National anthem for England?

Yes. There'll always be an England would be a good song/anthem but just the first few verses and miss out the Empire bit.

No contest - the next national anthem should be The Blaydon Races

I'd prefer The Funky Gibbon by the Goodies myself.

??

Katie59

The modern anthem I do like is “Advance Australia Fair”
Even though it was written 150 yrs ago, it just seems right for today.

My Australian son-in-law dislikes “Advance Australia Fair”.

I think “I Am, You Are, We Are Australian” sung by The Seekers, would be a great Aussie National Anthem.

What's wrong with God Save the Queen? I love it, gives me tingles even though I'm Welsh. I hate all this Welsh people & Scottish people not liking England. I think we should all say we're British and stick with God Save the Queen.

trisher

Isn't there "There'll always be an England"? or "Rose of England"
How many England songs do we need?

Just the one that all the country agrees on instead of "God save the Queen", which I agree is a durge and not one that is used at other times for the whole of the U.K. like the above.

Looks like Land of Hope and Glory has fallen off the radar then. I do like Flower of Scotland, I think it's a wonderful tune. Powerful lyrics too, if you're Scottish. I had hoped that the Italian anthem of the day might be Va Pensiero, even though it's not the official national anthem.

grannyrebel7

What's wrong with God Save the Queen? I love it, gives me tingles even though I'm Welsh. I hate all this Welsh people & Scottish people not liking England. I think we should all say we're British and stick with God Save the Queen.

If you're singing as British person, sing God Save the Queen. At the Olympics, for instance. Scots will join in enthusiastically.

If you're singing as an English person, at the Commonwealth Games or Euros for instance, find your own song. We've got ours.

Excuse me while I pop downstairs and tell my England-born husband that I don't like him, the last 45 years have all been a mistake.

We've got our own song Alegrias1

Those of us who remember 1966; look at the flags. I hope it doesn't take another 55 years for England to realise that they need to stop using the Union song, too.

We live in hope.

I think Jerusalem is the best combination of tune and words, but I suppose it would be rather odd to have a national anthem with the title of a city in another country, even though it is symbolic in Blake’s words.

Our school was 'These things shall be, a loftier race shall rise.......appalling isnt it gies on to say ' with light if learning in their eyes'. Never heard it again since thank heavens.

Katie59

The modern anthem I do like is “Advance Australia Fair”
Even though it was written 150 yrs ago, it just seems right for today.

They had to change the words recently to make it more inclusive.
The other point is that not everyone can remember the words!

If you're singing as an English person, at the Commonwealth Games or Euros for instance, find your own song. We've got ours.
We've got our own song Alegrias1

You may have your own songs but, of the four countries, only Wales has an official national anthem.
Have I mentioned that before?

I have never liked Advance Australia Fair and most Australians I know don’t, either. Most like We are One or even I still call Australia Home by Peter Allen. Waltzing Matilda was considered but they didn’t like the sentiment. I think it is a fine old song and reflects a lot about our early years.
The French and German national anthems are both wonderful, very heart stirring. Probably time to move on from God save the Queen, maybe they could have a National comp to find a good one ? That might be a good thing at this difficult time.

God save the Queen is a dirge with meaningless words - save the Queen from what? death? It’s not a song about the country.Let’s have a modern one.

QSTQ is at least mercifully short. We usually get one verse which is plenty. I think it should only be used when the Queen or another major royal is present. Other anthems go on for far too long and many have meaningless words.

England does need its own national song. There are several listed above that have been used or could be used.

That should have been GSTQ of course.

‘Jerusalem’ for me, if not GSTQ.

It was sung with such gusto when I was at school, everyone loved it when the headmaster announced at assembly ‘Hymn 446-Jerusalem’.

Sends shivers down my spine even now whenever it’s played.

Yes it really is time for a new national anthem. If only we could have a competition to find a new one

I’m happy to sing GSTQ.
If we have a change I think we should have
Land of Hope and Glory . It’s sounds great when I hear it on the last night of the Proms.
Can you imagine the uproar, whingeing, and even sheer nastiness, not just on SM but across the country, about the outcome of such a ‘competition’.
We can’t even agree on GN.
Multiply that by Twitter and then add in the real world of people not pseudonyms . . .
The criticism of the music or the words anyone didn’t like e.g. ‘not appropriate’,
‘not true’, ‘it would spoil it for others who like singing that song’, ‘too modern’, ‘not memorable’, ‘racist’, ‘sexist’, ‘exclusionary’
the list of complaints would go on and on.

I would go along with Land of Hope and Glory. It used to be used at the Commonwealth Games.

I wouldn't put much trust in a competition to find a new national song given what we come up with for Eurovision.

Marmardoit . So true.

DH immediately said ‘I vow to thee my country” would be better. So that’s absolutely vote already.

Sorry, maybe I'm just feeling argumentative today....(there's a first )

We can't have a competition about the song because people will disagree. We can't have a vote on the Head of State because people will disagree. We can't have votes on the Constitution because people will disagree.

Maybe the anthem should be "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Stones.

I would rather stick with what we have.
The whole world knows it,no need for a change imo.