# The basic gist of your national anthem **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 28, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716 "2010-02-28T02:34:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/41 "2010-03-01T18:51:26Z")
Are Quebecers the only ones whose [unofficial anthem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gens_du_pays) doubles as a birthday song? > [@Sunspace](#): > > Yeah, I always found the French words disturbing. “Your arms know how to carry the sword and cross”? I am _not_ a Christian, and refuse to bow to their cultural imperialism! Fun tip! If you sing the first two lines in French, the next four in English, and the last two in French, you neatly skip the God-bothering and those troublesome “native land” and “sons command” bits. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/42 "2010-03-01T19:02:29Z")
Japan: The Emperor is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/43 "2010-03-01T19:10:06Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Japan: The Emperor is awesome. No, let’s go for the full translation, because it’s short and made of win: “May your reign last thousands and eights of thousands of generations until pebbles grow into boulders and grow moss.” ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/44 "2010-03-01T20:29:33Z")
Being from Texas, our [state song](http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/statesong.html) might as well be a national anthem. It pretty much just says Texans are the best and screw you if you aren’t from here. ( And no, those stupid bumper stickers declaring how you got here as fast as you could don’t help.) ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/45 "2010-03-01T20:32:06Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > My own personal national anthem goes like this: > > "All praise to **Mississippienne**! **YES, ALL PRAISE TO ME.** In other news, the Albanian national anthem seems to be saying: _Y’wanna know how awesome Albania is? When all other nations are dead and gone, Albania will remain. That’s right, ho: ALBANIA IS NUMBER ONE, ALL OTHERS ARE NUMBER TWO OR LOWER._ ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/46 "2010-03-01T21:31:06Z")
_Star-Spangled Banner_ Verse 1: Where da fwag? Where da pwetty, pwetty fwag? Where da fwag? Oh! There it is! Verse 2: More of the same Verse 3: Fuck England Verse 4: Yeah, we bad. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/47 "2010-03-01T22:17:45Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > The Star-Spangled Banner, for example, seems to be saying, _Dude, please tell me that our flag is still there. I wanna live as a revolutionary, not be executed as a rebel, for reals._ Since the SSB is based on an old British drinking song - I always get more of a “our flag is still there - let’s drink!” kinda vibe… ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/48 "2010-03-01T22:46:34Z")
Isn’t the gist of all national anthems pretty much “We rock, y’all don’t (or at least, not as much as we do)”? ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/49 "2010-03-01T22:50:34Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Since the SSB is based on an old British drinking song - I always get more of a “our flag is still there - let’s drink!” kinda vibe… Well, the [song on which it’s based](http://glyfix.com/soa/lyrics/anacreon_theme.html) isn’t exactly “99 Bottle of Beer on the Wall.” It’s something Buzz Killington might sing. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/50 "2010-03-01T23:41:02Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > In other news, the Albanian national anthem seems to be saying: _Y’wanna know how awesome Albania is? When all other nations are dead and gone, Albania will remain. That’s right, ho: ALBANIA IS NUMBER ONE, ALL OTHERS ARE NUMBER TWO OR LOWER._ For some reasons, I’m imagining this as being said by Ignignokt and Err from _Aqua Teen Hunger Force_ and it’s making me laugh. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/51 "2010-03-02T00:21:43Z")
(remove duplicate post) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/52 "2010-03-02T00:29:22Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Since the SSB is based on an old British drinking song - I always get more of a “our flag is still there - let’s drink!” kinda vibe… A hair of the dog, you might say. What’s wrong with us? Why aren’t we doing this in haiku? Rising morning, red rockets’ glare Notwithstanding Flag flies still, see it? Or: Proud anthem, but very high notes By the rockets’ Red glare most voices shatter. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/53 "2010-03-02T00:34:06Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > A hair of the dog, you might say. > > What’s wrong with us? Why aren’t we doing this in haiku? > > Rising morning, red rockets’ glare > Notwithstanding > Flag flies still, see it? > > Or: > > Proud anthem, but very high notes > By the rockets’ > Red glare most voices shatter. Haikus insist upon themselves. Also, they’re pretentious. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/54 "2010-03-02T01:08:29Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > Isn’t the gist of all national anthems pretty much “We rock, y’all don’t (or at least, not as much as we do)”? I think that the anthems discussed here have shown there is a decent amount of diversity in national anthem themes. Some of the more common are: 1. This country is freaking sweet. 2. You see us rolling, you hatin’. 3. Our women are fuckin’ fine as a muthafuckah. If you were to invade our country, you would want to have sex with our fine-ass women. However, that will never happen because IF you try to invade our country we still stomp on your testicles, spit in your eyes, and then bang your sisters. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/55 "2010-03-02T01:25:42Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > I think that the anthems discussed here have shown there is a decent amount of diversity in national anthem themes. Some of the more common are: > > 1. This country is freaking sweet. > > 2. You see us rolling, you hatin’. > > 3. Our women are fuckin’ fine as a muthafuckah. If you were to invade our country, you would want to have sex with our fine-ass women. However, that will never happen because IF you try to invade our country we still stomp on your testicles, spit in your eyes, and then bang your sisters. But then again, these all are different ways of saying what I said. And #3 makes you my favorite person of the day 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/56 "2010-03-02T01:35:21Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The gist of the British National Anthem: > > Verse 1 - the current monarch is the single most important being in the Universe, except for God. > > Verse 2,3,4 - we hate the Scots. Well, it’s still better than _Jerusalem/And Did Those Feet in Ancient Times_, which I gather is now played before cricket internationals. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/57 "2010-03-02T01:35:32Z")
The State Anthem of Puerto Rico official lyric essentially says: “Oh, what a fine land this is, even Columbus was impressed it’s so pretty!” The old 1868 revolutionary lyric thereof can be summarized (like all the 19th century anthems it’s got like a bushel of extra verses nobody has ever heard) as: _“C’mon, guys, wake up, everyone else is rebelling, go to it, you’ll really like it, it’ll be so worth it!”_ > [@Mississippienne](#): > > 1. Our women are fuckin’ fine as a muthafuckah. If you were to invade our country, you would want to have sex with our fine-ass women. However, that will never happen because IF you try to invade our country we still stomp on your testicles, spit in your eyes, and then bang your sisters. If I ever manage a succesful seccession, I sure as heck am hiring a lyricist to polish this into an actual rhyme. _La Mississippienne,_ first national anthem set to hiphop! And an earmark in the national budget is going to go to you for royalties. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/58 "2010-03-02T01:38:47Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > If I ever manage a succesful seccession, I sure as heck am hiring a lyricist to polish this into an actual rhyme. _La Mississippienne,_ first national anthem set to hiphop! And an earmark in the national budget is going to go to you for royalties. If it please his Majesty, I would like to direct a music video with fly hunnies riding on bouncing tanks. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/59 "2010-03-02T01:44:15Z")
First thing to mention is that, since Switzerland has four national languages, there are four different versions of the anthem, and the translations don’t always end up saying the same thing. With that being said, I’ll stick with the French version. Switzerland, pre-1961: _O Monts Indépendents_ First verse: pretty mountains, we’ll give our blood for you Second verse: we will die for the motherland Third verse: long live that tree in that meadow where those Swiss guys swore to kill those Austrians - the tree represents Freedom! Fourth verse: We will kick your butts because God is on our side. We got rid of that anthem in 1961 because the music was the same as the music of the UK anthem “God Save the Queen” and as articles have said “this gave rise to several confusing events” - I imagine a Swiss guy rushed to an Olympic podium to get a medal when the music started playing and got into a big wrestling match with some burly Yorkshireman. New anthem: a church song, also known as the Swiss Canticle _Sur nos monts, quand le soleil_ First verse: When the sun rises over the mountains at dawn strong men weep while saying their morning prayers Second verse: When the sun sets, in the dark forests people calmly say their evening prayers Third verse: when lightning strikes in the middle of the night we have no fear because God is on our side Fourth verse: From the high mountains comes our support, put your heart and your money on the altar of the homeland, and God will bless you. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716/60 "2010-03-02T02:38:42Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > (remove duplicate post) Thanks for your attention to this. I was typing along merrily when suddenly my browser flipped back through several pages. I didn’t realize this was still here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-basic-gist-of-your-national-anthem/530716.md?page=4)