English National Anthem

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Scrump
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 01:10 PM

Agh! That last GUEST was me, sorry. How do you know when your cookie has been nicked, until you post?!

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 01:00 PM

Very good, McGrath, but the island includes Wales and Scotland.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 04:44 PM

I still think Yellow Submarine would be a good choice.

Maybe with a tiny bit of rewriting, though I'd sooner do without even that:

We all live on an island in the sea
An island in the sea, an island in the sea
We all live on an island in the sea
An island in the sea, an island in the sea

And our friends are all aboard
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play

We all live on an island in the sea
An island in the sea, an island in the sea
We all live on an island in the sea
An island in the sea, an island in the sea

As we live a life of ease
Every one of us has all we need
Sky of blue and sea of green
On an island in the sea

We all live on an island in the sea
An island in the sea, an island in the sea
We all live on an island in the sea
An island in the sea, an island in the sea.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:57 PM

Hey - and never mind 100 - That was one gross!

I've never had a gross post before...

:D

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 01:50 PM

No - apologies are from me, Terry - I can usualy spot a good iron but walked straight into that one. Ouch!

:D

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 01:48 PM

Oh - and second verse coming up...

Morris teams with hankies waving
Dancing with clogs a-blazing
Brass bands playing at the local bandstand
Leather does smack on willow
Church bells ring through my pillow
Rise up and join the folk who sing of England

:D

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 01:34 PM

Oops! Dave - I thought I was being ironic. Hence the concertina story. Sorry!

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 01:30 PM

Nothing the British/English ever did overseas (or at home for that matter) can be considered good. Ever.

Saving New Zealand from the Dutch? Standing up against Hitler in 1939? Abolishing slavery and policing the Atlantic against it? They don't sound like particularly bad things to me. Oh - sorry, that was not the English was it. I guess it must have been the good bits of UK. Wonder who they are...

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 12:38 PM

I thought Scotland the Brave was a good example of an anthem that celebrates the country without dwelling on anything that would offend other nations (even the English! :-)), so I thought maybe we could base an English anthem on that. Here's my first attempt at the first verse:

ENGLAND THE BRAVE

Hark where the night is falling
Hark hear the owls a-calling
Loudly and proudly calling down thru the dale
There where the hills are sleeping
Now feel the blood a leaping
Thanks to the spirits and the old English ale

Anyone like to write the next bit?

:-)

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 12:12 PM

Guest - true, but you miss the point. Nothing the British/English ever did overseas (or at home for that matter) can be considered good. Ever. A slightly folky example - I was at an academic conference in Cork about five years ago and there was a trio of Irish girls (two fiddles and a concertina)providing the background music during the reception. I mentioned to a colleague (English but living in Ireland)that the concertina is (apparently)the only musical instrument invented by an Engishman. I was told that was 'dangerous' talk and I should keep it to myself.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 12:11 PM

Well, to bring this thread back on topic, whether or not the English invented the concentration camp, it is not a subject suitable for inclusion in a national anthem, whoever it was that invented it.

A national anthem should celebrate the country and its positive achievements, not anything that would be shameful.

That's why I said, it shouldn't include subjects like Empire building or wars. Even if some people are proud of these, they were achieved at the expense of other countries, so should IMO not be a subject for celebration, as they will offend those other countries, which IMO shouldn't be the intention of a national anthem.

Maybe we should write our own, in which case we need to decide what elements to focus on: freedom (what's left of it), the beautiful conutryside (what's left of it), and er... anything else?

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Captain Ginger
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 12:11 PM

I was under the impression that they were first seen in the form we understand them today during the American Civil War, and that the name 'concentration camp' was first used to describe the camps set up by the Spanish in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. The British did use them, though, and the resulting deaths are shameful.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 11:57 AM

The English (British) did NOT invent the concentration camp. That is bad history and people who do not know any history should really go and find things out before coming onto public forums and spreading misinformation.
As an historian I am very impatient with this form of pop history. please do your research, get a dictionary and find out the facts. Thank you.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 11:43 AM

They do now - what's left of it anyway.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 11:31 AM

I always thought the Scots ran the Empire.....

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 11:30 AM

the government in westminster,which was composed of english, scottish, welsh and irish,the British,.but theDominant race of the British ,was the English,so it was both.

So don't the Scottish, Welsh and Irish share in the blame then, Cap'n? Perhaps they all voted against the idea?

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 11:00 AM

Such a pity the British weren't such benevolent colonists as those gentle and tender Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch. The world would have been such a happy place today!

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 10:58 AM

the government in westminster,which was composed of english, scottish, welsh and irish,the British,.but theDominant race of the British ,was the English,so it was both.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,ib48
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 10:04 AM

it should be nelly the elephant,or lip up fatty by bad manners

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 04:56 AM

Captain Birdseye - could you clarify? Was it the English or the British that invented the concentration camp (during the Boer War presumably?)

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,heed
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 04:29 AM

if you want a new english anthem one.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/anthem/

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to initiate a Parliamentary debate on the adoption of a national anthem for England that is distinct from the British national anthem.

The British anthem - God Save the Queen - should not be sung by the English as an English anthem.

It is disrespectful to England, Scotland and Wales to conflate England with Britain in this way; for England is a nation every bit as much as Scotland and Wales, and those Scots and Welsh that still consider themselves British are now obliged to boo their own anthem for fear of being regarded as traitors by an increasingly nationalistic tendency."

http://anthem4england.co.uk/
http://www.thecep.org.uk/

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 07:35 PM

lord randall.a really boring song.
or a minutes silence, dedicated to the country that invented the concentration camp.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 05:00 PM

By the way - why does any discussion of English national pride always attract a fair share of accusations of imperialism, racism and right wing views? What on earth is wrong with wanting to install a bit of pride back into our land? If we can do it with an anthem rather than through the medium of the football yob what is wrong with that?

Dave

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 04:55 PM

I said on another thread - Song of the bow by Arthur Conan Doyle. Mate of mine has set it to music and it would make a cracking English anthem. And who could complain? English anthem by a Scotsman born of Irish parents! Well, I suppose there is nothing in it for the Welsh, and it is St Davids day after all...

What of the men?
The men were bred in England:
The bowman--the yeoman--
The lads of dale and fell
Here's to you--and to you;
To the hearts that are true
And the land where the true hearts dwell.

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,jock
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 04:30 PM

A couple of recent oints are getting you guys in the right direction..........
Composer is one
Flower of Scotland is another.

Flower of Scotland was composed in the late sixties or early seventies by a Scottish folk band "The Corries". It was not an overnight success but has grown to be recognised the World over as it has been adopted at various sporting and social events. It is only loosely based on the fact that we have effectively been unable to be self determinant and is more about vain hope than assured arrogance.

Your identity need not be rooted in the latter Impirical days which have long since gone and for which you do indeed need to be sorry.

Rather how about a decent and lesser ego among your folk fraternity focussing on UNIONs or ROSES or something dignified in your History ...even if you have to go back a few hundred years when you kept yourselves to yourselves... somewhere before Tudors or something.... All they need to do is find something which inspires the majority of ordinary people and aspires to more than having 356% equity on their property.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Big Phil
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 03:45 PM

English bloke makes a couple of good points. Jerusalem for our National Anthem.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Jim Lad
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 02:14 PM

It's right on so many levels.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 01:25 PM

Jim Lad

that would,sadly, be appropriate for so many reasons. An expansion on your idea "Sorry seems to be the hardest word"

Pete

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Jim Lad
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 12:27 PM

How about... "I'm Sorry"?

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 12:19 PM

Captain Ginger, during the last world cup two shopkeepers one in the London area and one in Yorkshire were forced to remove St. George's from outside their shop or face prosecution. The one in the London area refused, there was a lot of media interest and the local council back down and dropped the charges. they were laid under some ancient bylaw because behaviour likely to incite racial tension could not be proved. It does show that some people will try to do these things.

I would like to point out that I do not hanker after the days you mention which I won't even type and I don't believe ther is any need for an English anthem at all. I certainly don't hold with the other comments held by English Bloke.

Pete

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Captain Ginger
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 04:42 AM

What absolute twaddle!
Where is flying the flag of St George illegal?
Who has been arrested for playing Rule Britannia?
Get your head out of the Mail and the Express and take the chip off your shoulder!
Or maybe you hanker after the good old days when a true Englishman could put a sign up saying "No blacks and no Irish", when it was acceptable to make fun of n*ggers and coons and when you could beat your wife with a stick no thicker than your thumb.
Ah, those were the days, eh?

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Jim Lad
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 12:56 AM

Good lord English bloke! I thought there were none of you left.
Whatever you decide on for an anthem, I only ask that it be sung by two of England's most beautiful women.
Boy George and Elton John come to mind but I'd settle for Marc Bolan.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,English bloke
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 03:40 PM

All music is, in some way or other, political. However, talk of an English national anthem is explosive stuff. I agree that we should have an anthem that is not used also as a generic anthem for the union. The reason I give for this is that the English, and here I mean the REAL English (you know, the English that anti-English Scots have in mind when they say 'the English'), are experiencing a pretty serious identity crisis. In Britain, the English in particular are currently in the grip of a potentially fatal strain of utopian social engineering at the hands of an authoritarian regime which seems hell bent on destroying the English nation through unprecidented legal and illegal immigration, the 'outsourcing' of jobs and even our laws to the foreigner (please feel free to call me 'xenophobic', I'll let you), repeated attempts to dice England up into little Euro-regions (divide et imperium), the suppression of expressions of English nationalism (Except when supporting the England football team, English people have been banned from flying the English flag - in England. They've also been arrested for playing 'Rule Britannia' - apparently, for some non-English New Labour storm-troopers, this tune is now 'hate music'.), and so on ad nauseam. Bar attempts by the Anglophobic mafia (which is currently busy coercing the real English into abeyance) to choose some wishy-washy multicult trash as the English national anthem, an English national anthem would be extremely helpful to the English people as a reminder to them that the English are indeed a people. My personal suggestion is: 'Do the Conga' by Black Lace! Well, we do like to queue - even when we dance! LOL!!!

Subject: English National Anthem
From:
Date: 02 Nov 04 - 07:47 PM

What is England's National Anthem & How did North Carolina vote in the Presidential Race?

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: RAT-W
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 08:45 AM

Errm, has anyone tried 'Land Of Hope And Glory'? I think that it has practically nothing to do with England, unless your looking for something to do OUT of the country, but it's got a really good tune.

The Rat (Patriotic as I may be).

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,cookieless manitas
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 08:02 AM

Tam,

If you don't like using the word 'Britian' try using 'Britain' instead.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: *Laura*
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 02:00 PM

about the anthem - i agree with what i said about the queen

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: *Laura*
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:59 PM

actually i don't think that at all.
i don't know what i was thinking last night!

xLx

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: *Laura*
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 03:55 PM

tam - i like the queen. but when it's charlie's turn i won't be so keen.
but i'm only a baby - so what do i know anyway!?!?

I think it should be 'Let It Be'
or 'Everybody Hurts' for the depresseds.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 12:07 PM

Well I think something by Cliff would be nice Living Doll might upset the feminists - but what about Summer Holiday - thats cheerful and we all know it

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 06:53 AM

There isn't an Englsih National Anthem, it the BRITISH NATIONAL ANTHEM.
We in Scotland have an unoffical national anthem, the same with Wales, well the rest of the britian doesn't sing land of my fathers, or Flower of Scotland.
We in Britian god I hate that word (Britian) but we here in Scotland and Northern Ireland and Wales are forced to sing and stand up to sing God Save the Queen/King. It all depens who is on the throne.
I'm Scottish and proud of it. And not only that the British natoinal anthem is anti Scottish anyway.
And then they wonder why us Scots won't sing it.
I don't know who the composer of the song was and I don't care.

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,ccpgr
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 06:35 AM

anybody knows the composer of the english national anthem?

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,PRINCESS
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 08:05 AM

Subject: RE: England national anthem
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 08:42 PM

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 12:14 PM

I think that song counts as post-ironic. Strange that it doesn't mention Morris Dancing, perhaps the ultimate expression of post-ironic patriotism.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY
From: Jackie in the Green
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 07:48 AM

Here's a health unto his Majesty,
With a fal la la la la la la,
Confusion to his enemies,
With a fal lal la la la la la la.
And he that will not drink his health,
I wish him neither wit nor wealth,
Nor but a rope to hang himself.
With a fal lal la la la la la la la la,
With a fal lal la la la la la.

I quite like the fal lal la la las, but I'm not keen on the rest.

How about Vindaloo by Fat Les? It mentions things we English hold dear - curry, tea, cheddar cheese, waterloo etc.

Or THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY by Ray Davies.

We are the Village Green Preservation Society.
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety.
We are the Desperate Dan Apreciation Society.
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.

Preserving the old ways from being abused.
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you.
What more can we do?

We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society.
God save Mrs. Mopp and good old Mother Riley.
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium.
God save the George Cross, and all those who were awarded them.

We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular.
God save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula.
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity.
God save little shops, china cups, and virginity.
We are the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliates.
God save Tudor houses, antique tables, and billiards.

Preserving the old ways from being abused.
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you.
What more can we do?

God save the village green!

Subject: 2 da scot dissin da uk y'all! das right - freshhh!
From: GUEST,brad
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 05:17 AM

get your stoopid sweaty mps out of the houses of parliament then! get them to stick to eatin haggis in scotland... you cant legislate me you dsgusting person!

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 07:49 AM

Well gareth, whats wrong with those? None of them stoop so low as sheep-shagging..................
Johnny :0)

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: GUEST,Jennie
Date: 24 Mar 04 - 09:21 PM

You might like this site: CENA, The Campaign for an English National Anthem

Subject: RE: English National Anthem
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 23 Mar 04 - 07:32 PM

Oh bollocks, wrong thread ...