The British National Anthem

I'm an England supporter, 100% but on a day when Giggs and Bellamy are facing criticism for not singing "God save the Queen", I find myself in sympathy with them.

The problem is that England, or more properly the English establishment, has hijacked the British National Anthem. When England plays Wales or Scotland at football, rugby etc, Wales and Scotland proudly play their national anthems and we play the British anthem. Why?

Why hasn't England got it's own national anthem, Jerusalem or Land of Hope and Glory or another? I'm convinced if England did have, the Giggs and Bellamy's might find their voices when playing for team GB

 

I think the British anthem should stay as is....

s for the English...I'm sure chas & Dave could come up with something apt....!!

 

Jerusalem has always been my tune for England ! Liston to the words?

 

Totally agree Goldie. Giggs and Bellamy were in a no win situation really. I think that the Enlgish should use Land of Hope and Glory for the anthem, like they used to at the Commonwealth Games. I'm sure the Welsh players would have joined in if they had.

I like Jerusalem, but it's too slow and turgid and when they tried it as the Enlgish Anthem at the last Commonwealth Games it didn't go down at all well.

Failing that the English should stick to God Save the Queen and the British Anthem should be Rule Britannia.

 

I'm not a republican and I do like the royals (or some of them) but I do think the English anthem should be Jerusalem and the British should be Rule Britannia, That always gets the hairs on my neck standing up during last night of the proms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8VH0sbEU20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnY83VTHSTM

 

The English national anthem should be the theme from Where Eagles Dare, no words required, just something a bit rousing!

 

Sorry, can't agree.

I'm not a royalist and not a huge patriot but, give me an England shirt, I'd be singing loud and proud simply because of what it represents.

England may be the country we live in but the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the nation we belong to.

There should be similar pride in representing the UK and, as such, all the team should sing it. At that point they are singing their national anthem and not someone else's. The fact that it it the same tune and words used for both is irrelevant for me - they mean something different.

For me, it could be sung to Old MacDonald Had a Farm and it wouldn't matter.

If representing Team-GB and the anthem that goes with it is so badly against the grain then they should have picked Beckham - he would have sung it with pride (and would have sung anything else had that been the case because he does carry that sense of pride).

 

I'm not anti-royalist, but such is the passion generated by Home Nation sporting fixtures, particularly the passion in Wales and Scotland, that every time the English team and fans sing the British national anthem before a match, effectively claiming it as their own, it alienates Welsh and Scottish supporters from that Great Britain anthem. At a time when England is trying to take back the St Georges flag from right wing extremists, surely the English deserve their own anthem? And all four Home nations can then unite under the British flag and "God save the Queen."

 

Excuse my ignorance but what has Jerusalem got to do with England? I thought Jerusalem was in Israel.

 

Don't blame any of the other nations within Little Britain singing or not singing ...You have that freedom. For anyone stated that everyone must join in ... is exactly why we are the laughing stock. Compete Hypocrisy gone mad IMO. We make the rules then bend them it's a a sham. in that position if i was Welsh then I very much doubt if i would sing. Ask yourselves why people don't sing? Anyway if truth been known this is about London and selling London not England regardless of the events that are not taking place in the City.

All the focus will be on how wonderful everyone has been getting this project on course ... How the complete East end of the city is now reformed ... it is for about six weeks. It all about the money.

Hope it lifts the country of course and it will but don't let it bullshit you.... lets hope its all goes well but the snapshot I saw re the opening show thing included Tiger Feet by Mud as a number ... fingers crossed then for that show

 

The symbolism of it as the UK anthem shouldn't change just because the English distance themselves from it - the Union Jack is being lofted high rather than the St George's cross.

I do see your point though and I guess it depends where you're coming from - if you interpret the double purpose as the English forcing their own national anthem on the others then it will serve to alienate whereas if you consider it as England adopting the collective anthem as its own too then it doesn't seem quite as bad.

I'm not sure how the Queen would take to her song being replaced (although if they used Radiohead's National Anthem instead then I wouldn't mind ).

 

Better still answer the questions ... there are enough of them?: In fact James apart from being a nice tune what exactly is it saying?

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

 

What about when we all have to sing "God save the King" to King Charles! May be we should look further to the future, Matt. William and Kate would probably go with Radiohead!

 

I'm not big on interpretation DT but I think I've covered it all....

 

Eeek - King Charles? I'd rather replace the corgis with spaniels and put them in charge. No real problem with Wills though - seems an exemplary character and royalty like him might get a few of us reverting back to the Monarchist approach (possibly a bit late for me though) especially if he'll accept Radiohead.

 

The problem with our anthem is that the song is ALL about the queen and nothing about the people or land. To be honest, I would never sing it. I'm rather anti-royalty myself and don't like being thought of as someone's subject!

 

I like it

 

We probably do need a new National Anthem and flag as Scotland will be off soon and the monarchy will possibly be gone within 50 years.

Land of Hope and Glory has reference to the monarchy so that's probably a no. As for Jerusalem it's a decent tune but the lyrics were written by a genuinely crazy person and isn't it about jesus in the UK? Not exactly ideal for our non Christian minorities.

Perhaps Jerusalem without lyrics spanish style with the Chartist tricolur as our national flag.

 

Clever!

 

i am pretty sure we have land and hope and glory played for when an english person wins a gold medal at the commonwealth games. which would mean that, that is englands national anthem. really who cares if a couple of welsh people dont sing it. i am going for australin citizenship. i will not be signing their anthem and i certainly wont be folllowing their cricket team.