Was just discussing national anthems with iamthelaw over lunch. What’s everybody’s favourite? Mine would be a toss up between the Russian and English. Two great tunes and if I was pushed to it I’d choose the Russian.
La Marseillaise by a country mile…
Must admit to being quite a fan of our own ‘Amhran na bhFiann’…
Yeah I’d say La Marseillaise and I’d have Amrn na bhFiann high on the list. I hate God Save…, God Defend… anthems - very lame. Flower of Scotland is a belter but undermined by the complete apathy of the people singing it to the cause identified in the lyrics.
Link to the Russian one here for those who can’t remember it:
http://www.du.edu/langlit/russian/anthtxt.html
I trust everyone is familiar with God Save the Queen, I couldn’t give a toss about the sentiment of the song I just think it’s a good tune.
Should say that to facilitate full participation of those sitting around us in the work canteen in our conversation, myself and BT sang excerpts from many of the anthems we mentioned, including the Russian, French, Welsh, English (a BT solo effort) and South African (my solo).
Big fan of the South African anthem, though I think mainly for its inclusive nature (structure and words) rather than its tune, would agree the Marseillaise is a rousing tune, feel that Fratelli d’Italia is a suitably upbeat tune for a sunny country, but am a fan of many things Russian, and agree with BT that their anthem is my favourite. Actually have it on my i-pod.
Love a good anthem before a rugby international; my favourites to hear the crowd sing are:
The Welsh one (sounds class when a full millenium stadium bang it out)
Advance Australia fair
God defend New Zealand
and of course i love the Irish one, yes thats right Irelands call
I hate: Flower of scotland, La Marseille, Dusty Sands of Egypt, The craic with Iraq, A man in Iran, God save the queen
Got to disagree with you on God Defend New Zealand, it’s ridiculous to have an anthem where you only sing the second half of it (the first half being in Maori). The half they sing is fine, but it’s too late to rescue it at that stage imo.
Advance Australia Fair always seems arrogant to me, maybe just cos it’s usually followed by them winning whatever sporting contest is being contested; but “our land abounds with nature’s gifts, of beauty rich and rare”. Well 90% of it’s desert, beautiful & all as it is the only reason your family went there, is cos your great-granda was a thieving fcuk.
Think the Welsh national anthem is great - and the key chorus line of Ireland’s Call is very similar to it - but that it’s actually better in English than in Welsh.
By the way, suppose it’s no surprise that Verse 5 of the Aussie national anthem is “rarely sung”:
Shou’d foreign foe e’er sight our coast,
Or dare a foot to land,
We’ll rouse to arms like sires of yore
To guard our native strand;
Brittannia then shall surely know,
Beyond wide ocean’s roll,
Her sons in fair Australia’s land
Still keep a British soul.
In joyful strains the let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!”
Ireland’s call is the worse excuse for a national anthem I have ever heard…
Mick Doyle RIP said the one thing that he would change about the Irish team was to get rid of Ireland’s call
Fair play to him
Obviously Fratelli d’Italia is the greatest national anthem in the world but the Brazilian one runs it close.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rt-JzW98KA
Chilean one is great as well.
Quite like the Liechtenstein one myself.
italys is the best but I was welling up singing advance australia fair when we were playing England a few weeks ago so thats my 2nd favourite now
The irish one is decent but the mong who translated it fucked up big time
[quote=“The Wild Colonial Bhoy, post: 795127, member: 80”]italys is the best but I was welling up singing advance australia fair when we were playing England a few weeks ago so thats my 2nd favourite now
The irish one is decent but the mong who translated it fucked up big time[/quote]
(In nervous apprehension) - TASE, can you post your translation of it please?
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Sinne Fianna Fáil,[/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=sans-serif][fn 1][/FONT]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]atá faoi[/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=sans-serif][fn 2][/FONT][SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif] gheall ag Éirinn,[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Buíon dár slua[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]thar toinn do ráinig chughainn,[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Faoi mhóid bheith saor[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Seantír ár sinsear feasta,[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil,[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun báis nó saoil,[/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=sans-serif][fn 3][/FONT]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar,[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12px][FONT=sans-serif]Seo libh canaig amhrán na bhfiann[/FONT][/SIZE]
I have to say I miss iamthelaw and my lunches with him. 7 years, where does the time go.
For the record the American national anthem is no my favorite.
Greece’s Hymn to Liberty. A magnificent tune…
Shame they’re no longer a nation.