not for group singing. That is what we have "America"(easy, beginner's level) and "America the Beautiful,"(not too hard, not easy, either, intermediate level). But SSB is hard to sing, for advanced singers only!! And it is meant to be sung, not played by instruments(BORING!!). Nothing quite like a good a capella SSB!!!