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English National Anthem

What woud you want for an English National Anthem?

  • Jerusalem

    Votes: 45 45.9%

  • Land of Hope & Glory

    Votes: 27 27.6%

  • God Save The Queen

    Votes: 7 7.1%

  • There'll Always Be An England

    Votes: 5 5.1%

  • Something more contemporary by The Beatles or Bowie or somesuch

    Votes: 3 3.1%

  • Other

    Votes: 11 11.2%
  • Total voters
    98


The Albion Roar

The Albion Roar

97.2FM
Aug 11, 2003
2,728
The Open Market
Been done to death on here, but MPs are debating this today.

England currently doesn't have its own national athem; it uses the anthem for Great Britain - God Save The Queen.

Should this be retained, or should England have its own identity and anthem? If so, what?
 




Eeyore

Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
23,530
Jerusalem has a feel of the old working class struggle. I love the reference to the 'dark satanic mills'. I'm in.
 




Westdene Seagull

Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,004
The arse end of Hangleton


Titanic

Titanic

Super Moderator
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,067
West Sussex
To quote Wikipedia.... "The poem was inspired by the apocryphal story that a young Jesus, accompanied by Joseph of Arimathea, a tin merchant, travelled to what is now England and visited Glastonbury during his unknown years.[SUP][2][/SUP] The poem's theme is linked to the Book of Revelation (3:12 and 21:2) describing a Second Coming, wherein Jesus establishes a New Jerusalem. The Christian church in general, and the English Church in particular, has long used Jerusalem as a metaphor for Heaven, a place of universal love and peace.[SUP][3][/SUP]
In the most common interpretation of the poem, Blake implies that a visit by Jesus would briefly create heaven in England, in contrast to the "dark Satanic Mills" of the Industrial Revolution. Blake's poem asks four questions rather than asserting the historical truth of Christ's visit. Thus the poem merely implies that there may, or may not, have been a divine visit, when there was briefly heaven in England."

Put like that, it doesn't really sound like a great basis for an English anthem, does it? personally I would prefer something without religion or monarchy.
 






Acker79

Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,854
Brighton
We should have a new reality TV show, where aspiring composers write songs each week. We can get Simon Cowell, Claudia Winkleman and Rhylan to be the judges and each week a different music legend can perform the songs - we can get rachel stevens, natasha beddingfield, steve brookstein, and that bloke off the go compare adverts...
 


Bob!

Bob!

Coffee Buyer
Jul 5, 2003
11,119
Brighton Lines said:
Jerusalem has a feel of the old working class struggle. I love the reference to the 'dark satanic mills'. I'm in.
Click to expand...

Some of Jerusalem is very good.
I'm not comfortable with the heavy Christianity side of it all.
 














JC Footy Genius

JC Footy Genius

Bringer of TRUTH
Jun 9, 2015
10,568
I'd stick with GSTQ but this would be my second option ....



... also relevant to that morning after poor result/season implosion feeling!
 


father_and_son

father_and_son

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2012
4,646
Under the Police Box
Titanic said:
To quote Wikipedia.... "The poem was inspired by the apocryphal story that a young Jesus, accompanied by Joseph of Arimathea, a tin merchant, travelled to what is now England and visited Glastonbury during his unknown years.[SUP][2][/SUP] The poem's theme is linked to the Book of Revelation (3:12 and 21:2) describing a Second Coming, wherein Jesus establishes a New Jerusalem. The Christian church in general, and the English Church in particular, has long used Jerusalem as a metaphor for Heaven, a place of universal love and peace.[SUP][3][/SUP]
In the most common interpretation of the poem, Blake implies that a visit by Jesus would briefly create heaven in England, in contrast to the "dark Satanic Mills" of the Industrial Revolution. Blake's poem asks four questions rather than asserting the historical truth of Christ's visit. Thus the poem merely implies that there may, or may not, have been a divine visit, when there was briefly heaven in England."

Put like that, it doesn't really sound like a great basis for an English anthem, does it? personally I would prefer something without religion or monarchy.
Click to expand...

As an atheist I completely agree... however it is a powerful hymn that many if not most people were forced to learn (at least enough to mumble along to) at school. And it does do a much better job of stirring that feeling in the pit of your stomach than GStQ does!
 




Sussaxon

Sussaxon

New member
Mar 19, 2014
287
Sussex
Definitely "There'll always be an England"!!! You just have to listen to the lyrics, Makes you proud to be English!...

I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen.
I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen.
May this fair dear land we love so well
In dignity and freedom dwell.
Though worlds may change and go awry
While there is still one voice to cry - - -

There'll always be an England
While there's a country lane,
Wherever there's a cottage small
Beside a field of grain.
There'll always be an England
While there's a busy street,
Wherever there's a turning wheel,
A million marching feet.

Red, white and blue; what does it mean to you?
Surely you're proud, shout it aloud,
"Britons, awake!"
The empire too, we can depend on you.
Freedom remains. These are the chains
Nothing can break.

There'll always be an England,
And England shall be free
If England means as much to you
As England means to me.

Okay, you may want to drop the first verse, and probably want to drop the lyrics "Red, white and blue", "Britons", and "empire" to something more English-based, but it has all the ingredients of a fantastic national anthem; a catchy tune, easy to remember, and stirring lyrics about the actual nation!!! I can't believe no one can listen to these versions of There'll always be an England without being emotionally gripped to England!..
[YT]vjFNMDk6Kto[/YT]

[YT]gWSjNtbT4lg[/YT]

Makes you proud to be English, gives you shivers down the spine and brings tears to your eyes!
 


R

Rod Marsh

New member
Aug 9, 2013
1,254
Sussex
I was listening to TalkSport earlier today on my drive in to work. It was suggested the we should go with New Order "World in motion" and that whoever is the captain should have to step forward and do the John Barnes rap. It could be our haka. Can you imagine :)
 








G

Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,336
Uffern
Brighton Lines said:
Jerusalem has a feel of the old working class struggle. I love the reference to the 'dark satanic mills'. I'm in.
Click to expand...

Although most commentators believe that the "dark satanic mills" referred to the Oxford and Cambridge universities - although some believe it refers to C of E churches

Jerusalem was, however, written in Sussex so for that reason alone: I'm in
 


The Albion Roar

The Albion Roar

97.2FM
Aug 11, 2003
2,728
The Open Market
Titanic said:
[The Christian church in general, and the English Church in particular, has long used Jerusalem as a metaphor for a place of universal love and peace.

Put like that, it doesn't really sound like a great basis for an English anthem, does it? personally I would prefer something without religion or monarchy.
Click to expand...

The metaphors Blake uses have a religious context as their bases, but are not intended to glorify any given deity, which is what a hymn does. This poem is about desire for the adoration of England.

It sounds to me like a perfect notion - a yearning for a better place.
 


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