New "National Anthem"

[Oscar2006]

Originally Posted by Duke of York

Unfortunately to sing this don't you need to have black curly hair and a moustache



I think this should really be about an english anthem as both the Scots and the Welsh already have their own which are often played at Rugby games and I do consider that England should have one of their own rather than just God save the Queen.

I would personally go for Land of Hope and Glory as an English Anthem

Why not Swing low sweet chariot.....coming for to carry me home...... second only to the "Anfield Anthem" of course. The hairs on my neck stand up everytime I hear it!

[nightshade]

Floral Dance?

[smartie]

And when we've got the anthem sorted out (I'd just put some English words to the French one, I think - it's the most catchy one I know and it would drive them mad!) can we have a national dance to set against the New Zealand haka at rugby matches? I've always favoured some really aggressive morris dancing.

[Mr Mag00]

'God save the queen' by the Sex Pistols

[Kymba]

How about " Tiptoe Through The Tulips" by Tiny Tim...
Or
"Blowing In the Wind" By Bob Dylan

[Garden Carpet]

George Formby.... Leaning on a Lampost

or....excerpts from The London Symphony

[Tursiops2]

The theme from "The Great Escape" seems to have caught on with English football supporters in recent years. It's a catchy little tune, if a bit repetitive. No doubt some overpaid jingle-meister could come up with suitably trite lyrics.

Personally, I prefer this:

Hard Times Of Old England
(Trad / add. lyrics Roy Bailey; Tune: The Roast Beef of Old England)

Chorus:
And it's Oh, the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times

Come all working people who travel alone
And pray come and tell me where the work has all gone
Long time I have travelled and never found none

Provisions you buy from the shop, it is true
But if you've got no money there's none there for you
So what are poor folk and their families to do

You go to a shop and you ask for a job
They answer you there with a shake and a nod
It's enough to make poor folk to turn out and rob

You see working people a-walking the street
From morning till night for employment to seek
And scarcely they have any shoes to their feet

Soldiers and sailors have just come from war
Been fighting for Queen and for country, sure
Come home to be starved, better stayed where they were

So come all working people and stand to your ground
If we all join together we can turn it around
Freedom is turning the world upside down

Final chorus:
Sing, Oh the good times of old England
In old England very good times

[Kymba]

Good One Tursiops2
The words are very Apt

[badgerwatcher]

Oh, yes! I love that one, Tursiops!
I was going to suggest River deep, mountain high, that Ike and Tina Turner did in the sixties, as it would be such fun to sing!

[Monkster]

Well, I've been giving this subject a little bit of thought and I quite like ' I vow to thee my Country ' suitable for everyone to sing-a-long to. Obviously some words could be changed to bring it up to date though.
It has happy memories for me as well as I used to play this on my recorder in school assemblies...oh the noise...I can remember it now
It goes something like this......recorders ready and....

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace

[smartie]

It's a bit high for me, that one, especially at the end. I've just frightened the cats into the garden with my singing

[Monkster]

Originally Posted by smartie

It's a bit high for me, that one, especially at the end. I've just frightened the cats into the garden with my singing

I always hum or conveniently sneeze or cough when notes out of my range are on the horizon (especially at school services when they pick the most vocally challenging songs or change the tune and expect us poor parents to sing it!....must be a sadistic streak they have )
Anyway perhaps they could just change the end of this song to a sort of humming, coughing and sneezing medley ....... wouldn't that sound unique??
(By the way there has just been a mass exodus of cats and wild animals stampeding down my street....nothing to do with a certain person singing is it ?? )

[solus]

Originally Posted by Duke of York

I would personally go for Land of Hope and Glory as an English Anthem

I'll second that!

[nightshade]

A serious contender this one (Land of Hope and Glory)

[goosey]

I agree that Land of Hope and Glory would make a rousing National Anthem. It always sends shivers down my spine and turns me goosey (excuse the pun ) while having to fight back a rogue tear or two - very emotional and makes me proud to be British!

[JoanB]

I like the Imagine suggestion but also all the wordless ones. Wouldn't that be best for all the people with bad memories - but also, if there are no words then the song can't be offensive!
btw: how do I get a picture by my name? Not that I'm vain, or anything ...

[goosey]

Originally Posted by JoanB

btw: how do I get a picture by my name? Not that I'm vain, or anything ...

hi Joan, once you've made 25 posts you can have an Avatar.
If you click on USER CP ( at the top of the page, under the word forums), then on the left hand side of the user cp page it says control panal and "edit avatar" is there along with other options.

[Duke of York]

I was listening to PM on radio 4 this evening and it appears a MP is trying to get an Anthem purely for England (it was not to replace God Save the Queen which would remain as the British National Anthem). I suspect it was something to do with it being St Georges Day

Now we did discuss this on here but unfortunately my suggestion 'Land of Hope and Glory' was discounted because it was British and not English!

However this MP wasn't sure whether it should be an exisiting song like Jerusalem or something new but he did think that the public should be able to choose

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, I like the 'Imagine' - problem is, the words - 'Imagine there's no countries ...' so it would actually be an anti-anthem!

I know some people get worked up about Shakespeare's birth (and death) day but suspect that a lot of people don't think 'English' but look upon themselves as either a bigger (UK) or a smaller unit (Yorkshire, Norfolk, London ..... )?

So what we'd be looking for are county anthems .... and similarly quirky things:
_________

What do you call three pies on a stick? A Wigan kebab. Bosses at
Harry's Bar celebrated St George's Day by creating a patriotic treat
for locals. Tony Callaghan, owner, tells the Manchester Evening News:
"Kebab pies are the sort of thing that'll stick in people's minds
because St George was actually born in Turkey in 280AD, and the
nearest he got to England was probably Rome before he was beheaded in
Palestine in 303AD."

Tony said the town was determined to raise the profile of St George -
and celebrate St George's Day.

"There is no mistaking a Wigan accent, and Wiganers can't pass
themselves off as being anything but English." Insert own joke here.

_________

Originally Posted by Duke of York

I was listening to PM on radio 4 this evening and it appears a MP is trying to get an Anthem purely for England (it was not to replace God Save the Queen which would remain as the British National Anthem). I suspect it was something to do with it being St Georges Day

Now we did discuss this on here but unfortunately my suggestion 'Land of Hope and Glory' was discounted because it was British and not English!

However this MP wasn't sure whether it should be an exisiting song like Jerusalem or something new but he did think that the public should be able to choose