Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

England's national anthem: 'God Save the Queen' versus 'Jerusalem'
Coventry Telegraph ^ | Jul 2018 | Bobby Bridge

Posted on 07/24/2019 9:18:08 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

Why is it Wales and Scotland, who share our monarch, both have stirring national songs while England plough on with our homage to Queen Elizabeth II? It's hardly the most uplifting and melodic of tunes...Compare it to France - whose tune La Marseillaise commences at 100mph without slowing down before it's defiant ending...Queen Elizabeth is our monarch, and quite rightly we sing for her. As we did for King George in the anthem's original adaption God save great George our king.

If we got rid of God Save the Queen, what would we sing?

When England compete in the Commonwealth Games, they sing the poem Jerusalem, it's regarded in many circles as the unofficial anthem of England. As well as its use at the Commonwealth Games, cricket fans following the country's fortunes sing it with gusto before play - however, the team still sing GSTQ.

"And did those feet in ancient time, Walk upon England's mountains green?"

It meanders through three verses before the final section that boasts the dramatic end...

"Till we have built Jerusalem, In England's green and pleasant Land."

What about any other options? The patriotic song 'Land of Hope and Glory' is a contender.
'Rule, Britannia!' Now this is a song that could rival Brazil or Italy for its upbeat tempo. It screams out patriotism and defiance.

(Excerpt) Read more at coventrytelegraph.net ...


TOPICS: History; Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: borisjohnson; brexit; england; godsavethequeen; jerusalem; johnson; may; nationalanthem; queenelizabethii; royals; uk; williamblake
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last
To: elcid1970

I love the ending when the girl says ‘mattress’, and everyone looks angrily at her, and she cries, “But it’s my only line!”


21 posted on 07/24/2019 9:37:46 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Just makes one want to ... kick up their heels and march into Poland, Hungary, Cuba, Eastern Germany...

But then again, I feel like that after a half a bottle of cheap vodka, too...

:^)


22 posted on 07/24/2019 9:39:37 AM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman

Germany’s “Deutschland uber Alles” always makes me want to invade something.

For me, it’s the fridge.


23 posted on 07/24/2019 9:39:58 AM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

rebelling against the dominance of reason from the Enlightenment period.


Thank heaven we’re beyond that now. /s


24 posted on 07/24/2019 9:41:29 AM PDT by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

I think it was originally a rejection of industrialization and what it was doing to the land and way of life.


25 posted on 07/24/2019 9:47:22 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Macoozie

I like the way you think!


26 posted on 07/24/2019 9:49:33 AM PDT by Thunder 6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: IronJack

Early industrial era England was bad, really bad, for most everyone but the aristocracy. They had no vote, orphanage was widespread, and the working conditions were off the charts bad. Dickens didn’t just dream up that Scrooge stuff.

The way of life in Manchester was the biggest influence on Engels deciding that workers needed a better life, and that the aristocracy would and we all know where he went with that concept. His dad owned a textile mill and he was right in the thick of the abuse.

Those mills might not have been satanic, but they were operated was nothing to much admire.


27 posted on 07/24/2019 9:55:36 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: IronJack; CondoleezzaProtege
It's William Blake (18th century), England's greatest artist, Christian (though not CoE); friend and admirer of Thomas Paine, not Karl Marx.

And yes, they were dark, satanic mills. The early Industrial Revolution in Britain was brutal, and Britain's ruling class one that Blake (and we, the American colonies) very rightfully rebelled against.

28 posted on 07/24/2019 10:05:08 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Stone cold sober, as a matter of fact.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

One of my Favorite ELP songs. (Brain Salad Surgery)


29 posted on 07/24/2019 10:10:38 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

I prefer the Emerson, Lake & Palmer version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upms8kxxxQw


30 posted on 07/24/2019 10:10:55 AM PDT by Gman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman

“Rule, Britannia!” has the word “slaves” in it, so they’ll probably say it’s racist for the same reason they say “The Star Spangled Banner” is racist.


31 posted on 07/24/2019 10:11:13 AM PDT by The Pack Knight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege
Rule Brittania👍
32 posted on 07/24/2019 10:11:17 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

Jerusalem is considered a left wing labor song by the laborites.


33 posted on 07/24/2019 10:18:19 AM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NFHale
Oh, “La Marseillaise” ended a LOT less “defiantly” in 1940.

Sort of like the Mexican national anthem, one of the most stirring and bellicose of all national hymns. Ironically, at the very same time it was adopted, 1854, corrupt Mexican legislators were selling off chunks of their country to the US.

34 posted on 07/24/2019 10:24:40 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

Saw the headline and thought of this hymn we used to sing years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9lgLPXsoJQ


35 posted on 07/24/2019 10:28:23 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NFHale

“Why, the French even planted a lot of trees so the Germans could march in the shade...”

The Brits fled the battlefield


36 posted on 07/24/2019 10:29:01 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

That is definitely in the top 5 (non American) for me along with:

Bulgaria
Hungary
Kazakhstan (uh, the real one)
Japan

Bonus would be “The Maple Leaf Forever”, and the old Persian anthem.


37 posted on 07/24/2019 10:29:48 AM PDT by VanDeKoik
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

When the French surrendered, the Brits were left hanging high and dry. Hence Dunkirk.

And Vichy France collaborated with the Nazis. That’s an awful large chunk of the country.

DeGaulle, as arrogant a jerk as he was, at least did not surrender.


38 posted on 07/24/2019 10:32:38 AM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Mrs. Don-o

In the age of mercantilism, those mills put England on the industrial map. Yes, there were labor abuses, just as there were in the industrializing United States.

But the rise of Labour’s New Jerusalem has corresponded directly with England’s decline. The green and pleasant land is a shell of iys former self.


39 posted on 07/24/2019 10:33:06 AM PDT by IronJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: The Pack Knight

That Rule Britannia is a good song. And musically I think that French anthem is pretty rousing. And the lyrics are pretty violent too.
But honestly, ours is probably one of the best.

But the Eyes of Texas beats them all, with Dixie and Battle Hymn of the Republic being silver and bronze.


40 posted on 07/24/2019 10:33:18 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson