# Do you like your national anthem?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 27, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239 "2018-04-27T20:14:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/1 "2018-04-27T20:14:32Z")
Living in US, I truly enjoy listening to our national anthem. I like the music and the opportunity for the singers of it to really show off their range. To be honest, I like the music of Canadian anthem better, but ours is pretty good as well. But I can imagine living in a country where the national anthem just doesn’t do it for me. And having to hear it over and over again being torturous. Anyone with that experience?
---
### Author:  [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/2 "2018-04-27T20:37:40Z")
I’m an American and I think our national anthem sucks. Impossible for normal people to sing, archaic in lyric and melody, and glorifies war. Canada’s anthem is so much better in every way. And for an achingly beautiful melody, you can not beat Japan’s.
---
### Author:  [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/3 "2018-04-27T21:56:52Z")
I love our National Anthem. Not easy to sing, as many singers mess with it and mess it up. When it’s sung well, it gives me goose bumps.
---
### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/4 "2018-04-27T22:26:42Z")
I’m American and I like ours. It’s got a powerful triumphant thing going. I just wish they’d play it more. You never really hear it publicly.
---
### Author:  [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/5 "2018-04-27T22:27:14Z")
Not a big fan of the national anthem. I think we could do better than an old English drinking song. I do kind of like the second verse, which is rarely sung. I mean, the one time I heard it, I liked it.
---
### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/6 "2018-04-27T22:36:20Z")
American national anthem - no - too long, too wide a range (the high notes are too high, the lows are too low)
Taiwanese national anthem - not really a fan of it either, it sounds quite depressing.
---
### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/7 "2018-04-27T22:47:34Z")
I’d prefer “America the Beautiful” as an anthem.
---
### Author:  [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/8 "2018-04-27T22:59:26Z")
The American national anthem is good although a bit sedate. Have you ever heard the Brazilian national anthem? That’s one that makes you really stand up straight.
---
### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/9 "2018-04-27T23:16:05Z")
> [@bobot](#):
>
> I’m American and I like ours. It’s got a powerful triumphant thing going. I just wish they’d play it more. You never really hear it publicly.
I’m rather indifferent. it’s okay. I’m just chiming in to disagree with the “play it more” idea. I don’ need to hear it publicly anytime other than the Olympics when one of ours get’s the gold. As far as I’m concerned, the MLB and the NFL would be better without playing it.
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/10 "2018-04-27T23:21:24Z")
I’m American and I love our National Anthem. Only whenever I hear it, in whatever venue, as soon as it ends, my brain supplies the words, “Play ball!”
---
### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/11 "2018-04-27T23:25:48Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#):
>
> I’m an American and I think our national anthem sucks. Impossible for normal people to sing, archaic in lyric and melody, and **glorifies war** …
Glorifying war is a common theme among national anthems.
Remember that most national anthems were frozen in place a century ago or more. Times have changed; anthems, not so much.
I have always liked the one presented by Leonard Wibberly in his fiction book, _A Feast of Freedom_, from some obscure and slightly cannibalistic South Pacific Island nation. Sing it to the tune of \*Jesus Loves Me:\*Lily-skinned feller
Across the sea,
I’'ll eat you
Or you’ll eat me.
---
### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/12 "2018-04-27T23:27:17Z")
> [@Procrustus](#):
>
> I’m rather indifferent. it’s okay. I’m just chiming in to disagree with the “play it more” idea. I don’ need to hear it publicly anytime other than the Olympics when one of ours get’s the gold. As far as I’m concerned, the MLB and the NFL would be better without playing it.
But they only play it at the beginning of each and every game. Only once. They could play it, oh I don’t know, between every inning. Or when coming back from commercial breaks.
---
### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/13 "2018-04-27T23:29:24Z")
> [@drewder](#):
>
> …Have you ever heard the Brazilian national anthem? That’s one that makes you really stand up straight.
Yes, and just about every Brazilian that I’ve ever met sings it loudly and proudly to the last word every time. The Brazilian national football team is known for singing it to the end, well past the allotted time limit and after the music has been cut off.
---
### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/14 "2018-04-27T23:38:26Z")
> [@susan](#):
>
> I’d prefer “America the Beautiful” as an anthem.
Oh Hells no; & while we’re at it, can we _please_ go back to “_Take me out to the ballgame_” for the 7[sup]th[/sup] inning stretch.
---
### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2018, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/15 "2018-04-28T07:41:49Z")
The French seem to have “the war thing” more than most in their anthem - the end of the first verse (i.e. the official part that’s always sung) being - roughly translated - “We will irrigate our crops with those foreign bastards’ blood”
---
### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2018, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/16 "2018-04-28T07:46:54Z")
> [@Spiderman](#):
>
> Oh Hells no; & while we’re at it, can we _please_ go back to “_Take me out to the ballgame_” for the 7[sup]th[/sup] inning stretch.
By the 7th inning, you can rest assured you are already AT the ball game. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2018, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/17 "2018-04-28T07:48:56Z")
I love it. I never heard it before the Mayweather Paquiao fight, and I think the Philippine anthem is one of the three best in the world (with Russia and France).
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvG7RumlMcY)
---
### Author:  [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2018, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/18 "2018-04-28T08:15:39Z")
I’m in the UK, so god no. Ours is a dirge. We aren’t short of British composers with suitable pieces. Any section from Elgar’s "[pomp and circumstance"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0PHWKRFgZ0) would be better, Or Purcell’s “[trumpet Tune and Air](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuHtLxxuJsY)” Or Holst’s [Jupiter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koNxs54pSMI)( and it would be put to popular vote when I become benevolent dictator. Being such though, I would of course fix the vote to ensure it aligned with my favourite.)
I much prefer the Italian, Scottish, Russian, French and German in that order. The USA one is fine but the words are dreadful and it is murdered every time someone tries to “sing” it.
---
### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2018, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/19 "2018-04-28T08:21:01Z")
I’m Australian, and gaaah. Our ‘new’ anthem is the pox.
Our anthem SHOULD be ‘GOD BLESS AUSTRALIA’ to the tune of Waltzing Matilda, our unofficial national song. Anything else is just bullshit.
---
### Author:  [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2018, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/20 "2018-04-28T09:46:09Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> Yes, and just about every Brazilian that I’ve ever met sings it loudly and proudly to the last word every time. The Brazilian national football team is known for singing it to the end, well past the allotted time limit and after the music has been cut off.
Wow. Not just the team, [the entire _stadium_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFxz1vvIFA) !
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239.md?page=2)