# Do you like your national anthem? **URL:** \ **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:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/101 "2019-07-03T12:01:08Z")
I’m Scottish, and the anthem thing is complex. I remember Commonwealth games in the seventies when Scotland used “Scotland the Brave” and England used “Land of Hope and Glory”. England quite purposely didn’t use “God Save The Queen”, as it is the national anthem of the UK. Now we have a situation where for football, rugby, Commonwealth games etc Scotland uses “Flower of Scotland” and England uses “God Save the Queen”. “Flower of Scotland” is stirring if done correctly, and everyone knows the words (to the first and third verses, anyway). “God Save the Queen” is a dirge, has some questionable lyrics, and ultimately boils down “One entity I don’t believe in save another entity I don’t believe in”. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/102 "2019-07-03T13:06:27Z")
I don’t care for _The Star Spangled Banner_ either - too hard to sing. (Most songs are too hard to sing for me.) I would prefer “My Country Tis of Thee” but it will probably never get changed at this point. One of my favorite national anthems is the tune of _Duetschland Uber Alles_ because I like Hadyn. And I actually kind of like the Japanese anthem. The first time I heard it was at the 1984 Olympics, when a Japanese gymnast named IIRC Gushiken won a gold medal in gymnastics, after years of trying. And watching him stand there, with tears running down his face, bursting with pride for what he had done for himself and his country while his anthem played was a moment of insight. Japanese people felt, and he felt. like I did when US players won. It drew me into his pride and his patriotism. That’s what the Olympics are supposed to be about, patriotism, not nationalism. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/103 "2019-07-03T15:14:28Z")
[Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing](https://youtu.be/0fdMbRwGAsg) Songs just don’t get any better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/104 "2019-07-03T16:21:06Z")
[Oh Canada!](https://youtu.be/DqPwjwmDWgQ) three women a cappella, multi-linguistic and pan species. I find it’s inclusive presentation moving. ---
**Author:** ![Skies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Skies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skies)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/105 "2019-07-04T04:12:35Z")
Canadian here. I like it. Even learned the French version. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/106 "2019-07-04T04:21:45Z")
I am confused. I thought the national anthem of our northern neighbor was “Blame Canada.” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/107 "2019-07-04T04:30:03Z")
Doesn’t the USA have four national anthems: - Star Spangled Banner - America The Beautiful - My Country Tis of Thee - God Bless America ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/108 "2019-07-04T13:01:12Z")
Like a number of my British compatriots, I find our national anthem somewhat drab, dirgey and uninspiring. There’s one I’d like to suggest as a replacement – jolly, upbeat tune; good-humouredly chauvinistic sentiments; and some hilariously awful wordplay / forced rhymes. > **[The Snug Little Island. Thomas Dibdin (1771-1841). I. Patriotism. Bliss...](https://www.bartleby.com/360/8/11.html)** > > The Snug Little Island. Thomas Dibdin (1771-1841). I. Patriotism. Bliss Carman, et al., eds. 1904. The World's Best Poetry. VIII. National Spirit There’s a YouTube video (tune and words), which I lack the skill to link to: _The Snug Little Island_ aka _The Island_ – performed by P.M. Adamson. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/109 "2019-07-04T13:17:06Z")
> [@K364](#): > > Doesn’t the USA have four national anthems: > > - Star Spangled Banner > - America The Beautiful > - My Country Tis of Thee > - God Bless America No. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/110 "2019-07-04T19:13:33Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I am confused. I thought the national anthem of our northern neighbor was “Blame Canada.” 😕 Nah, that’s the USA’s national anthem. The five patriotic American tunes (particularly “The Star-Spangled Banner”) are sometimes mistaken for being their national anthem. Your northern neighbour’s anthem is Oh Canada! [The complete lyrics are: “cooo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo, cooo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo.” Here’s a hugely popular rendition of it preceding a geography lesson on The Great White North.](https://youtu.be/X-ZvAVcBIrQ) We also sing a [Royal Anthem “God Save the Queen”](https://youtu.be/2vNJRmxEC6Y?t=19) because she’s really competent and really hot ([yes, she’s a vet who served in WWII](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftheenchantedmanor.com%2F%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F03%2FPrincess-Elizabeth-1942-ATS-Auxiliary-Territorial-Services-uniform.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftheenchantedmanor.com%2Ftag%2Fprincess-elizabeth-in-ats-uniform-and-hat%2F&docid=K7ssRntnjxHyiM&tbnid=PqullbWcemdVxM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwienJzD-5vjAhVaWs0KHYIvDNgQMwhHKAMwAw..i&w=597&h=700&safe=off&bih=576&biw=1388&q=young%20queen%20elizabeth%20uniform&ved=0ahUKEwienJzD-5vjAhVaWs0KHYIvDNgQMwhHKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8)). I guess the closest the USA comes to a Royal Anthem [is this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7SqSNQeAFM). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/111 "2019-07-04T19:54:12Z")
I’d prefer “We Shall Overcome” or “This Land Is Your Land” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/112 "2019-07-05T00:05:09Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > I guess the closest the USA comes to a Royal Anthem [is this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7SqSNQeAFM). What about _Hail To The Chief_? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/113 "2019-07-05T01:05:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > What about _Hail To The Chief_? Hail to the chief. He’s the chief and he needs hailing — [https://youtu.be/uWWQVmKOI28](https://youtu.be/uWWQVmKOI28) Hail to the chief. If you don’t I’ll have to kill you — [https://youtu.be/rIJoJMA6UAk](https://youtu.be/rIJoJMA6UAk) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/114 "2019-07-05T01:14:44Z")
Heh, I watched that movie a couple of weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/115 "2019-07-06T14:48:42Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > I’m Scottish, and the anthem thing is complex. I remember Commonwealth games in the seventies when Scotland used “Scotland the Brave” and England used “Land of Hope and Glory”. England quite purposely didn’t use “God Save The Queen”, as it is the national anthem of the UK. > > Now we have a situation where for football, rugby, Commonwealth games etc Scotland uses “Flower of Scotland” and England uses “God Save the Queen”. > > “Flower of Scotland” is stirring if done correctly, and everyone knows the words (to the first and third verses, anyway). “God Save the Queen” is a dirge, has some questionable lyrics, and ultimately boils down “One entity I don’t believe in save another entity I don’t believe in”. I thought it was “Loch Lomond”. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/116 "2019-07-06T19:51:36Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > I guess the closest the USA comes to a Royal Anthem [is this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7SqSNQeAFM). In the comments section, someone posted “Sounds like a porn star’s name.”😃 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239/117 "2019-07-06T23:55:11Z")
I love Canada’s new National Anthem _[Free AF](https://youtu.be/0I6A0Z2y28g)_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-your-national-anthem/813239.md?page=5)