# What country has the best national anthem? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 30, 2001, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195 "2001-07-30T03:57:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2001, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/21 "2001-07-30T14:35:21Z")
I’m not really much of a raging political pacifist or anything, but the main reason I don’t like the U.S. anthem is because rather than talk about how great and unified our country is, it’s a tribute to how great we are at blowing things up and killing British people. Bombs! Rockets! Ramparts! And of course, as we all expected, I must vote for: Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/22 "2001-07-30T14:41:46Z")
[ol][li] **La Marseillaise** - Stirring song.[/li][li] **Oh Canada** - The best sing-along national anthem.[/ol][/li] **The Star Spangled Banner** is undone by its unwieldy melody. Becuase of the song’s range, you can’t find a key that will allow everyone to sing along. I like the lyrics, though. As a national anthem, **America the Beautiful** would be a much better choice. Or maybe **God Bless America**. ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/23 "2001-07-30T15:03:24Z")
They’re technically not a national anthems, but if you’ve had the privilege to be at a rugby international at Murrayfield and heard [The Flower of Scotland](http://digischool.bart.nl/mu/volklied/scotlnd.htm) or at Cardiff Arms Park and heard [“Land of my Fathers”](http://www.wales-calling.com/culture/anthem.htm) then you’ll know what they mean when they talk about the hair on the back of your neck standing up. ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/24 "2001-07-30T15:18:10Z")
At the other end of the scale, I might point out that [Advance Australia Fair](http://www.acs.org.au/president/1996/epubs/austfr.htm) goes very well to the tune of Gilligan’s Island. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2001, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/25 "2001-07-30T15:19:30Z")
I’m partial to the Irish national anthem. Also born of rebellion, although it was written a few years before their war for independence. A SOLDIERS SONG We’ll sing a song, a soldiers song, With cheering rousing chorus As round our blazing fires we throng The starry heavens o’er us Impatient for the coming fight, And as we wait the morning’s light Here in the silence of the night We’ll chant a soldier’s song Chorus: Soldiers are we, Whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave. Sworn to be free, No more our ancient sireland Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we’ll man the gap of danger in Erin’s cause come woe or weal ‘Mid cannons’ roar and rifles’ peal We’ll chant a soldiers song In valley green, on towering crag, Our fathers fought before us, And conquered 'neath the same old flag That’s proudly floating o’er us. We.re children of a fighting race, That never yet has known disgrace, And as we march, the foe to face, We’ll chant a soldiers song Chorus Sons of Gael! men of the Pale! The long watched day is breaking; The serried ranks of Inisfail Shall set the the Tyrant quaking. Our camp fires now are burning low; See in the east a silv’ry glow, Out younder waits the Saxon foe, So chant a soldier’s song Chorus X2 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/26 "2001-07-30T22:11:24Z")
_“As we stand here and wait For the ballgame to start Let’s give thanks for our homes and our three car garages and our color tvs…”_ Right, ours is hard to sing and hardly anyone knows the words. I used to think **O Canada** was dismal until I heard the lead singer from **The Cowboy Junkies** give a rendition that was absolutely beautiful. IIRC it was for an All-Star game one year. I would love to get a tape or CD of it. Also kind of partial to **Prathet Thai** because my kids like to sing it. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/27 "2001-07-30T22:27:55Z")
Another Vote for old soviet anthem. I used to listen to this one every day in drafting class(there was a computer program with all the anthems). It’s been a while, I am pretty sure that I like the French one but I honestly don’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![teppei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@teppei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teppei)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/28 "2001-07-31T00:10:17Z")
jarbabyj, you said: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > **I’m not really much of a raging political pacifist or anything, but the main reason I don’t like the U.S. anthem is because rather than talk about how great and unified our country is, it’s a tribute to how great we are at blowing things up and killing British people. Bombs! Rockets! Ramparts!** Though I am of the belief that everyone is entitled to his opinion, I do feel I have to say something in this case. The parts of the song to which you refer are: _O’er the **ramparts** we watched were so gallantly streaming!_ and _and the **rockets’** red glare! The **bombs** bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there!_ In all three cases, there is no evidence that said objects are American deployed. Rather, the purpose of the imagery in the song was that the light of the objects made the flag visible during such a trying time, giving the soldiers-whom, whether you like it or not, sacrificed their lives so you can have such an opinion as quoted above-added courage to continue the fight. I’m not saying that your opinions are not legitimate; whether or not you love the US nat’l anthemn means nothing to me. But, please, dont’ use the nat’l anthemn as fuel for an anti-war comment. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/29 "2001-07-31T01:24:27Z")
I’m afraid that I, one of the most “trivia” knowledgable people I know, don’t really understand what the Internationale is. I was watching “Air Force One” (go president, go president!) with a Swede, and she pricked right up when the prisoners started singing it. I don’t think I’d ever heard it. I’m playing it right now from finding it on a file sharer, and nope, I don’t even know the tune. What’s the story behind this song? Don’t the Beatles use the beginning of “La Marseillaise” to start some song? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/30 "2001-07-31T02:35:47Z")
I don’t know about the best, but I’d like to put a vote in for the Israeli national anthem (“HaTikva”) as the _saddest_. It’s never played before ball games or festivities, because who can act cheerful after listening to it? think of it this way - wile the French and American atnthems sound like they should be played by trumpets (or electric guitar), and the Russian one should be sung by a forceful, healthy-looking male choir, then the Israeli one should be performed by a single, lonely violin. It’s a powerful effect, if you can take the pathos. Plus, it’s only two verses. ---
**Author:** ![SpaceGhostofArrakis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@SpaceGhostofArrakis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpaceGhostofArrakis)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/31 "2001-07-31T03:08:46Z")
[2000 yr old man] Cave 76 has the best Nat’l anthem, of course. “Let 'em all go to Hell, except Cave 76!” Still brings a tear to my eye [/2KYOM] ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/32 "2001-07-31T14:39:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dave Swaney \* > **I’m afraid that I, one of the most “trivia” knowledgable people I know, don’t really understand what the Internationale is. _snip_ What’s the story behind this song?** Awright, grab a drink and have a seat. This won’t take a moment but it’s nice to be comfy anyway. The words to the _Internationale_ were written by a man named Eugene Pottier in 1871, as an inspirational poem for the men and women fighting for the Paris Commune of that same year. Essentially the Commune was the first attempt at the modern working class to seize power for itself and it succeeded for 71 days. Plenty of great stuff in there - it’s some 6 or 7 verses long. IIRC, he wrote it in hiding after the Commune had collapsed in May of 1871. The tune came a little later, written by a man named Pierre Degeyter in 1888. It was adopted by the Second International at some point shortly thereafter and became the song of the revolutionary left by the turn of the century. Originally it was the anthem of the early Soviet Union until that Georgian schmuck decided they needed a new one. If you enter “Eugene Pottier” into a handy search engine like Google you’ll find plenty of pages devoted to this song and some of his other works as well. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/33 "2001-07-31T14:50:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by teppei \* > In all three cases, there is no evidence that said objects are American deployed. Rather, the purpose of the imagery in the song was that the light of the objects made the flag visible during such a trying time, giving the soldiers-whom, whether you like it or not, sacrificed their lives so you can have such an opinion as quoted above-added courage to continue the fight. Ease up teppei. Had you taken one second to read the first line of my post I said that I am not a raging political pacifist. My statement was not “anti-war” and your emotional plea for the soldiers who gave their lives for my freedom (as if it’s never occurred to me) **doesn’t make the song any better**. 1. I don’t like the lyrics. Whether they’re british rockets or american, I don’t care. I don’t think a national anthem should focus on past violence. 2. I don’t like the tune. I can not sing this song. Nor can I sing happy birthday. They just don’t fit in my range 3. I prefer America the Beautiful Please don’t turn my words around to be anti-american. Danke. jarbaby ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/34 "2001-07-31T15:06:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by teppei \* > **_O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming!_ > In all three cases, there is no evidence that said objects are American deployed.** Actually, the ramparts were “American deployed”, since they refer to a part of the structure of the fort rather than a weapon used during battle. So there. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/35 "2001-07-31T15:08:54Z")
I gotta say, _The Star-Spangled Banner_ is pretty cool. The tune is based on an old drinking song (Anachrion in Heaven, IIRC), and even though almost no one has the vocal range to sing it correctly, any anthem based on a drinking song has it’s heart in the right place. I’d still have prefered the _Battle Hymn of the Republic_, personaly, but whatever. That said, _Internationale_ is pretty damn rousing. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/36 "2001-07-31T15:25:24Z")
For brevity, the Japanese anthem (unofficial, but played at all sports and state events) deserves mention: _Kimi ga yo ni chiyo ni yachiyo ni sazare ishi no iwao to narite koke no musu made._ And that’s it. Translated, _May your reign last thousands and eights of thousands of years until the pebbles become big rocks and grow moss._ Which is certainly great for getting fans in the mood for a soccer game. –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/37 "2001-07-31T15:25:24Z")
I remember watching the last world cup Rugby and the South African Anthem was really nice. The Australian anthem sounded like a pub song, but was still kind of cool. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/38 "2001-07-31T15:31:51Z")
yay ireland! it sounds nicer in irish though… but since i can’t spell it very well i’ll leave it to someone else to write it down. oh, and ireland’s unofficial anthem? The Fields of Athenry By a lonely prison wall I heard a young girl calling “Oh Micheal they have taken you away for you stole Trevallion’s corn, that our young might see the morn, now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.” CHORUS Low lie the fields of Athenry Where once we watched the small free birds fly Our love was on the wing, we had dreams and songs to sing it’s so lonely around the fields of Athenry By a lonely prison wall I heard a young man calling “Nothing matters Mary when you’re free, against the famine and the crown, I rebelled, they cut me down. Now you must raise our child with dignity” CHORUS By a lonely harbour wall She watched the last hour falling. As the prison ships sailed out against the sky for she’ll live in hope and pray, for her love in Botany Bay. It’s so lonely round the fields of Athenry this can be heard in bars, and at rugy/football and gaelic matches all over ireland every weekend. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/39 "2001-07-31T15:47:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dave Swaney \* > \*\* > Don’t the Beatles use the beginning of “La Marseillaise” to start some song? \*\* IIRC, at the beginning of “All You Need is Love”. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195/40 "2001-07-31T16:32:16Z")
The Australian National Anthem (Advance Australia Fair) has got to be at least one of the worst. It’s terrible. One line, “_Our home is girt by sea_” is the butt of so many jokes, and that’s just one line in the song. Plus, there are a heap of verses, but your average Aussie knows only the first one - rather embarrassing. Finally, it’s just a horrible, horrible song. What’s worse is that the people who want to change it, want to change it to something even worse - “_I am, you are, we are Australian_” by the Seekers. Ugh! Don’t just state the bleeding obvious, do it three times to a terrible annoying tune, and in the style of FOLK MUSIC. Way to look sophisticated to the rest of the world. So what if Waltzing Matilda is about a sheep thief who commits suicide? It’s famous, it’s Australian, it has proven it has staying power by being popular for so long, it doesn’t contain the word “girt” and it’s a darn good tune. My vote goes to Waltzing Matilda for the Australian National Anthem, and then we’ll have the best anthem in the world! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-has-the-best-national-anthem/74195.md?page=3)