National Anthem

[Jonone]

It's a different song, but i've never really got the 'Britons never shall be slaves' from 'Rule Brittania' when in a sense we're subjects and not citizens. The citizenship thing is where the constitution/ bill of rights comes into its own isn't it ?

[jj]

It's two 'nevers', one 't' and two 'n's, BTW : -)

There are advantages to an unwritten constitution- look at the mess
and endless revisions, and reinterpretations that the written US one
has had to endure.

We are currently simultaneously subjects of the Crown and citizens of
the UK.
Hopefully we will never become 'citizens of the EU' [why does that term
irresistibly remind me of 1789?], with all the attendant disadvantages
of a biased and poorly-thought-out written constitution : -)

[Steve R]

There are three nevers, of course.

[jj]

I stand humbly corrected.
I usually snore through that bit, anyway : -)

[Dave Wells]

I'm an atheist and a republican so I don't ever sing this rubbish anyhow. Dreadful dreadful song. The French and the yanks have the best anthems.

[supsim96]

Aye, the French. They really let-rip with theirs.

[jj]

No way!. Mikhalkov died only last month, funnily enough.
A 'choral' version.
There is also a version with church-bells, which is quite odd although
still fairly faitthful to the original- but I guess might have been
transcribed in honour of the release of the Stalingrad siege.
I'll have to find a book on the subject..... [see below]

Simultaneously 'new Soviet' and somehow quintessentially Russian,
rather in the manner of Tchaikovsky, it's IMHO simply the best ever
anthem...... anyway, it always makes me cry- and if you know anything
about the terrible struggles of ordinary Russians throughout this
century and don't weep- then you're a heartless beast : -).

This and 'Palyushka polye' [the hoofbeats are apparently compulsory;
and yes, it's more Caspian, than pure Volga] are Russia's two greatest
contributions to civilization, followed [fairly!] closely by Gogol, the
Hermitage and Dostoevsky.
A fun version : -)


Don't bother with the bowdlerized and self-important Putin-era lyrics,
or the earlier one with the "Stalin stuff" taken out- the 1977 choral
version above starts with 'sayuz' ['union'], so I assume it's
yet another variant:
these I think are the original:
Россия — священная наша держава,
Россия — любимая наша страна.
Могучая воля, великая слава —
Твоё достоянье на все времена!

Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Братских народов союз вековой,
Предками данная мудрость народная!
Славься, страна! Мы гордимся тобой!

От южных морей до полярного края
Раскинулись наши леса и поля.
Одна ты на свете! Одна ты такая —
Хранимая Богом родная земля!

рокий простор для мечты и для жизни
Грядущие нам открывают года.
Нам силу даёт наша верность Отчизне.
Так было, так есть и так будет всегда!.

[Heidi Vincent]

Its time they kicked that sorry dirge into touch and replaced it with an anthem that sings praise to the country instead of the monarch.
I read once that its the only anthem that sings praise to the king/queen and its probably still true,says it all really,know your place and all that.
What about "I Vow To Thee My Country",much more stirring and meaningful?
Who knows,it may even cause an upsurge in national pride!!shocked!

Heidi V.
X

[jj]

Heidi Vincent wrote:
> What about "I Vow To Thee My Country",much more stirring and
> meaningful?

Partly because the Yanks have already nicked it as a back-up anthem;
partly because Holst's executors would demand huge royalties : -)
'Land of Hope and Glory' might be better, but would mightily piss-off
'the regions'.

[Floydoid]

jj wrote:

> 'Land of Hope and Glory' might be better, but would mightily piss-off 'the regions'.

Land of Hope & Glory is already the unofficial English anthem - it is used by the England athletics team for the commonwealth games.

I've always been of the opinion that we need a new UK national anthem, as the current one - god save the queen - has probably the worst lyrics and most infantile tune of any national anthem. Of current patriotic songs, probably Rule Britannia would be the most appropriate of the bunch, unless we get the poet laureate and the master of the queen's music (whoever they are) to compose something new that we can be proud of.

BTW, am I right in thinking that Liechtenstein's national anthem uses the same tune as ours?