Replace God Save the Queen?

[Free Bird]

My pick is personally Jerusalem. Land of Hope and Glory is a better song, but Americans would think that there's always a graduation going on.

[/]

Dave Save the Atlas

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm a huge fan of Jerusalem.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Jerusalem is a great song, infinitely better than the dirge, but it's an English anthem, not a British one.

[politicus]

Jerusalem is a great song, infinitely better than the dirge, but it's an English anthem, not a British one.

Yeah, replacing it with Britain wouldn't really work. Scottish mountains aren't all that green and "green and pleasant" and Scotland doesn't really fit...

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon Britain’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On Britain’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?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear: o clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariots of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight;
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In Britain’s green and pleasant land.

While God save the Queen is of course Christian. Jerusalem is so more unequivocally (not just a non-specified "God", but Christ as the Lamb of God and building Jerusalem). Many would probably want a new national anthem to be non-religious.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Rule Britannia should obviously be the all UK anthem. Jerusalem should be the English anthem.

[Gass3268]

Yes - "God Save the Queen" - Sex Pistols

[they don't love you like i love you]

It should be some post-hardcore song as all national anthems should.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Its a horrible dirge so should be replaced sure.

Scottish mountains aren't all that green and "green and pleasant"

Neither are English ones of course (Peak District aside: ah geology). But yes it would make no sense as a 'British' anthem.

[RINO Tom]

Jerusalem is a great song, infinitely better than the dirge, but it's an English anthem, not a British one.

Is God Save the Queen not popular in Britain?  I always kind of liked it...

If you forget how comically simplistic the words are (which is easy for me, as I don't speak French), I think it's pretty hard to say France's isn't one of the best.

[bore]

Jerusalem is obviously a great tune, but I personally can't take it seriously ever since someone told me that the appropriate answer to it is "no, no, no, no and get it yourself".

[Green Line]

I personally like "I Vow to Thee my Country"

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Jerusalem is a great song, infinitely better than the dirge, but it's an English anthem, not a British one.

Is God Save the Queen not popular in Britain?  I always kind of liked it...

If you forget how comically simplistic the words are (which is easy for me, as I don't speak French), I think it's pretty hard to say France's isn't one of the best.

There was a poll, which predictably I can't find beyond being cribbed in a MailOnline coumn:

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So obviously not that inspiring. It fails as an anthem in many ways. Tune is plodding and repetitive. Lyrics uninspired. Message non-existent. Uniqueness absent(it's also Liechtenstein's anthem).

[muon2]

Jerusalem is obviously a great tune, but I personally can't take it seriously ever since someone told me that the appropriate answer to it is "no, no, no, no and get it yourself".

I always think of it with synthesizers since I owned the Emerson Lake and Palmer LP that included it.

[Badger]

It should be some post-hardcore song as all national anthems should.

STFU and DIAF.

[Halgrímur]

I prefer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdY1Y5XNJBY&noredirect=1

"The English, the English, the English are best
I wouldn't give tuppence for all of the rest.

The rottenest bits of these islands of ours
We've left in the hands of three unfriendly powers
Examine the Irishman, Welshman or Scot
You'll find he's a stinker, as likely as not.

Och aye, awa' wi' yon Edinburgh Festival

The Scotsman is mean, as we're all well aware
And bony and blotchy and covered with hair
He eats salty porridge, he works all the day
And he hasn't got bishops to show him the way!

The English, the English, the English are best
I wouldn't give tuppence for all of the rest.

Ah hit me old mother over the head with a shillelagh

The Irishman now out contempt is beneath
He sleeps in his boots and he lies through his teeth
He blows up policemen, or so I have heard
And blames it on Cromwell and William the Third!

The English are noble, the English are nice,
And worth any other at double the price

Ah, iechyd da

The Welshman's dishonest and cheats when he can
And little and dark, more like monkey than man
He works underground with a lamp in his hat
And he sings far too loud, far too often, and flat!

And crossing the Channel, one cannot say much
Of French and the Spanish, the Danish or Dutch
The Germans are German, the Russians are red,
And the Greeks and Italians eat garlic in bed!

The English are moral, the English are good
And clever and modest and misunderstood.

And all the world over, each nation's the same
They've simply no notion of playing the game
They argue with umpires, they cheer when they've won
And they practice beforehand which ruins the fun!

The English, the English, the English are best
So up with the English and down with the rest.

It's not that they're wicked or natuarally bad
It's knowing they're foreign that makes them so mad!

For the English are all that a nation should be,
And the flower of the English are Donald (Michael)
Donald (Michael) and Me!"

[Associate Justice PiT]

Jerusalem is a great song, infinitely better than the dirge, but it's an English anthem, not a British one.

Is God Save the Queen not popular in Britain?  I always kind of liked it...

If you forget how comically simplistic the words are (which is easy for me, as I don't speak French), I think it's pretty hard to say France's isn't one of the best.

     La Marseillaise suffers under translation (most things do TBH). The lyrics are a lot better if you have some familiarity with French.

[H. Ross Peron]

"God Save the Queen" should be the monarchical anthem but not the national anthem which should be either "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Rule Britannia"

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

If you forget how comically simplistic the words are (which is easy for me, as I don't speak French), I think it's pretty hard to say France's isn't one of the best.

Well I heard that the UK one would have originally been composed, and even written, by some French at some point in history, and then, lyrics on one side, music on an other one, would have been dug up later and became the UK anthem for some reason, no matter its roots.

Would confirm that France always been able of both the worst and the best.

That being said I tend to find this 'national song obligation' a bit silly and more and more part of the museum anyhow.

Last time I was in a crowd singing the Marseillaise (well, was in last January...) I was a bit disturbed, but it would be more by the 'French ambiance' rather than by the 'beat' of the stuff, which, yeah, kinda is fancy.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Uh...why?

If you forget how comically simplistic the words are (which is easy for me, as I don't speak French), I think it's pretty hard to say France's isn't one of the best.

Well I heard that the UK one would have originally been composed, and even written, by some French at some point in history, and then, lyrics on one side, music on an other one, would have been dug up later and became the UK anthem for some reason, no matter its roots.

Would confirm that France always been able of both the worst and the best.

That being said I tend to find this 'national song obligation' a bit silly and more and more part of the museum anyhow.

Last time I was in a crowd singing the Marseillaise (well, was in last January...) I was a bit disturbed, but it would be more by the 'French ambiance' rather than by the 'beat' of the stuff, which, yeah, kinda is fancy.

Marseillaise is probably one of the most violent and bloody national anthems anywhere (except possibly Mexico.)

[Leinad]

So obviously not that inspiring. It fails as an anthem in many ways. Tune is plodding and repetitive. Lyrics uninspired. Message non-existent. Uniqueness absent(it's also Liechtenstein's anthem).

And it's the tune of a US song ("My Country, 'Tis of Thee") and apparently some Norwegian song--I don't know what because I'm not Norwegian, but they sung it before their Euro qualifying leg vs. Hungary, in addition to the national anthems.

British people can enlighten me on this, but I've often wondered: how does someone sing "God Save the Queen/King" if they're against the monarchy? As in, do they hate it because they don't like the office?

[Hifly]

So obviously not that inspiring. It fails as an anthem in many ways. Tune is plodding and repetitive. Lyrics uninspired. Message non-existent. Uniqueness absent(it's also Liechtenstein's anthem).

British people can enlighten me on this, but I've often wondered: how does someone sing "God Save the Queen/King" if they're against the monarchy? As in, do they hate it because they don't like the office?

In that case, you simply don't sing it. This isn't America where patriotism is akin to idolatry; normal people don't actually care.

[afleitch]

I've never sung it. Even in the presence of the Queen.

[Leinad]

So obviously not that inspiring. It fails as an anthem in many ways. Tune is plodding and repetitive. Lyrics uninspired. Message non-existent. Uniqueness absent(it's also Liechtenstein's anthem).

British people can enlighten me on this, but I've often wondered: how does someone sing "God Save the Queen/King" if they're against the monarchy? As in, do they hate it because they don't like the office?

In that case, you simply don't sing it. This isn't America where patriotism is akin to idolatry; normal people don't actually care.

Huh, I thought the answer would be more interesting than that...

Thanks anyway!

[Emmon Frey]

God, yes. Not that it would really have much of an impact on my day-to-day life as suggested above. It's just a bit grim when we hear it at sporting events. Hardly the most rousing anthem.