NationStates Jolt Archive

(This is my first thread... wonder if anyone will read it. Or care.)

A recent thread raised the fact that many national anthems are generally dull, outdated, or downright bigoted. In fact, some would say God Save the Queen is guilty on all three counts.

Anyway, the question is this - what song would you choose to be your country's new national anthem?

I'm going to go with 'Kings' by Steely Dan.
Nice accessible radio-friendly tune and lyrics that, I think, say it all.
http://www.steelydan.com/lyrthrill.html#track3
(BTW, I'm English, so this would replace God Save the Queen)

Why bother? Nobody sings it anyway, except before international football matches, so we might as well just not have one.

Why bother? Nobody sings it anyway, except before international football matches, so we might as well just not have one.

Hey, that's not fair. I sing the national Anthem when I'm drunk. :p

To quote Bill Bailey: "God save our gracious queen: Why would we invoke a ‘non-specific’ deity to bail out these unelected spongers?"

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7imvZW5U0ss)

Hey, that's not fair. I sing the national Anthem when I'm drunk. :p

You actually know the words? :eek:

Die Prinzen - Deutschland :P

here's the text:
http://german.about.com/library/blmus_prinzen01e.htm
j/k

You actually know the words? :eek:

You betcha. I know the first verse too(what we sing at football matches and the like is just the chorus)

You actually know the words? :eek:
I know the words to ours:
God save our gracious queen
duuun duuun duuun duuuuuun dun dun
duuun duuun duuun duuuuuun dun dun (in higher pitch)
God save the quuen

There's only one song worthy of being called the National Anthem of the United States - and that's the one we have. Sorry, but "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" just don't have the same force that "The Star-Spangled Banner" does.

That said, if we were forced to change it, we should pick the heaviest death-metal song we can find (whose lyrics are in English, that is...sorry, Rammstein, although I sure as hell wouldn't fuck with the Germans if "Du Hast" was their national anthem.)

http://www.ugoplayer.com/music/duhastrodents.html

Oh, and Du Hast issn't all that scary if you understand the lyrics.

The Germans need Das Hokey Kokey for their anthem.

Give it to the Austrians, we don't want it. :p

There's only one song worthy of being called the National Anthem of the United States - and that's the one we have. Sorry, but "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" just don't have the same force that "The Star-Spangled Banner" does.

That said, if we were forced to change it, we should pick the heaviest death-metal song we can find (whose lyrics are in English, that is...sorry, Rammstein, although I sure as hell wouldn't fuck with the Germans if "Du Hast" was their national anthem.)

There's only one song worthy of being called the National Anthem of the United States - and that's the one we have. Sorry, but "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" just don't have the same force that "The Star-Spangled Banner" does.

That said, if we were forced to change it, we should pick the heaviest death-metal song we can find (whose lyrics are in English, that is...sorry, Rammstein, although I sure as hell wouldn't fuck with the Germans if "Du Hast" was their national anthem.)
The Germans need Das Hokey Kokey for their anthem.

On one hand, I don't speak German. It's only the fact that it's so heavy that makes it sound tough. All I know of it is "Du hast Mich" which translates to "You hate me" and "Nein" means "No." I have no idea what "der Fracht" or whatever that was means.

On the other hand, I don't think I'll be picking a fight with that bunny anytime soon. That gopher-looking creature, maybe.

Du hast mich means "you have me" and it's only the first words of Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab' nichts gesagt (you have asked me and I said nothing). basically it's rejecting the idea of a marriage.

Not scary at all :p

http://www.ugoplayer.com/music/duhastrodents.html

Oh, and Du Hast issn't all that scary if you understand the lyrics.

On one hand, I don't speak German. It's only the fact that it's so heavy that makes it sound tough. All I know of it is "Du hast Mich" which translates to "You hate me" and "Nein" means "No." I have no idea what "der Fracht" or whatever that was means.

On the other hand, I don't think I'll be picking a fight with that bunny anytime soon. That gopher-looking creature, maybe.

On one hand, I don't speak German. It's only the fact that it's so heavy that makes it sound tough. All I know of it is "Du hast Mich" which translates to "You hate me" and "Nein" means "No." I have no idea what "der Fracht" or whatever that was means.

On the other hand, I don't think I'll be picking a fight with that bunny anytime soon. That gopher-looking creature, maybe.

Actually it could be "you have me". It's a play on words. As ever, wikipedia knows best.
The title is commonly interpreted as "You Have," but can be considered as a play on words: "Du hast" means 'you have', while the homophonous "du hasst" means 'you hate'. The pun is illustrated by a comparison of the German version, a literal English translation, and the band's non-literal English version of the song.

The repeating wedding vow is sung incompletely at first, with subtle ironical meanings:

Du - You
Du hast - You have (you hate)
Du hast mich - You have me (you hate me)
Du hast mich gefragt - You have asked me
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt - You have asked me and I've said nothing

As often with Rammstein songs, slight modifications reveal more of the intentions of the lyrics.

"Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheidet, treu ihr sein für alle Tage?"("Will you, till death separates you, stay faithful to her for all days?") This refrain is once sung:
"Willst du, bis zum Tod der Scheide, sie lieben auch in schlechten Tagen?" (Do you, until the death that divorces, love her even in bad days?). The song thus reveals that a man has been asked by a woman to marry her, and declined.

Also it can be observed the words "du hast" are also mixed every other line with "du haßt", which means "you hate" instead of "you have".

Actually it could be "you have me". It's a play on words. As ever, wikipedia knows best.

Wow...a hard-rock version of a spurned marriage proposal sung in the most angry way possible. I still wouldn't fuck with the Germans if that were their national anthem.

Wow...a hard-rock version of a spurned marriage proposal sung in the most angry way possible. I still wouldn't fuck with the Germans if that were their national anthem.

So you'll fuck with them now that they're declaring themselves to be the greatest country in existence, but if they don't want to get married they're scary?

Ours is crap, something about advanced Australians girting the sea. I can't be bothered with it.

So you'll fuck with them now that they're declaring themselves to be the greatest country in existence, but if they don't want to get married they're scary?

The point being, if any nation decides that its national anthem is a hard-rock song about angrily refusing a marriage proposal, they are not a nation to be fucked with. It would be the same thing if America decided to replace its flag with a picture of a spork or changed its national motto to "Go fuck yourselves." It's the type of thing that really takes people aback. Declaring one's own country to be the greatest in the world has been done since the beginning of time. It's passe. Anyone can do it. Luxembourg could do it if they wanted to.

In fact, I propose a new plan that will intimidate America's enemies - the nation's name will be splattered with umlauts, the insignia will be like that of a rock band (say, "USA" on a black background in a shiny copper font with a silver lightning bolt in the background) and the national motto will be a loud, enthusiatic shout of "FUCK THE MACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!" Soldiers would be issued rockers' T-shirts, encouraged to grow out their hair, and required to learn how to play the guitar. And before the battle, all the soldiers would be piss-drunk and form angry mosh pits.

Even the most hard-line Islamist insurgent would look at the Americans and say, "Dude. Those guys are hardcore." Most people would realize they don't stand a chance in hell against America after that. The French once had a concept of "élan" or fighting spirit. This would be a brand of fighting spirit that might actually work, just because no one has ever tried it. After all, wouldn't you be a bit confused if your enemy were bombing you, but in the second raid of bombing, they dropped guitars and amplifiers instead?

Yeah, it's pretty fucked up, but come on now - wouldn't it confuse people and maybe intimidate a few? After all, they're crazy enough to turn their entire military into rock stars. What the hell else do they have up their sleeve?

Retire the Star-Spangled Banner? A song that only drunks or trained singers can sing without hurting themselves? Sure. And being an agnostic, I'd replace it with "God Bless America."

Retire the Star-Spangled Banner? A song that only drunks or trained singers can sing without hurting themselves? Sure. And being an agnostic, I'd replace it with "God Bless America."

We could replace it with "America The Beautiful", but only the Ray Charles rendition. :)

And being an agnostic, I'd replace it with "God Bless America."

That makes no sense whatso-fucking-ever.

There's only one song worthy of being called the National Anthem of the United States - and that's the one we have. Sorry, but "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" just don't have the same force that "The Star-Spangled Banner" does.

That said, if we were forced to change it, we should pick the heaviest death-metal song we can find (whose lyrics are in English, that is...sorry, Rammstein, although I sure as hell wouldn't fuck with the Germans if "Du Hast" was their national anthem.)I nominate "Lucid Fairytale" by Napalm Death.

That makes no sense whatso-fucking-ever.

Think - mindf***

There's only one song worthy of being called the National Anthem of the United States - and that's the one we have.

How dare you? The topic is new national anthems. Get your own thread, damnit!
Sorry. Not sure what came over me there.

Good responses everyone, thank you.
Incidentally, the reason no-one knows the full version of God Save the Queen is that it's so politically incorrect that it never gets performed. Certainly not in front of Scots or Catholics.

My vote "Amerika" by Rammstein, in my opinion it sums us up.

I'm also English and see nowt wrong with God save the queen. hehe I quite like the anti Scotish sentements?


Noooo not really, I'm firmly in the lets change it to Jerusalm, brigad.

I've always said too many people want "America, FUCK YEAH!!" to be the new U.S. national anthem.

I've always said too many people want "America, FUCK YEAH!!" to be the new U.S. national anthem.

Hahahah yeah shit I like that!

(This is my first thread... wonder if anyone will read it. Or care.)

A recent thread raised the fact that many national anthems are generally dull, outdated, or downright bigoted.

The "fact" you refer to is not in evidence.

But if I were to change our national anthem, I'd add a few verses that give it an attitude more like La Marseillaise. If only the French took their own words more seriously :D

But anyway, "The Internationale", for all nations (translated appropriately, of course), would work.

The "fact" you refer to is not in evidence.

But if I were to change our national anthem, I'd add a few verses that give it an attitude more like La Marseillaise. If only the French took their own words more seriously :D

That's exactly what I meant by 'downright bigoted'. National anthems are just so uncool.