"God Save The Queen" masquerades as a "British National Anthem" but anytime there's an international between England and Scotland or Wales it becomes clear it's not, because there really isn't any such thing as a British nation.

It's a rotten song anyway. The fact that half the countries in the globe use the same tune just demonstarates there's a lot of awful national anthems around.

"Jerusalem" would be perfect for an English national anthem, the words are great poetry, it doesn't insult anyone, it's not namby pamby, has a sense of purpose about it, and it's got a glorious tune for singing. And it's still about a mkind of revoluution.

Alternatively, "Speed the Plough" or the "British Grenadiers", with new words.

I've always thought "The Star Spangled Banner" is a great song, even when I've been rioting against the American giovernment. It's got a touching vulnerability about it, if played and sung right. It's a song from an America that was relatively small and weak, and losing a war against a mighty imperial power. But there's a lot to say for going back to "Yankee Doodle" which I always thought was the American National Anthem when I was growing up.

The only National Anthem that I've ever known people to stand up for in a folk session is "The Soldiers Song."