# God Bless America is not the fucking national anthem! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 7, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856 "2011-10-07T02:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/181 "2011-10-11T00:55:36Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > “La Marseillaise” is pretty bloody: > Yeah, I think “rockets red glare” and “bombs bursting in air” is pretty tame by comparison! I can sing it in French, from the time I was studying French. I love that song. Our own anthem is military song with strong drum beats and fierce manly lyrics (“if a thousand times she is [motherland] enslaved, a thousand times she will break free!”), but for fierce, bloody lyrics nobody beats “La Marseillaise”. Funny I have yet to meet a French person that knows the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/182 "2011-10-11T01:10:26Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > And that brings us through R. I’ll stick with **Jackmanni** ’s assesment of Burkina Faso’s as the worst so far. That’s not an anthem, that’s a mission statement. I’d love to hear it to music, and I found it on youtube, but that led to the discovery that my speakers all of a sudden don’t work, and I can’t fix them till daylight. **Captain Amazing** , I can’t believe you’re going to so much trouble. Thanks. It’s very interesting, and I (for one) appreciate it. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/183 "2011-10-11T01:12:30Z")
The USA anthem is probably the most violent, 'cause ya gotta kick the singer in the nuts for him to make the high notes. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/184 "2011-10-11T01:20:20Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Based on **Captain Amazing** ’s anthem excerpts, I’d have to vote Burkina Faso as having the worst national anthem of all time… Gonna hafta to agree. Bondage, blood and fecal matter do not make for a good anthem – unless you belong to the BDSM nation. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/185 "2011-10-11T01:38:37Z")
Is Burkina Faso Swahili for “santorum”? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/186 "2011-10-11T02:28:32Z")
+1 for Burkino Faso being awful and depressing. I hear their anthem is pretty bad, too… If I were them, on topic to the thread, I might be ok with treating another song as if it were the national anthem… Even if it were God Bless America or In Love with a Stripper - really, anything else. How about mmm bop? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/187 "2011-10-11T02:34:55Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I’m also in a minority in that I don’t like God Bless America because I’m in the minority in that I’m an atheist. Just do what I do and leave out the “B” when you sing it. Instant atheist anthem. 😉 To be on the safe side, I leave out the “b” in the line “stand beside her” too. Then if somebody happens to notice it (which nobody ever has) and tries to ream me out for screwing with the lyrics, I can just look innocent and say “I 'eg your pardon, I don’t understand.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/188 "2011-10-11T03:11:24Z")
'OOOOOO! 'OOOOOO! Get off the stage, you um! ---
**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:** [October 11, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/189 "2011-10-11T03:19:47Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Gonna hafta to agree. Bondage, blood and fecal matter do not make for a good anthem – unless you belong to the BDSM nation. I don’t think its blood and fecal matter – it is blood and jism. The line “Of neo-colonialism and its petty local servants” is rather ironic, given that the French helped the long-time president in the coup that brought him to power. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/190 "2011-10-11T03:34:35Z")
Sounds like it was written when the country was in a Marxist phase, and they simply didn’t bother to change it. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/191 "2011-10-11T04:04:54Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > A lot of people think the anthem is too militaristic Pffft. Come back when \*your \*anthem calls for watering your crops with the blood of the enemy, ya pansies. The \*Marseillaise \*is bombastic, corny and pompous as hell. But you gotta admit, the lyrics are fucking metal. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/192 "2011-10-11T04:35:25Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > I won’t stand or otherwise do anything special for God Bless America for the same reason I won’t do more than be quiet for the Star-Spangled Banner. I love this country, but I believe patriotism is best demonstrated through action, not pageantry. If anything, I think precisely in how our country was founded that, if anything, such mindless, ceremonial crap is unAmerican. Still, I will respect others who think it is important by being quiet and not being a distraction but I won’t hold my hand over my heart or the like. > > And even still, I actually like the SSB because, as others said, it’s about a pivotal moment in our history when the future was so uncertain. In that light, we can see how far we’ve come. I even like the melody and, if so inclined, I like singing it because of the difficulty and range. Agree [quote=] The one thing that does piss me off though is people who try to show-boat with vocal gymnastics. STOP THAT! It’s hard enough to sing already and, if you are doing it out of patriotism, then you ought to also think it’s an honor to sing it in front of a crowd by itself and not feel the need to try to show off, especially since it fails more often than not. [/QUOTE] Disagree. There’s nothing more American than giving it your all, even at the risk of looking like a fool. IMO, anyone who sings the nat’l anthem publicly and decides to do some vocal gymnastics, should shoot for Olympic gold 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/193 "2011-10-11T05:13:07Z")
Ok, the great militarist national anthem search continues, with the S’s. Sao Tome and Príncipe > [@](#): > > Total independence, > Glorious song of the people, > Total independence, > Sacred hymn of combat. Of course, then it goes on to call the people “Warriors in the war without weapons,”, so either they’re masters of unarmed combat, or they’re sending a mixed message. Senegal > [@](#): > > But if the enemy burns our borders > We will be risen with weapons in our hands: > One people defying all sorrows with its faith, > Young and old, men and women. > Death, yes! We say death, but not shame. Slovakia [quoteFirs are still growing On the slopes of Kriváň Who feels to be a Slovak Let them hold a sabre And stand among us[/quote] Slovenia > [@](#): > > Let thunder out of heaven > Strike down and smite our wanton foe! I don’t know if it counts if it’s God doing it. Somalia > [@](#): > > Stop fighting each other > Come back with strength and joy and be friends again > It’s time to look forward and take command > Defeat your enemies and unite once again. > Become strong again and again South Sudan > [@](#): > > Oh great patriots, > let us stand up in silence and respect, > saluting our martyrs whose blood > cemented our national foundation, > we vow to protect our Nation Sudan > [@](#): > > We are the soldiers of God, the soldiers of our homeland, > We never betray the call for sacrifice. > Death we defy at adversity. > Glory we buy with the highest price. Suriname > [@](#): > > ``` > Rise country men, rise > > ``` > > The soil of Suriname is calling you. > Where ever our ancestors came from > We should take care of our country. > There is a fight to fight, we shall not be afraid > God is our leader > Our whole life until our death, > We will fight for Suriname. Sweden > [@](#): > > With God I shall fight for home and for hearth, > for Sweden, the beloved native soil. > I trade thee not, for anything in a world > No, I want to live, I want to die in the North. Thailand > [@](#): > > Thais are peace-loving, But at war we’re no cowards. > Sovereignty will not be threatened. > They will sacrifice every drop of their blood to contribute to the nation, > Hail the nation of Thailand, long last the victory, Hurrah. Togo > [@](#): > > Togo arise! Let us struggle without faltering. > Victory or death, but dignity. > God almighty, Thou alone, > Hast made Togo prosper. Tunisia > [@](#): > > Let the heavens roar with thunder > Let thunderbolts rain with fire. > Men and youth of Tunisia, > Rise up for her might and glory. > No place for traitors in Tunisia, > Only for those who defend her! > We live and die loyal to Tunisia, > A life of dignity and a death of glory. Turkey > [@](#): > > My friend! Leave not my homeland to the hands of villainous men! > Render your chest as armor and your body as trench! Stop this disgraceful rush! > For soon shall come the joyous days of divine promise… > Who knows? Perhaps tomorrow? Perhaps even sooner! > > View not the soil you tread on as mere earth - recognize it! > And think about the shroudless thousands who lie so nobly beneath you. > You’re the noble son of a martyr, take shame, hurt not your ancestor! > Unhand not, even when you’re promised worlds, this paradise of a homeland. > > What man would not die for this heavenly piece of land? > Martyrs would gush out should one simply squeeze the soil! Martyrs! > May God take my life, all my loved ones and possessions from me if He will, > But may He not deprive me of my one true homeland for the world. > > Oh glorious God, the sole wish of my pain-stricken heart is that, > No heathen’s hand should ever touch the bosom of my sacred Temples. > These adhans, whose shahadahs are the foundations of my religion, > May their noble sound last loud and wide over my eternal homeland. Turkmenistan > [@](#): > > I am ready to give life for native hearth > The spirit of ancestors descendants are famous for > My land is sacred. My flag flies in the world > A symbol of the great neutral country flies. Ukraine > [@](#): > > We’ll stand, brothers, in bloody battle, from the Syan to the Don, > We will not allow others to rule in our motherland. > The Black Sea will smile and grandfather Dnipro will rejoice, > For in our own Ukraine fortune shall flourish again. United Arab Emirates > [@](#): > > We all sacrifice for you, we supply you with our blood > We sacrifice for you with our souls oh homeland Uruguay > [@](#): > > Easterners, the Fatherland or the grave, > Liberty or with glory, we die! > Is the vote that the soul pronounces, > And in which, we heroes fulfill! Venezuela > [@](#): > > Let’s cry out aloud: (repeat) > Down with oppression! (repeat) > Faithful countrymen, your strength > lies in your unity; > and from the heavens ((repeat)) > the supreme Creator > breathed a sublime spirit > into the nation. Vietnam > [@](#): > > Armies of Vietnam, forward! > With one single determination to save our Motherland, > Our hurried steps resound on the long and arduous road. > Our flag, red with the blood of victory, bears the spirit of the country. > The distant rumbling of the guns mingles with our marching song. > The path to glory is built by the bodies of our foes. > Overcoming all hardships, together we build our resistance bases. > Ceaselessly for the People’s cause let us struggle, > Let us hasten to the battlefield! > Onward! All together advancing! > For one eternal Vietnam. Zimbabwe > [@](#): > > Oh lift high the banner, the flag of Zimbabwe > The symbol of freedom proclaiming victory; > We praise our heroes’ sacrifice, > And vow to keep our land from foes; > And may the Almighty protect and bless our land. Ok, so my thoughts. You get a lot of martial imagery from America and Africa, which, as former colonial possessions that had to fight to win their independence, makes sense. National anthems seem to fit into two main categories. “Let’s all die to keep our country free” and “Boy, our country is pretty”. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/194 "2011-10-11T05:15:19Z")
Based solely on their national anthems, which country would defeat the others? ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/195 "2011-10-11T05:28:53Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Based solely on their national anthems, which country would defeat the others? > [@Guinastasia](#): > > France. Already been answered above. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/196 "2011-10-11T05:53:27Z")
If you’re not going to stand for the national anthem, at least don’t BOO it. I’ve seen that from SOME Montreal Canadien fans, and I find it disgusting and boorish. (Note: they boo the “Star-Spangled Banner”, not “O’ Canada”) Don’t do it, people. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/197 "2011-10-11T06:01:38Z")
Let them hate us, so long as they fear us. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/198 "2011-10-11T13:01:57Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Ok, so my thoughts. You get a lot of martial imagery from America and Africa, which, as former colonial possessions that had to fight to win their independence, makes sense. National anthems seem to fit into two main categories. “Let’s all die to keep our country free” and “Boy, our country is pretty”. Spain’s belongs to a third category, “just improvise”, which is very much in keeping with out nathional mithos of “we suck at organizing, why do we always do things in the twelfth hour, oh mommy, I can’t believe we did it, we really need to stop improvising so much.” No official lyrics, people either sing some joke lyrics or just go “lalalala”. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/199 "2011-10-11T13:57:40Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Tunisia > > > [@](#): > > > > Let the heavens roar with thunder > > Let thunderbolts rain with fire. > > Men and youth of Tunisia, > > Rise up for her might and glory. > > No place for traitors in Tunisia, > > Only for those who defend her! > > We live and die loyal to Tunisia, > > A life of dignity and a death of glory. Ok, now THAT is metal! Sounds like it should be a Manowar b-side. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/200 "2011-10-11T14:01:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > If you’re not going to stand for the national anthem, at least don’t BOO it. I’ve seen that from SOME Montreal Canadien fans, and I find it disgusting and boorish. (Note: they boo the “Star-Spangled Banner”, not “O’ Canada”) > > Don’t do it, people. Habs fans? They pretty much exemplify the phrase “playing before a rough crowd.” Booing the USA anthem pales in comparison to what they did when the President of the NHL attended a game there after having suspended a player for knocking out a lineseman so that he could continue beating the shit out of another player (team mates even blocked the police from arresting the assailant): [Richard Riot - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Riot#Incident) > [@](#): > > Midway through the first period, with Montreal already down 2–0, Campbell arrived with three secretaries from his office (one of which he would later marry). The 15,000 in attendance immediately started booing Campbell. Some fans began pelting them with eggs, vegetables, and various debris for six straight minutes. At the end of the first period, Detroit had taken 4–1 lead, and the barrage began again. Despite police and ushers’ attempts to keep fans away from Campbell, a fan, pretending to be a friend of Campbell’s, managed to elude security. As he approached, the fan extended his hand as if to shake Campbell’s. When Campbell reached out to shake his hand, the fan slapped him. As Campbell reeled from the attack, the fan reached back and delivered a punch. Police dragged the attacker away while he attempted to kick the NHL president. Shortly after the fan attack, a tear gas bomb was set off inside the Forum, not far from where Campbell was sitting. Montreal Fire Chief Armand Pare mandated that the game be suspended for “the protection of the fans,” and The Forum was evacuated. Following the evacuation, Campbell took refuge in the Forum clinic, where he met with Canadiens’ General manager Frank Selke. The two wrote a note to Adams declaring the Red Wings the winner of the game due to the Forum’s ordered closure. > > The departing crowd joined the demonstrators, and a riot ensued outside the Forum. Rioters were heard chanting “À bas Campbell” (Down with Campbell) and “Vive Richard” while they smashed windows, attacked bystanders, set fires to newsstands, and overturned cars. Over 50 stores were looted and vandalized within a 15-block radius of the Forum. Twelve policemen and twenty-five civilians were injured. The riot continued well into the night, eventually ending at 3 a.m., and it left Montreal’s Saint Catherine Street in shambles. Police estimated between 41 and 100 individuals were arrested. Damage was estimated to be $100,000 ($851,064 in 2011 dollars) to the neighborhood and the Forum itself. One jewelry store alone estimated its losses at $7,000 ($59,574 in 2011 dollars). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856.md?page=11)