National Anthems

[Svejk_1]

@kidneyfailure

Well since many people mentioned the Soviet anthem we shouldn’t forget that there were two. Which Soviet anthem do you all prefer? The Internationale or the 1944 anthem and its many later revisions?

I think we’re all talking about the one written in the war, the one that after a brief intermission resumed its duties as Russia’s national anthem under Putin. I like The Internationale too, though, but not quite as much.

[Kobal2]

@cuauhtemoc

What you’re saying is true, and it’s fine as a patriotic song, but I always thought it didn’t quite work as a national anthem. You have to think too hard about what the lyrics are supposed to mean. “Can you see by the dawn’s early light what so proudly we hailed…” what? You already lost me. “The bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” Still where? What’s this about a flag now? “Land of the free and home of the brave” is probably the most national-anthem-worthy line. The rest of the song is awfully vague for a national anthem, almost incomprehensible. It requires you to know so much background information in order to make any sense out of it at all. It doesn’t even mention what country it’s talking about. It’s fine though, we’re all used to it by now, so no use changing it at this point.

Doesn’t matter, since the *real *lyrics to Star Sprangled Banner actually go like this :

Oooh say can you seeeeee, mumble muuuumble mumble
nurnurnuuuuur nurnurnu…nurnurnur nuuuuh nuh nuuuuuh
something something laaa laaaaaah
tumtidum tidumtee
lips moving but no sound coming out
OVER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAAAAVE !

[Gyrate]

@Svejk_1

I disagree. For one thing, that’s not what they sing, or what they sang in the past. For another, while the translation may sound contrived, and while it obviously touches upon the conventional themes for a national anthem, I find the text of the Russian national anthem (and even more so the Soviet one before that) particularly stirring, a perfect match to the overwhelming music.

“We are Russia, we are strong” was intended as a handwaving summary, but see Wikipedia:

Vast expanses for dreams and for living
Get opened up for us with each passing year.
Our loyalty to the Motherland gives us strength.
Thus it was, is, and always shall be!

…and the previous version:

Glory to you, our free Fatherland,
Bulwark of people, in brotherhood strong!
Oh! Party of Lenin! The strength of the people.
To Communism’s triumph lead us on!

If you’ve got better translations, I’m happy to reconsider.

[whatami]

Love the Russian anthem also.

[Svejk_1]

@Gyrate

If you’ve got better translations, I’m happy to reconsider.

My point was that translations sound contrived and unnatural, but the Russian, IMHO, is beautiful. I know it’s a cop-out, but unless you learn Russian I don’t know how to fix that for you.

[Bloody_L]

I enjoy the imagery invoked by the star-spangled banner but I don’t like the instrumentals or the way it is sung.

I always thought the Japanese national anthem “Kimigayo” sounded pretty. I’ve never researched the lyrics but the music is beautiful and it sounds like something you’d hear in an epic wuxia style movie (wrong country, but the sentiment remains).

[bathsheba]

@xash

I don’t know if it would qualify as a “musically great national anthem” to non-Indian ears, but here’s a beautiful rendition of the Indian national anthem, performed by India’s best classical vocalists and musicians for India’s 50th Independence Day celebrations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh26zOjIh9I

This rendition was produced and arranged by A.R. Rahman, the guy now better known in the western world for his Oscar winning music score for Slumdog Millionaire.

India really needs to get better at the Olympics so we can hear this more.

My nod for any new australian anthem:

- YouTube

[bathsheba]

Missed the edit window. It’s the lyrics I like:

I came from the dream time, from the dusty red soil plains,
I am the ancient heart - the keeper of the flame,
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come,
For forty thousand years I’d been the first Australian.
We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.
I came upon the prison ship bound down by iron chains
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I’m a settler, I’m a farmer’s wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man, I became Australian.
I’m the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I’m a child of the depression, I saw the good times come
I’m a bushy, I’m a battler, I am Australian.
We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.
I’m a teller of stories, I’m a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira, and I paint the ghostly gums
I am Clancy on his horse, I’m Ned Kelly on the run
I’m the one who waltzed Matilda, I am Australian.
I’m the hot wind from the desert, I’m the black soil of the plains
I’m the mountains and the valleys, I’m the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky, the rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land, I am Australian.
We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.