# Unofficial national anthems - add to the list. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 5, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298 "2007-11-05T15:52:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/1 "2007-11-05T15:52:05Z")
National anthems are a much discussed subject here - but not often talked about is the custom of unofficial national anthems. Yet these may be better known than the official ones, or stand in in circumstances where the official one may be inappropriate. Another use is for nations that have limited to no independence, as a patriotic gesture. And some songs are so ingrained into a country’s culture that they are humorously referred to as unofficial national anthems. I think this phenomenon is pretty well understood, and a discussion would be fun. I’ll kick off the list with these: UK - the theme from [The Archers.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/) Scotland - Flower of Scotland Australia - Waltzing Matilda Canada - Theme from “Hockey Night” USA - America the Beautiful, God Bless America, and Take Me Out to the Ballgame. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/2 "2007-11-05T15:58:34Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] UK - the theme from [The Archers.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/) [/QUOTE] You must be kidding! Try [Land of Hope and Glory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Hope_and_Glory) or [Rule, Britannia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_Britannia). ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/3 "2007-11-05T16:05:55Z")
For England(not the UK) I’d think _Jerusalem_ would be brill. At all large sporting events the Irish are always singing _The Fields of Athenry_ ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/4 "2007-11-05T16:07:25Z")
How cool would it be for Jamaica to have _One Love_ ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/5 "2007-11-05T16:09:43Z")
“…it’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, football’s coming home”. Since 1996 that is the unofficial English national anthem, for football at least. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/6 "2007-11-05T16:52:11Z")
Austria - _The Blue Danube._ ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/7 "2007-11-05T17:01:47Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] “…it’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, football’s coming home”. Since 1996 that is the unofficial English national anthem, for football at least. [/QUOTE] You certain it aint “Vindaloo” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/8 "2007-11-05T17:04:35Z")
I think I heard somewhere that the Finlandia Hymn, adapted from the Sibelius tone poem, is an unofficial anthem of Finland. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/9 "2007-11-05T17:09:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] … And some songs are so ingrained into a country’s culture that they are humorously referred to as unofficial national anthems. I think this phenomenon is pretty well understood, and a discussion would be fun. I’ll kick off the list with these: UK - the theme from [The Archers.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/) [/QUOTE] I think Billy Connolly suggested this tune as a joke. For one thing, it has no words. :eek: As Quartz said, ‘Rule Britannia’ or ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ are much better candidates. They are both sung rousingly on the Last Night of the Proms. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/10 "2007-11-05T17:20:25Z")
[QUOTE=yojimbo] For England(not the UK) I’d think _Jerusalem_ would be brill. [/QUOTE] Yeah, until you have to sing it at a match in Israel. Then it would be just weird. I think we should adopt Henry Wood’s _Fantasia on British Sea Songs_ (modified to include \*Ar Hyd y Nos, The Skye Boat Song and Londonderry Air \*inplace of _Ye Spanish Ladies_) as the UK’s unofficial anthem. It’s a bit long though, but it ends on _Rule, Britannia_ _Ar Hyd y Nos_ is an awesome song when sung by a Welsh choir. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/11 "2007-11-05T19:57:35Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I think Billy Connolly suggested this tune as a joke. For one thing, it has no words. :eek: [/QUOTE] The theme song to “Hockey Night in Canada” doesn’t have any words either, but it’s the no-questions-asked answer to this thread for Canada. It even sounds like an anthem. I guess you could make up words for it but it’s more fun if you just yell out the sounds. “Bup-a-dumt-da-dumt, bup-a-dumt-da-dumt, bup-a-dumt-da-dumt-BUP! Dah dah dah dah dah DAHHHHHHHHHHHH! Dah dah dah dah dah DAH-DAHHHHHHHHHH! Dah dah dah dah dah DAAAAAAAAAAA da-dah-dah! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA da-dah-dah, DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/12 "2007-11-05T20:40:44Z")
For England it should be “This is England” by the Clash. Just kidding. Mostly. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZAW7Yh4CeU) And of course, who can forget our newest unofficial anthem: “America: FUCK YEAH!” [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpsfQjX01YM) ---
**Author:** ![RGVChicano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@RGVChicano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RGVChicano)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/13 "2007-11-05T20:48:50Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] And some songs are so ingrained into a country’s culture that they are humorously referred to as unofficial national anthems. [/QUOTE] Mexico: El Rey Mexico Lindo Y Querido ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/14 "2007-11-05T22:54:21Z")
“[America: Fuck Yeah](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt0372588%2F&ei=154vR8HgApawgATbouGmBg&usg=AFQjCNFQ6Rm33sluCeXjHgnPeJETHqfLSw&sig2=k-vmDjqmQhqGi9qtdOmGwA)!” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/15 "2007-11-05T23:27:58Z")
> [@](#): > > USA - America the Beautiful, God Bless America, and Take Me Out to the Ballgame. While the first two are obviously patriotic songs, and many believe that “America, the Beautiful” _should_ be our National Anthem, I had always understood the Official Unoffical Anthem to be “Yankee Doodle”. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/16 "2007-11-05T23:45:28Z")
Clearly, the English national anthem should be [A Song of Patriotic Prejudice](http://www.oules.lightentertainment.org/myths/prejudice.html) by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. It begins with typical English understatement… “The English, The English, The English are best. I wouldn’t give tuppence for all of the rest.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/17 "2007-11-05T23:49:18Z")
Wales: Men of Harlech? Of course not being Welsh, I am talking through my hat. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/18 "2007-11-06T00:33:33Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] While the first two are obviously patriotic songs, and many believe that “America, the Beautiful” _should_ be our National Anthem, I had always understood the Official Unoffical Anthem to be “Yankee Doodle”. [/QUOTE] Some parts of the former Confederacy would still opt for “Dixie”. Which was unofficial even when there was a Confederacy; the official Confederate anthem was “Bonnie Blue Flag”. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/19 "2007-11-06T01:05:54Z")
The the movie The Dish, Australian school kids play the Hawaii-5-O theme in place of the Star Spangled Banner. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298/20 "2007-11-06T01:28:02Z")
[QUOTE=yojimbo] At all large sporting events the Irish are always singing _The Fields of Athenry_ [/QUOTE] I’ve always been partial to House Of Pain’s Jump Around as Ireland’s new anthem. The Proclaimers’ 500 miles runs a close second to The Fields Of Athenry as the undeclared national anthem. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-national-anthems-add-to-the-list/425298.md?page=2)