# The Time Has Come to Change the National Anthem! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2021, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539 "2021-09-12T11:20:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539/81 "2021-09-25T15:35:34Z")
Now for a word from Walter Kelly’s Pogo: [![](https://i.imgur.com/l7Gfl3z.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/l7Gfl3z.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539/82 "2021-10-09T01:59:50Z")
> [@X.L.Lent](#): > > Believe it or not, Sousa wrote lyrics for the Stars and Stripes > Forever. Here are a few lines: > > _Hurrah for the flag of the free,_ > _May it wave as our standard forever,_ > _The gem of the land and the sea,_ > _The banner of the right._ What about the left? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539/83 "2021-10-09T03:32:32Z")
As every Brit knows, the correct lyrics are as follows: Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go-oh. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go-oh. HERE! WE! GO! (and repeat) ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539/84 "2021-10-09T12:46:14Z")
As kids we sang: Oh say can you see Any bed bugs on me If you do Take a few Cause I got them from you I doubt we’ll change the anthem, but it would be nice to have a couple of songs as official alternatives. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539/85 "2021-10-09T15:54:05Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > > [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > > > [Boring, formulaic Egyptian national anthem](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vdA-qJn0zrA) > > > > Vs. > > > > [Strauss’ Egyptian March](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o5tVZZrA4TE) > > Really? _That’s_ the Egypt-themed classical piece you go with? Not [this?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXMdei-UTfw) Or [this?](https://m.youtube.com/watchv=FYbavuReVF4) Okay, maybe not classical, but _classic_, nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539/86 "2021-10-10T00:28:47Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Was this an a capella arrangement, or did you some instruments under you? I would find it odd to have the lowest voice sing the fifth at the end instead of the root, but I could see doing that if some other instrument playing the root. > > Also, do you happen to remember what that high note you sang was? I don’t remember much, except that there was piano accompaniment. That high note (and the notes leading up to it) by the basses was inspired, and AWESOME! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539/87 "2021-10-12T05:30:33Z")
It’s definitely time to change the words of the _Canadian_ national anthem. A few years ago there was a huge kerfuffle involving a change to _two words_ of the English lyrics. The change was from “in all our sons command” to “in all of us command”. It was intended to make things more inclusive. But almost unmentioned were possible changes to the _French_ lyrics. Here’s an older CBC article that gives a good overview: [https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/o-canada-god-lyrics-1.3626325](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/o-canada-god-lyrics-1.3626325) I remember how appalled I was when at age nineteen, I first saw those French lyrics carved into the artwork adorning the main hall of the _Gare Centrale_ intercity train station in Montreal. Even my shaky French was enough to get the gist: “_Car ton bras sait porter l’épée, Il sait porter la croix!_” (For your arms know how to carry the sword; they know how to carry the cross…) I knew nothing of other religions then, but I already knew about things like the crusades. These days, of course, after all the revelations of abuse of Indigenous children at the residential schools, to name just one example, I’m surprised it hasn’t come up again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-to-change-the-national-anthem/950539.md?page=4)