English National Anthem

[Notters]

Most of those are far to religious. Something new please.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

I Vow to Thee, My Country...................................


Should have been on the list in it's own right.....


TNBA

TTF

 

[Hillian1]

 

[Buzzer]

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

I'd regard Peter Ackroyd's biography as the definitive on Blake and he is firmly of the opinion that it was a direct reference to the huge Albion Mills in Lambeth.

I'll happily concede though that Blake was an almost extreme non-conformist with a huge distrust of organised religion and the many English institutions that blighted (in his eyes) our fair country. I like Blake a lot, mad as a hatter but a genius too.

I'm not sure Blake would have approved of his poem being used as a National Anthem and all that it is supposed to stir up. He got into a lot of trouble once in Felpham for beating up a soldier who was being overly patriotic.

My vote goes for "Vow To Thee My Country". It says all I feel about England and why I'm so proud to be an Englishman.

 

[Gwylan]

I'd regard Peter Ackroyd's biography as the definitive on Blake and he is firmly of the opinion that it was a direct reference to the huge Albion Mills in Lambeth.

I'll happily concede though that Blake was an almost extreme non-conformist with a huge distrust of organised religion and the many English institutions that blighted (in his eyes) our fair country. I like Blake a lot, mad as a hatter but a genius too.

I'm not sure Blake would have approved of his poem being used as a National Anthem and all that it is supposed to stir up. He got into a lot of trouble once in Felpham for beating up a soldier who was being overly patriotic.

Blake is fascinating: he's so open to interpretation. My own gut feeling is that DSM shouldn't be taken literally, as that would be un-Blake-like (the Albion Mill had been destroyed some years before he wrote Jerusalem too, would he have thought about it?)

Totally agree that Blake would be horrified at the thought of it being used as an anthem though - it would be against everything he stood for

 

[Jam The Man]

In the olden days, England used to walk out at Wembley to Land of Hope and Glory, and that was always incredibly rousing. Gets my vote.

 

[Keith Patel]

This.

 

[studio150]

Oh England My Lionheart

 

[sir albion]

Yes certainly need our own national anthem and we need to start to actually be proud of where we come from again.

 

[Boys 9d]

As a reminder of past glories how about "The Yeomen Of England". I remember this from singing it constantly at Junior School.

 

[surrey jim]

Fat Les - Vindaloo?

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I like Billy Connolly's suggestion: theme tune from The Archers

You sweaties don't get a vote.

It has to be land of hope and glory.

Jerusalem is far too middle/ upper class boarding school

 

[Gwylan]

It has to be land of hope and glory.

Jerusalem is far too middle/ upper class boarding school

Interesting. I see it as the other way round: Jerusalem for the plebs (it was a favourite hymn at our state school) while I see LOHAG as a product of public schools

 

[supaseagull]

'Jerusalem' music is good but rewrite the words.

Jerusalem needs to be renamed...Maybe something that fits like "Basildon"

 

[Bold Seagull]

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.

I thought Blake's intention was to promote a socialist utopia and is in fact a proto-atheist view of christianity?

 

[Chief Wiggum]

 

[Buzzer]

I thought Blake's intention was to promote a socialist utopia and is in fact an almost a proto-atheist view of christianity?

Proto-socialist? Probably, Blake found a lot of common ground with Thomas Paine but he most certainly wasn't any sort of atheist.

His non-conformist views bordered on mysticism and he was heavily influenced by Swedenborg, a fascinating character in his own right, and the cult that Swedenborg built around himself. Swedenborgism became and still is a recognised Protestant denomination.

 

[Normal Rob]

Jerusalem needs to be renamed...Maybe something that fits like "Basildon"

I agree. it implies that we should look to replicate a foreign city/way of living in this country, i.e. saying that other countries have got it better than us!

Oh, hang on...

 

[Bold Seagull]

Proto-socialist? Probably, Blake found a lot of common ground with Thomas Paine but he most certainly wasn't any sort of atheist.

His non-conformist views bordered on mysticism and he was heavily influenced by Swedenborg, a fascinating character in his own right, and the cult that Swedenborg built around himself. Swedenborgism became and still is a recognised Protestant denomination.

I was referring to the implication of the poem rather than Blake himself. Jerusalem isn't a hymn as it doesn't praise or worship God, so as a poem, with it's presentation of a proto-socialist utopia, it's appealing to those of a proto-atheist Enlightenment view. Blake of course was happy to dismiss even Newton's scientific theories, so I can safely agree with you on that.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler,
If you think we're on the run?
We are the boys who will stop your little game.
We are the boys who will make you think again.
'Cause who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler,
If you think old England's done?
Mr. Brown goes off to town on the eight twenty-one,
But he comes home each evening and he's ready with his gun.
So who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler,
If you think old England's done?