National Anthems

[Darth Ultor]

What are your favorite anthems? Here are mine in particular order.

Aegukka: North Korean anthem. Says nothing about socialism, the Kims, or the workers. It's just about Korea as a whole. Beautiful music.

March of the Volunteers. The Olympics made me like this one.

Du gamla, Du fria

Deutschlandlied

Kimigayo Dull lyrics, but great tune nonetheless.

Fratelli d'Italia

Russian Anthem: It's mostly the tune that's soul stirring.

My Kazakhstan

HaTikva

Advance Australia Fair

O Canada

The Star-Spangled Banner is okay, but I personally think Proud to be an American or America the Beautiful would be much better.

Maamme

La Bayamesa

Iranian anthem

God Save the Queen has a nice tune, but the lyrics are very dull. I like Rule Britannia or Land of Hope and Glory better.

[Alpha]

You actually listen to anthems... for leisure? Wow. I find that weird, but each to their own.

Advance Australia Fair

Gross. The lyrics to this are horrible. They even make up words.

"Our home is girt by sea."

"Girt" comes from "gird" - Girdle: put a girdle on or around; "gird your loins". Gird - bind with something round or circular.

It's just a terrible word. It makes me cringe.

I like national anthems that are sung in two languages. Like my one (New Zealand). If you knew how to pronounce the following Māori version, you would find it very beautiful. The English language can be very dry.

E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa

But I shouldn't have made fun of 'girt', because the last verse of the English version of my nation's anthem contains the weirdest line ever:

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.

Oh, and God Save the Queen formally has equal standing with God Defend New Zealand, but it's never really sung.

EDIT: This.

[Dodie16]

Do they have to be real anthems? Because I haven't heard too many others that are different from the one that my country has. This one has been stuck in my head since I was a kid:

YouTube - Salute to the Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen

Lyrics:

Stimpy
Remember the royal anthem of the kilted yaksmen!

Our country reeks of trees
Our yaks are really large
And they smell like rotting beef carcasses...
And we have to clean-up after them
And our saddle sores are the best.
We proudly wear women's clothing.
And searing sand blows up our skirts.
Ren and Stimpy
And buzzards, they soar overhead.
And poisonous snakes devour us whole.
Our bones will bleach in the sun.

Stimpy
That's it!

Ren and Stimpy
And we will probably go to * * * *.
And that is our great reward
For being the - uh - roy-yal
Canadian kilted yaksmen

Stimpy
Come on everybody

Our country reeks of trees
Our yaks are really large
And they smell like rotting beef carcasses
And we have to clean-up after them
And our saddle sores are the best
We proudly wear women's clothing
And searing sand blows up our skirts
And buzzards, they soar overhead
And poisonous snakes devour us whole
Our bones will bleach in the sun
And we will probably go to * * * *
And that is our great reward
For being the - uh - roy-yal
Canadian kilted yaksmen

[Darth Ultor]

Hahaha! I ****ing loved that show. When I was a little kid, I thought that WAS the Canadian anthem.

[Rydia Lover]

The Star-Spangled Banner is okay, but I personally think Proud to be an American or America the Beautiful would be much better.

thats because it wasnt written to be a song. but i wouldnt want any other. i am an american and i dont care what anyone says about my country, i am damn proud to be one if it's citizens.

[Violet]

Switzerland's
YouTube - Anthem Switzerland

switz anthem:

When the morning skies grow red
and over us their radiance shed
Thou, O Lord, appeareth in their light
when the alps glow bright with splendor,
pray to God, to Him surrender
for you feel and understand
that He dwelleth in this land.

In the sunset Thou art night
and beyond the starry sky
Thou, O loving father, ever near,
when to Heaven we are departing
joy and bliss Thou'lt be imparting
for we feel and understand
that Thou dwellest in this land

When dark clouds enshroud the hills
and gray mist the valley fills
yet Thou art not hidden from thy sons
pierce the gloom in which we cower
with Thy sunshine's cleansing power
then we'll feel and understand
that God dwelleth in this land.

and Russia's
YouTube - Anthem Russia


I mainly just like the sound of these anthems. I always thought Russia's had a cool strong sound to it.. and Switzerland's sounds peaceful. I tried listening to other anthems on youtube to compare them, but a lot sound very similar. Japan has a nice one going for them, too.

My favorite anthem is USA, it's always made me somewhat teary eyed. I've always loved how ours was written, too.. it's just damn pretty.

USA Anthem:

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

ah yes, and Scotland http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mydYTYWYpIo

[GypsyElder]

KAZAKHSTANIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM!

YouTube - KAZAKHSTANIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM! BORAT STYLE

Kazakhstan greatest country in the world.
All other countries are run by little girls.
Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium.
Other countries have inferior potassium.

Kazakhstan home of Tinshein swimming pool.
It’s length thirty meter and width six meter.
Filtration system a marvel to behold.
It remove 80 percent of human solid waste.

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan you very nice place.
From Plains of Tarashek to Norther fence of Jewtown.
Kazakhstan friend of all except Uzbekistan.
They very nosey people with bone in their brain.

Kazakhstan industry best in the world.
We incented toffee and trouser belt.
Kazakhstan’s prostitutes cleanest in the region.
Except of course Turkmenistan’s

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan you very nice place.
From Plains of Tarashek to Norther fence of Jewtown.
Come grasp the might phenis of our leader.
From junction with the testes to tip of its face!

[Andromeda]

I've always enjoyed hearing the French Anthem, which I picked up from playing too much Civilization, since they played the anthems for the civilizations when you talk to them. And I've always liked the instrumental part, the lyrics are good too, but the French Anthem is surprisingly bloody and dark if I remember the translation correctly. It probably also helps that I like the French language as well.

[Darth Ultor]

SK has a nice anthem, but it sounds like a hymn sung in a church. It's got nothing on NK's version. The anthem is probably the only good thing to ever come from that government.

[Yesha]

I'am choosing "Lupang Hinirang"! It is originaLLy my native nationaL anthem! It has so many interesting history about it and the words are reaLLy captivating.. aLso the meLody is soothing..

but, Let's not forget that America's anthem is great too!

[Furore]

I love the Australian anthem...

'Australians all let us ring Joyce
for she is young and free...'

[Jin]

The Soviet anthem was without a doubt the best anthem ever created. The worst part about the fall of the Union was the loss of that anthem. Thank God Mr. Putin brought it back, but damn him for having the words changed.

Actually, scratch that damning. I don't want to find arsenic in my breakfast cereal tomorrow.

[Darth Ultor]

Yeah, better not let Tovarishch Putin hear that .

[charliepanayi]

I will say that God Save the Queen is an utter dirge, the USA one is pretty awful and the Cypriot one isn't much better. I don't like many national anthems really - though Canada's is good.

The National Anthem by Radiohead on the other hand...

[Darth Ultor]

I will say that God Save the Queen is an utter dirge, the USA one is pretty awful and the Cypriot one isn't much better. I don't like many national anthems really - though Canada's is good.

The National Anthem by Radiohead on the other hand...

Hey, you're from FFWA and FFI! S'up?

[ViviMasterMage]

The British Anthem...







...sucks. But Canada's and America's are nice. By the way, Gypsy, did you know that the original Kazakhstan one that he sung was real? It's before the movie. (I'm lying, it's not the real one! But it's a different version xD)

YouTube - Borat - The Kazakhstan Anthem

[Jin]

I'm confused why anyone thinks the Canadian anthem is nice.

It's so dull. No pomp, no energy and there's nothing even patriotic about it. Bring back Maple Leaf Forever!

[Josh_R]

My favorite's have got to be the star spangled banner of course, and my second is O Canada....Gotta love those Canadians..

[Darth Ultor]

Canadians are awesome.

[smurphy]

I dont know any good national anthems apart from those sub saharan african ones which last ten minutes. Or maybe its the latin country ones but that doesnt matter. I defy any one of you to find one that is worse than the one used to represent the whole of ireland like when a team from northern ireland and the republic merge to represent the country like in rugby. Its called "Irelands Call". Look it up. Its just a damned pop song. And a sh*t one at that. Im embarrassed to be irish when its played.

[charliepanayi]

Hey, you're from FFWA and FFI! S'up?

Yeah I get everywhere on these FF forums

[Padraic]

I'm going to have to be patriotic and say O Canada. Mostly just because its bilingual... I just find that really cool... I'm sure many other countries are bilingual but... I haven't heard them sadly -_-'

[Alpha]

I dont know any good national anthems apart from those sub saharan african ones which last ten minutes. Or maybe its the latin country ones but that doesnt matter. I defy any one of you to find one that is worse than the one used to represent the whole of ireland like when a team from northern ireland and the republic merge to represent the country like in rugby. Its called "Irelands Call". Look it up. Its just a damned pop song. And a sh*t one at that. Im embarrassed to be irish when its played.

HEY! I LIKE that song! I even have the instrumental on my iPod. I even wrote new lyrics to that song in my final year of high school, for a competition between the four different 'houses' my school was divided into.

And it won.

[Jin]

Canadians are awesome.

But the anthem still sucks.

[Polk]

When I was the President of the United States of America, I tried create a National anthem. My choice was of course Don't Stop Believing by Journey. The pussies in congress voted against it because it technically wouldn't have been written for another 140 years or so, and apparently, "Trust me guys, it's cool" wasn't a good enough reason for them. So I got pissed, called them a bunch of mouthy little bitches, and that's how the Mexican-American War started.

Fun fact, huh?