Why don’t they change the British National anthem?

Coco51

To anybody who watched the parade of competitors in the Commonwealth Games and all those people who are proud of having the Queen as head of the Commonwealth, the idea of removing her from our national anthem is abhorrent

I agree! I for one like the anthem we have. I am proud of my country (all 4 regions of it) despite it's chequered history. It is just that, history. I am proud to sing our anthem and to stand when it is played, I've always done that and I always will.

If I really had to choose an alternative it would be Jerusalem. It was our school's anthem sung at every school event with huge enthusiasm by everyone regardless of their race, religion or nationality. Why do we keep trying to please everyone and be so inclusive. It's impossible. Those who don't like the anthem will just have to like it or lump it. They don't have to sing it after all!

Well she's gonna be removed I would think in the not too distant future! Time for a change and I hope Charles goes for it! He's waited far too long and sadly missed his moments to shine in his relative youth. Knock on effect probably means William and George will be quite long in the tooth too by time they 'get a go' !

Billy's an absolute genius! We've just watched this and laughed orcsox off-again! And what a great idea?!

Thank you for the laugh MissAdventure, I love Billy! I've always thought Australia should use 'Waltzing Matilda'! 'Land of Hope and Glory' would definitely be my choice for the UK.

God save the King wasn't written to be the National Anthem. It was written in 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie was threatening to take the crown back. It wasn't meant to be, and didn't become, the National Anthem until much later. At this stage it had to have a verse removed as it was no longer OK to sing:

Lord grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
And like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God Save the King

We don't need a song that is only about one person. We need a song that is about the country.

Coco51

To anybody who watched the parade of competitors in the Commonwealth Games and all those people who are proud of having the Queen as head of the Commonwealth, the idea of removing her from our national anthem is abhorrent

Are we meant to be proud of having a country that invaded lots of other people's countries?

I quite like the version that begins “Land of dope and Tory”, but I don’t know the rest of it.

To anybody who watched the parade of competitors in the Commonwealth Games and all those people who are proud of having the Queen as head of the Commonwealth, the idea of removing her from our national anthem is abhorrent

MissAdventure

Im with Billy. youtu.be/6_kyd6JF3zc

Fantastic, tears rolling down my cheeks. Although all my family groan loudly as soon as that theme tune comes on; I love it!

Frankly, no national anthem I have ever heard or read the text of is particularly appropriate in today's world.

So if you do want to change yours the problem arises, what on earth would you change it to?

Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia may still be popular, but both echo a long departed British Empire and contain sentiments that many today consider inappropriate.

A completely new text probably has very little chance of appealing to any significant majority.

Britain has supplied the world with many major poets, but mainly in the days of the founding or running of the Empire, so anything they wrote will be as dated and possibly as unacceptable to the majority.

Coz Britanea doesn't and shouldn't Rule The Waves anymore, and Jerusalem is religious. I'd rather have We Will Rock You. ???

Because we aren't a Land of Hope & Glory.

No way! It’s legendary and fills Great Britain ?? with pride!

volver

GSTQ's only reference to Scotland is:

Lord grant that Marshal Wade, May by thy mighty aid, Victory bring. May he sedition hush, And like a torrent rush, Rebellious Scots to crush, God Save the King (Queen).

We don't really feel up here that it is very inclusive. I'd quite like a change.

Nailed it Volver.

You always make me laugh (in a good way).

Everyone stood up when the National anthem was played on TV or radio when I was a child. GPs and DF were immigrants and had applied and were granted British citizenship. They were very proud of this and our country.
Personally I'm not a Royalist and think we should be a republic.

Rule Britannia is patriotic and stirring; and we all know and love Jerusalem.

Just no.Sing the frequently omitted verse confound politicians and their knavish tricks ..

Grantanow, it would be a bit silly to discuss gas prices on a thread about the national anthem, though, wouldn’t it?

Land of Hope and Glory is a Tory anthem and is racist and colonialist. There are more important things to worry about than re-writing God Save the Queen though it offends religious and non-monarchist sensibilities. Gas prices, for example.

I agree. Change the current anthem, it’s awful

Janeea

The Scottish one is so depressing I feel like slitting my wrists when I hear it. I am an atheist but Land of Hope and Glory doesn’t bother me I actually quite like it

I find it anything but depressing! I love Flower of Scotland, especially when sung at the rugby. It literally makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

No thanks, I'll stick with the classic

DaisyAnne

--Many people think the words racist-- Many people think the words of Land of Hope and Glory, racist.

I feel the idea of 'wider bounds' a bit too colonial for current times.
As for Land of Hope and Glory mentioning God, well isn't God the one saving our gracious queen in the current anthem?

I am glad that no one ha suggested Jerusalem (definately a christian hymn) as our national anthem . Leave it for theWI. I can't see muslims or any other religion wanting to establish a foreign capital in our green and peasant land. We are nominally a multi-cultural society. You can't please everybody.I cringe when it is played as the English anthem at sports events