A national anthem for England

ewgf · January 2016

In England, some MPs are saying that we should have a nation anthem (currently, we have a British national Anthem, God Save the Queen, but not one specific to England), so what do you suggest we should have for the anthem?

I'd like Land of Hope and Glory to be our anthem, but if it has to be a modern song/tune (to please the new generation), then come to think of it, offhand I don't know even one song about England, let alone a first class song about ol' Blighty. Though if we wanted a tune that summed up the current state of the country, then the Monty Python theme tune would be very appropriate.

So for anyone with more knowledge of music than me (i.e. anyone), what good tunes or songs do you think would make a good English National Anthem.

dm_boozefreek · January 2016

Surprised they're not saying people who want England to have it's "own" National Anthem are "racists" ;)

Luny · January 2016

I reckon Bill Connolly was right, it should be the theme to the Archers.

hackersanon · January 2016

Curse you, Luny the Platapus - you stole my thunder.

I vote for Vindaloo. Or World in Motion. Neither version should be re-recorded for the official version.

dm_boozefreek · January 2016

Yeah those 2 are way better than 3 f**king Lions!!!

Frank Skinner is a TW@T!!!

1024MAK · January 2016

Erm, back in the day, England meant Britain, therefore England does already have a national anthem...

We only dropped England meaning mainland Britain because the Scots and Welsh did not like it. That's the reason so many people in other countries get confused between the two terms / names...

So I say, leave well alone. If people want to sing, let them sing the English and British national anthem :D

Mark

Zoffy · January 2016

I would like to nominate Billy Bragg:

I was a miner, I was a docker
I was a railway man between the wars
I raised a family in times of austerity
With sweat at the foundry between the wars

I paid the union and as times got harder
I looked to the government to help the working man
But they brought prosperity down at the armoury
We're arming for peace, me boys between the wars

I kept the faith and I kept voting
Not for the iron fist but for the helping hand
For theirs is a land with a wall around it
And mine is a faith in my fellow man

Theirs is a land of hope and glory
Mine is the green field and the factory floor
Theirs are the skies all dark with bombers
And mine is the peace we knew between the wars

Call up the craftsmen, bring me the draftsmen
Build me a path from cradle to grave
And I'll give my consent to any government
That does not deny a man a living wage

Go find the young men never to fight again
Bring up the banners from the days gone by
Sweet moderation, heart of this nation
Desert us not, we are between the wars

def chris · January 2016

half man half biscuit - national shite day

guesser · January 2016

1024MAK wrote: »

Erm, back in the day, England meant Britain, therefore England does already have a national anthem...

No it didn't. England meant the Kingdom of England... Great Britain also contained the kingdom of Scotland. Or if you take it to be the entire island group then it also included the Kingdom of Ireland, also not England :)

Saboteur · January 2016

Dire straits - 'Money for nothing'

dm_boozefreek · January 2016

leespoons · January 2016

I'm with the Daily Mash on this one. Voodoo Ray!

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/voodoo-ray-confirmed-as-english-national-anthem-20160113105309

GreenCard · January 2016

I reckon it should be Agadoo by Black Lace.

Rebelstar without a cause · January 2016

Something American would be appropriate.

MatGubbins · January 2016

Rebelstar without a cause wrote: »

Something American would be appropriate.

you might want these then....
The The - Heartland
New Model Army - 51st State

joefish · January 2016

Since it's the Scottish Independence movement that has forced this schism, how about we still sing the National Anthem, but just skip a bit and do the later verses - you know, the ones with bits about 'Rebellious Scots to crush'...

leespoons · January 2016

hackersanon wrote: »

I vote for Vindaloo. Or World in Motion. Neither version should be re-recorded for the official version.

Or a mashup of the two, called Bowels in Motion.

/gets coat

Antiriad2097 · January 2016

i love the z80s · January 2016

It has to be God Save The Queen (the Sex Pistols one, obviously, not that crappy old royalist dirge)

beanz · January 2016

Kajagoogoo - too shy.

1024MAK · January 2016

The trouble is, in this part of the world, there have been so many changes, wars, agreements, that it is not at all simple. What with all the past events and people using shorthand, or not being sure about it in the first place, there a lots of different terms and meanings. At one point, Scotland and England (including Wales) had the same King, but the countries were otherwise apparently seperate. Later Scotland and England joined. Later Ireland joined as well. Then split off, with "Northen Ireland" wanting to stay part of the Union. And the borders have not always been the same either.
There is so much history, it can get very confusing. But you can make a start here:- Terminology of the British Isles

The word "England" is often used synecdochically to refer to Great Britain—or the United Kingdom as a whole — which often causes offence, particularly to those from the non-English parts of Britain. In a similar way, references to England as an island, to an "English passport", or to Scottish or Welsh places as being in England are examples of this usage of the term "England".

Because of the offence likely to be taken by Scots, Welsh and Irish at this usage, most politicians and official figures have avoided this usage since the early 20th century. However, there are frequent examples of this usage from earlier times. For a long time it was common for fans of the England football team to wave the British Union Flag—with the use of the specifically English St George's Cross flag only gaining popularity at the Euro 96 tournament.

The colloquial usage of "England" as a synonym for "Britain" is still widespread outside the UK. In Germany, the term "England" is often used to mean Great Britain or even the entire United Kingdom. In many other languages, such as Chinese, Japanese or Korean, the word for "English" is synonymous with "British"

Of course, God Save The Queen is not just used by us British, it is used elsewhere as well...

"God Save The Queen" is the national anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Like many aspects of British constitutional life, its official status derives from custom and use, not from Royal Proclamation or Act of Parliament.

Everything about this is a can of worms. That is best left outside where the dog can do what dogs do best, hopefully leaving it down the bottom of the garden in the dirt, out of the way.

Of course, if Parliament do "give us" an English anthem, how long before the Cornish want their own...

Mark

murtceps · January 2016

It should of course be on subject close to,the hearts of the nation,..........

John kettle is a weatherman, by the tribe of toffs comes to mind.

Luny · January 2016

hackersanon wrote: »

Curse you, Luny the Platapus - you stole my thunder.

I vote for Vindaloo. Or World in Motion. Neither version should be re-recorded for the official version.

Yuck yuck!

Luny · January 2016

dm_boozefreek wrote: »

That would get our athletes around the track quicker during the opening of the Olympics.

ewgf · January 2016

We should split England in two anyway. Look at the way all the beautiful, intelligent, talented people are in the north of England, whereas the southerners are all in the south. That's natural separation on it's own, as if nature is trying to tell us something! :) (Hope this forum doesn't screw up the smilies again, or the southerners (who are all thick anyway!) will think I'm serious :-O )..

And when the North of England is declared a separate country, then we Northerners will need a king. I've just done a *hugely* exhaustive assessment of every person living in the North, and was very surprised to find that I'm by far the best person to be the king. Not the way I'd have chosen it, but I'll answer the call of my new country :)>-

leespoons · January 2016

ewgf wrote: »

We should split England in two anyway. Look at the way all the beautiful, intelligent, talented people are in the north of England, whereas the southerners are all in the south. That's natural separation on it's own, as if nature is trying to tell us something! :) (Hope this forum doesn't screw up the smilies again, or the southerners (who are all thick anyway!) will think I'm serious :-O )..

Ha, I always assumed you came from Reading or somewhere :P

ewgf · January 2016

leespoons wrote: »

Ha, I always assumed you came from Reading or somewhere :P

That's "Ha, I always assumed you came from Reading or somewhere, Your Majesty"

Peasants...

>:D<

rich_chandler · January 2016

ewgf wrote: »

We should split England in two anyway. Look at the way all the beautiful, intelligent, talented people are in the north of England, whereas the southerners are all in the south. That's natural separation on it's own, as if nature is trying to tell us something! :) (Hope this forum doesn't screw up the smilies again, or the southerners (who are all thick anyway!) will think I'm serious :-O )..

And when the North of England is declared a separate country, then we Northerners will need a king. I've just done a *hugely* exhaustive assessment of every person living in the North, and was very surprised to find that I'm by far the best person to be the king. Not the way I'd have chosen it, but I'll answer the call of my new country :)>-

I agree, all the thieves, druggies and rapists are up north whilst all the money is down south, Just need to build a nice big wall...

ewgf · January 2016

karingal wrote: »

I agree, all the thieves, druggies and rapists are up north whilst all the money is down south, Just need to build a nice big wall...

If the south built the wall, it would be finished ten years late, twelve times over budget, wouldn't work at all - you'd probably build it going North to South going from Sheffield to Winchester, and then your government would spend fifteen years and six hundred million pounds on a 'public' inquiry to find out who was responsible for the cock up, which would end with the conclusion "No one was responsible, lessons were learnt, everyone deserves a huge pay bonus, and knighthoods/peerages all round".

Meanwhile, up in EWGF-land (the new name for the greatest country ever) we'd all be happy in our well run country, where people are paid according to merit (so politicians, 'modern' artists, and bug testers for Ubisoft games would all have to change professions or else starve to death), traffic wardens (even retired ones) are all sent to prison for life (which means that Karingal will stay the hell out of EWGF-land, given his past career), we'd win every football match with the South (obviously), and we have the best national anthem ever; Meat Loaf's I would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That).

That's what I'd do. I mean, that is what one would do, when one is king. >:D<

joefish · January 2016

ewgf wrote: »

If the south built the wall... you'd probably build it going North to South going from Sheffield to Winchester, and then your government would spend fifteen years and six hundred million pounds on a 'public' inquiry to find out who was responsible for the cock up, which would end with the conclusion "No one was responsible, lessons were learnt, everyone deserves a huge pay bonus, and knighthoods/peerages all round"

Well, naturally it should run from the Bristol Channel to the Humber Estuary, as explained by that bastion of rationality, the Daily Heil:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-489513/The-new-north-south-divide-Worcesters-north-Lincolns-south.html
That way we get Leicester, Lincoln and most of Northamptonshire and you get Birmingham, Chesterfield and Grimsby - which are all very clearly northern.

Morkin · January 2016

So what everyone's saying is that we're gonna need two English national anthems - one for the north and one for the south.

A national anthem for England

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