# Is it possible to have a national anthem that isnt militaristic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157 "2017-03-27T18:02:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157/21 "2017-03-28T00:26:54Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Deutschland Uber Alles has lyrics that go: > > \*Germany, Germany above all, > Above all else in the world, > When it steadfastly holds together, > Offensively and defensively, > With brotherhood (\*pause for irony). > > I don’t think that passage gets sung much any more. Indeed, but you and many others in the thread get the QI klaxon still. [http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz81sb\_qi-see05-europe\_fun](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz81sb_qi-see05-europe_fun) [At 25:09] > [@](#): > > _Stephen Fry_: Now, audience, audience, audience, what are the first words of the German national anthem? [raises his arm to conduct it in] (The German national anthem is played over speakers.) > \* > Audience in General\*: [singing] Deutschland, Deutschland über alles… > > Forfeit: Klaxons sound. Viewscreens flash the words “DEUTSCHLAND UBER ALLES”. > > _Stephen_: No, ladies and gentlemen, you are wrong! And as there’s so many of you… > > _Alan_: You idiots! [Audience laughs] > > … > > _Stephen_: It hasn’t been for a very long time. “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” was the first verse that, for twelve years, was used as the German national anthem under the Nazis; now, after the Nazis, they decided to choose only the third verse, which is the least controversial verse. “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit / Für das deutsche Vaterland! Danach lasst uns alle streben / Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!” But there is another Kaxon for the idea that it was called “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles”, the real name of the anthem is: Deutschlandlied or “Das Lied der Deutschen” or “The Song of the Germans”. > **[Deutschlandlied](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutschlandlied)** > > The "Deutschlandlied" (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}German pronunciation: \[ˈdɔʏtʃlantˌliːt\] ⓘ; "Song of Germany"), officially titled "Das Lied der Deutschen" (German: \[das ˌliːt dɛːʁ ˈdɔʏtʃn̩\]; "The Song of the Germans"), has been the national anthem of Germany either wholly or in part since 1922, except for a seven-year gap fo... ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157/22 "2017-03-28T00:37:10Z")
More to the subject, and from QI also, there is the case of the Spanish National anthem: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/qi/episodes/7/4/ > [@](#): > > - The Spanish national anthem is not sung in any language because it has no words. It is entirely instrumental and is the only national anthem in the world that has no words. The tune, “La Marcha Real”, is one of the oldest national anthem tunes. It did have words, but they were dropped in 1975 after the death of Franco. However, they were inspired by visiting Liverpool F.C. fans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to add some new words. The Spanish Olympic Committee organised a competition to create some new words for the anthem in 2007, but it was withdrawn after five days having fallen foul of several different Spanish regions, who claimed the new version, “Viva Espana” was too nationalistic. The words were, “Long live Spain, we sing together with different voices and only one heart.” (Forfeit: Spanish; Catalan) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157/23 "2017-03-28T00:55:35Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > “Hatikvah”, the Israeli national anthem, isn’t militaristic. [(Lyrics with English translation)](http://www.stateofisrael.com/anthem/) What I came to post. Hauntingly beautiful anthem that never fails to make me tear up. Audio: [https://youtu.be/3xs\_CUsq7HM](https://youtu.be/3xs_CUsq7HM) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157/24 "2017-03-28T06:53:30Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Tedious and turgid? - yep. Somewhat hypocritical? - sure thing. Militaristic? - no. Even the original[Victorian Era](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Australia_Fair#Development_of_lyrics) version of the song, while pretty cringeworthy in many aspects, only goes so far as to point out with approval how tough Great Britain is, not us It gets bonus points from me for also not mentioning God or religion at all. I fucking hate our (South African) national anthem, linked above, for that reason. It’s based on an out-and-out Christian hymn and I loathe that Nkosi Sikelel’i is the most well-known Struggle song. For all its bad associations, at least the commonly sung first verse of the old national anthem (still partly incorporated in the new one) was about how geographically awesome our country is. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157/25 "2017-03-29T09:57:21Z")
Annd don’t forget The European Union which adopted Ode to Joy from Beethoven 9th. I am not sure if anyone uses Schiller’s words. Freude! Freude! Freude, schöner Götterfunken Tochter aus Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum! Deine Zauber binden wieder Was die Mode streng geteilt; Alle Menschen werden Brüder, Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt. O friends, no more of these sounds! Let us sing more cheerful songs, More songs full of joy! Joy! Joy! Joy, bright spark of divinity, Daughter of Elysium, Fire-inspired we tread Within thy sanctuary. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157/26 "2017-03-29T10:02:48Z")
Or the unofficial version: Joy, bright spark of divinity, Daughter of Elysium, Fire-inspired we tread Thy sanctuary. Thy magic power re-unites All that custom has divided, All men become brothers Under the sway of thy gentle wings. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157/27 "2017-03-29T13:08:37Z")
> [@NorthernStar](#): > > Ditto Finland - [Maamme - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maamme) - and Sweden [Du gamla, du fria - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du_gamla,_du_fria). Except the fourth and fifth verses speak of fighting with swords and blood shed in defense of the land. It’s also the first poem in the **Tales of Ensign Stål** , a cycle of poems about the war of 1808-1809, considered important in the establishment of Finnish Nationalism. Indirect, sure, but it’s not entirely pacifistic, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-a-national-anthem-that-isnt-militaristic/783157.md?page=1)