# Odd National Anthem Lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393 "2014-06-22T22:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pojimba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@pojimba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pojimba)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/1 "2014-06-22T22:18:04Z")
I’ve always thought it was just a little weird that the U.S. references rockets and bombs, i.e. war, in the anthem. What are some other curiosities in national anthems? ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/2 "2014-06-22T22:29:06Z")
The Dutch national anthem has everyone singing they are Germans. Weird. It’s about William of Orange, and is sung from his perspective. The line is: \*Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Ben ick van Duytschen Bloedt, \* Translation: _William of Nassau, I am of German blood_ We then carry on singing about how we always honoured the king of Spain. Awkward, before the footy matches! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![pojimba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@pojimba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pojimba)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/3 "2014-06-22T22:55:11Z")
That’s funny! Good one. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/4 "2014-06-22T23:02:17Z")
> [@pojimba](#): > > I’ve always thought it was just a little weird that the U.S. references rockets and bombs, i.e. war, in the anthem. Not that unusual. The French [Marseillaise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Marseillaise) is far bloodier. ```auto Allons enfants de la Patrie, Arise, children of the Fatherland, Le jour de gloire est arrivé ! The day of glory has arrived! Contre nous de la tyrannie, Against us tyranny L'étendard sanglant est levé, Raises its bloody banner Entendez-vous dans les campagnes Do you hear, in the countryside, Mugir ces féroces soldats ? The roar of those ferocious soldiers? Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras They're coming right into your arms Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes ! To cut the throats of your sons and women! Aux armes, citoyens, To arms, citizens, Formez vos bataillons, Form your battalions, Marchons, marchons ! Let's march, let's march! Qu'un sang impur Let an impure blood Abreuve nos sillons ! Water our furrows! ``` ---
**Author:** ![pojimba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@pojimba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pojimba)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/5 "2014-06-22T23:15:04Z")
Ha! I said it was a little weird. I figured other countries might have reference to conquest, past glory on the battlefield, etc. The bit about cutting throats is unusual though, isn’t it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/6 "2014-06-23T00:09:53Z")
Can we throw in a state song? “Maryland, My Maryland”, the state song of the state of Maryland, calls for the violent overthrow of the US government: > [@](#): > > ``` > The despot's heel is on thy shore, > Maryland! > His torch is at thy temple door, > Maryland! > Avenge the patriotic gore > That flecked the streets of Baltimore, > And be the battle queen of yore, > Maryland! My Maryland! > > ``` the gore in the streets of Baltimore refers to pro-Confederate rebels attacking US soldiers as the soldiers marched southwards through Baltimore in 1861. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/7 "2014-06-23T07:00:39Z")
I was once told that the literal translation of the Egyptian national anthem’s first line is, “Oh, my weapon, how I long to clutch thee.” Can’t vouch for that being true… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/8 "2014-06-23T07:17:33Z")
The de facto British national anthem, _[God Save the Queen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_Queen)_ has at times been rewritten to include verses about crushing rebellious Scots, anti-French sentiments, etc - generally depending on the prevailing politics of conflict at the time. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/9 "2014-06-23T07:19:23Z")
The anthems of Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and San Marino have no official lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/10 "2014-06-23T07:36:15Z")
Algeria’s is also all about war. It’s quite modern in its weaponry too; the people of Algeria have evidently taken “the sound of machine guns as our melody.” ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/11 "2014-06-23T07:39:30Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Can we throw in a state song? > > “Maryland, My Maryland”, the state song of the state of Maryland, calls for the violent overthrow of the US government: > > the gore in the streets of Baltimore refers to pro-Confederate rebels attacking US soldiers as the soldiers marched southwards through Baltimore in 1861. The despot in question being Abraham Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/12 "2014-06-23T07:54:11Z")
The Korean national anthem (Arirang) paraphrased into English: This is the beautiful mountain where my lover left me, I hope he broke his leg. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/13 "2014-06-23T07:56:07Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > The anthems of Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and San Marino have no official lyrics. The _de facto_ Russian national anthem is the old Soviet national anthem without the lyrics. There was an attempt to completely replace the Soviet anthem, but it never quite caught on, and now Putin’s government seems fond of the Soviet style. There might well be lessons here. ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/14 "2014-06-23T08:12:48Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > We then carry on singing about how we always honoured the king of Spain. Awkward, before the footy matches! 😛 > [@tellyworth](#): > > The anthems of Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and San Marino have no official lyrics. Combined, these two facts mean that the only national anthem to show respect to the king of Spain (or to even **mention** Spain, for that matter) is the Dutch one. Weird, right? Another interesting one in my opinion is the Swedish national anthem. It never mentions Sweden itself, and instead makes reference to “the North”. The author of the lyrics was a Scandinavian nationalist who saw Norway and Sweden (and perhaps Denmark too) as a single entity, hence the chorus that goes “Yes I want to live, I want to die in the North”. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-national-anthem-lyrics/691393/15 "2014-06-23T08:32:14Z")
The lyrics of Ukraine’s national anthem are pretty negative. Here’s an English translation (from Wikipedia): > [@](#): > > Ukraine’s glory has not yet died, nor her freedom, > Upon us, fellow compatriots, fate shall smile once more. > Our enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun, > And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own. “Has not yet died”? “Fate shall smile once more”? It doesn’t sound like things are very good there in the present time. And remember that this was written long before Ukraine’s current troubles,