OT: National anthems

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After hearing a little girl singing the Ukrainian national anthem at a rally, I got curious about national anthems.

I think it’s telling when a national anthem says the country has “not yet perished.” That shows an insecurity and feeling of threat that it may perish in the future.

Ukraine
The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished
Luck will still smile on us brother-Ukrainians.
Our enemies will die, as the dew does in the sunshine,
and we, too, brothers, we’ll live happily in our land.

We’ll not spare either our souls or bodies to get freedom
and we’ll prove that we brothers are of Kozak kin.

We all know the U.S. national anthem. Personally, I think it should be replaced with “America the Beautiful.”

The French national anthem is shockingly violent and was originally a war song which sings of bloody flags, howling soldiers and ripping out mothers’ wombs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Marseillaise

The German national anthem is more appropriate for a modern, peaceful nation.

Unity and Justice and Freedom
For the German Fatherland!
After these let us all strive
Brotherly with heart and hand!
Unity and Right and Freedom
Are the pledge of happiness.
Bloom in the splendour of this happiness,
Bloom, my German Fatherland!
Bloom in the splendour of this happiness,
Bloom, my German Fatherland!

Israel’s national anthem is filled with longing. Like Ukraine, Israel was long dominated by other empires and the longing for freedom is intense.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/national-anthem-of-…

As long as within our hearts

The Jewish soul sings,

As long as forward to the East

To Zion, looks the eye –

Our hope is not yet lost,

It is two thousand years old,

To be a free people in our land

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

People newly freed will fight intensely to protect their land from once again being dominated by enemies.

Wendy

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People newly freed will fight intensely to protect their land from once again being dominated by enemies.

Wendy

Yeah, the only country that invades Canada … often is USA but for reasons we don’t fully understand they often do it in winter and we have to go rescue them from freezing to death!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quebec_(1775)

America has invaded Canada four times in the past — and lost every time — but you know what they say: The fifth time's the charm. (And they no longer have the British and French to defend them.)Jan 4, 2022

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-….

Battle of Queenston Heights

After the US Civil war we had Fenian Raids by Irish veterans of the US Civil War but most of them failed miserably.

Canada became a country in it’s own right shortly after (in 1867).

Between WWI and WWII the US had a military plan “Plan Red” to invade Canada that they constantly updated. We will never know if it was serious or just somebody Joshing us. Halifax figured highly in it.

Tim

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Canada became a country in it’s own right shortly after (in 1867).

Actually, the US has never invaded Canada.

But Canada invades the US every winter, with its favorite territory being Florida.

PSU

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We all know the U.S. national anthem. Personally, I think it should be replaced with “America the Beautiful.”

Me too.

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But Canada invades the US every winter, with its favorite territory being Florida.

I much prefer Varadero Beach! it’s not so crowded. }};-D

Oh and just about everyone speaks with a Canadian accent.

Anymouse

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<Yeah, the only country that invades Canada … often is USA but for reasons we don’t fully understand they often do it in winter and we have to go rescue them from freezing to death!

It would be nutz for the U.S. to try to take over Canada. We need Canada as a sane place to escape to if the U.S. becomes fascist. :wink:

Wendy

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The French national anthem is shockingly violent and was originally a war song which sings of bloody flags, howling soldiers and ripping out mothers’ wombs.

The French, like the USians, had to resort to armed violence to get rid of a monarchy and form a republic. I think the “Star Spangled Banner” and “La Marseillaise” are good choices, to remind people they had to fight against tyrants for their freedom.

I think it should be replaced with “America the Beautiful.”

Can’t agree. A national anthem should inspire and excite people, not put them to sleep :^)

An alternate French anthem could be “Paris En Colère”, which also speaks of conflict. I love the way the music sweeps along, and sounds unrelentingly French, but it’s a waltz, fails on the “summon up the blood” thing, and, at least in English, the lyrics are lame.

The song has become something of a signature piece for Mireille Mathieu, but she rolls her Rs too much for my taste. Found this orchestra session, with a different singer, some years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2926U5e1MC4

Same song, played on Bastille Day. A military brass band playing a waltz just isn’t right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2_VCmG34uI

For the US, I like “Stars and Stripes Forever”. It does have lyrics, though seldom heard. This performance does include the chorus, but not the verses. Sousa shines in the “inspire and excite” thing with this one. You can’t help but be carried away by the blast of sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5bcpjUjLpU

Lyrics to “Stars and Strips Forever” at this link.

https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/sheetmusic/l…

Steve

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We need Canada as a sane place to escape to if the U.S. becomes fascist. :wink:

“If”?

Hopefully, that’s the correct conditional.

Pete

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And there are unofficial national anthems.

Lift Every Voice

Lift every voice and sing,
’Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on ’til victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers died.
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
’Til now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.
https://youtu.be/xit09LrjJUU

Or this one

This Land

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the Staten New York Island,
From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters,
God blessed America for me.
[This land was made for you and me.]

As I went walking that ribbon of highway
And saw above me that endless skyway,
And saw below me the golden valley, I said:
God blessed America for me.
[This land was made for you and me.]

I roamed and rambled, and followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts,
And all around me, a voice was sounding:
God blessed America for me.
[This land was made for you and me.]

Was a big high wall there that tried to stop me
A sign was painted said: Private Property,
But on the back side it didn’t say nothing —
God blessed America for me.
[This land was made for you and me.]

When the sun come shining, then I was strolling
In wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling;
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting:
God blessed America for me.
[This land was made for you and me.]

One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple
By the Relief Office I saw my people —
As they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if
God blessed America for me.
[This land was made for you and me.]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bphP7Hh_gxU

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Oh and just about everyone speaks with a Canadian accent.

+++
+++

Eh?

sunrayman
Floridian NOT in Varadero Beach

p.s. Isn’t that under the Domain of the Conch Republic??

https://conchrepublic.com/

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Oh and just about everyone speaks with a Canadian accent.

=============================================

And they have split personality that some day may result in two separate countries.

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“The French national anthem is shockingly violent and was originally a war song which sings of bloody flags, howling soldiers and ripping out mothers’ wombs.”

People should not be reading the English translation of the French National Anthem.

In Casablanca, one of the most moving parts of the movie is the singing of the French Anthem. Moves me to tears and knowing the singers are actual refugees of the war is a real experience.

But the actual lyrics are very disturbing. Just an amazing dichotomy between the French lyrics and the English words (or their meaning in English).

JimA

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Hi Tim,

“iBetween WWI and WWII the US had a military plan “Plan Red” to invade Canada that they constantly updated. We will never know if it was serious or just somebody Joshing us. Halifax figured highly in it.
Tim”

Somewhere, deep inside and far below the pentagon, is a small room with individuals who spend all their time working on plans for every possible contingency. How do we invade Canada; what happens if we need to invade the Galapagos Islands; How do we repel alien sea turtles invading Alaska in December.

I think they have run out of colours and are now using geometric shapes - like Plan dodecahedron!

JimA

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People should not be reading the English translation of the French National Anthem.

Alouette, gentil alouette,
Alouette, je te plumerai.

(L’oiseau pauvre n’a plus de plumes! )

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Somewhere, deep inside and far below the pentagon, is a small room with individuals who spend all their time working on plans for every possible contingency. How do we invade Canada; what happens if we need to invade the Galapagos Islands; How do we repel alien sea turtles invading Alaska in December.

I believe it’s publicly acknowledged that the Pentagon has a plan for a zombie apocalypse.

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Between WWI and WWII the US had a military plan “Plan Red” to invade Canada that they constantly updated.

The War Department developed contingency plans for a war with many countries. For example, Plan Orange was our response to a war with Japan. It was revised every few years, but they never did figure out how to solve the problem of US forces stranded in the Philippines. :frowning:

DB2

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We all know the U.S. national anthem. Personally, I think it should be replaced with “America the Beautiful.”

In the early 1970s a congressman introduced a bill to change the national anthem to a song by The Youngbloods, “Get Together”.

DB2
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

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<In Casablanca, one of the most moving parts of the movie is the singing of the French Anthem. Moves me to tears and knowing the singers are actual refugees of the war is a real experience.>

Absolutely one of the greatest scenes in the cinematic history!

<But the actual lyrics are very disturbing. Just an amazing dichotomy between the French lyrics and the English words (or their meaning in English). >

Hmmmm……don’t the lyrics to “La Marseillaise” have the same meaning in French (to a Francophone) as they do in English translation???

:wink:

Wendy

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In Casablanca, one of the most moving parts of the movie is the singing of the French Anthem. Moves me to tears and knowing the singers are actual refugees of the war is a real experience.

The frustrating thing is it is rare that I hear “La Marseillaise” played the way I like it. There is a thing the French do with drums, start a roll softly and build, that I don’t hear anyone else do, even non-French orchestras playing “La Marseillaise”. A lot of French orchestras don’t play it that way either. Years, maybe decades, ago, I was watching the F1 race in Monaco. Either the Renault team, or a French driver, won. At most races, they use recorded music, but that year, Monaco had a live orchestra, and they played it the way I like to hear it.

The lyrics are almost redundant, because the music itself is so strong and inspiring.

Ah! Only took an hour or so of searching. Found it played the way I like it.

Tribute to French soldiers: military band plays La Marseillaise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs0nXsYb5uA

Steve…had to play that piece about five times before moving on.

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"Hmmmm……don’t the lyrics to “La Marseillaise” have the same meaning in French (to a Francophone) as they do in English translation???"

Since I don’t speak or understand French - What I was trying to say was the singing in French is inspiring and sounds wonderful. Not knowing what the words mean; just the experience of the vocalizations. It is powerful music.

I was shocked to learn what the meaning was. Still like their Anthem.

JimA