Poll Do you know your national anthem?

[Arrowstar]

I know it - but the revolutionary version.

Is there an anthem for the Orbiter nation?

Perhaps the sounds of a DGIV crashing and burning off the coast of Wideawake. :lol:

I know most of the words to the Star-Spangled Banner, but I would perfer not to sing it for the sake of those around me who would have to listen. Of course, with sufficient vocal training I'm sure I could pull it off.

 

[Andy44]

That performance at the Olympics was good. Russian is a most beautiful language when sung.

 

[Quick_Nick]

I know at least most of it. I generally don't sing though. (I can't sing ) And I'm somehow related to Francis Scott Key, the writer of the original poem.

 

[n72.75]

I know The Star Spangled Banner, and I know Oh Canada.

At hockey games at Clarkson University(my alma mater) we sing both before the start if the game.

I would guess that we have one of the most difficult anthems to sing.

 

[Istochnikov]

I don't want to be ostensive, but... some people said that this is one of the best anthems of the world.

But, i also prefer this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLE4iNIgSeE

 

[Pablo49]

But, i also prefer this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLE4iNIgSeE

Agreed, Russian Composers are by far the best.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Okay, my problem with Russian anthem is that I know the music well (and can whistle it, certainly), but I can't remember the words. Or rather, when I'm trying to, instead of the actual words (beginning with "Rossiya...") the old Communist text (beginning with "Soyuz...") immediately pops up in my mind. I know the new one is something about God, and that's it.

I'm afraid I can't be retaught, and I share this problem with a good deal of Russian population.

 

[earthorbit]

I know the German Anthem, but in dont sing it often. I know the music of the Russian anthem, but i'm not speaking russian, so i understand nothing.

 

[Linguofreak]

I used to mumble this pledge every day. I've stopped a year or two ago and forgot most of it, it's pointless. (Especially with the addition of "under God") As for the anthem, about the same thing, though I never hear it.

I stopped for a different reason:

Now that I'm out of gradeschool, I never have the occasion to say the pledge. Is there anywhere that the pledge *is* performed routinely outside of schools?

 

[T.Neo]

I know the first two words. Hey, it isn't that easy when the anthem is in multiple languages...

Hardly ever stand up to it though, I don't really see a point.

 

[Arthur Dent]

The German national anthem always reminds me of the reunification 20 years ago.

And as a West-German "Wessi" living in east Germany it is hard not to think about reunification every now and then


Rumor has it that the GDR anthem was written to match the tune of the West-German anthem. But they eventually decided to take a different tune.
It was actually unusual to sing the GDR anthem in the later years, because it contains the line "Deutschland, einig Vaterland" ("Germany, united Fatherland"). And as Germany prior to 89/90 was far away from being a united country, the east German government decided that it is a bad idea to sing their national anthem.

 

[Donamy]

I know it, I can sing it (you have to start in a low-key), proud of it and not sorry for it.

 

[lennartsmit]

The Dutch anthem is 15 verses long, so no I don't know it completely. The normal shortened is just two verses and I know them, but not completely. I never sing it though, I don't like that nationalistic stuff.

 

[Urwumpe]

The German once has only one verse, though the original song has three... the first stanza got raped by the Nazis, so it is no longer envogue. Also it is not really nice to tell the dutch or the polish, that their territory belongs to Germany. Even if the writer of the song had a different Germany in mind when he wrote this - it was a statement against the Kleinstaaterei, a political situation in the Holy Roman Empire, that is so special that the English doesn't know a word for it - it means roughly: Smallstateism. The second is not politically correct, because it is about women and whine. Not really a verse for the political animals. But politicians have never really understood, what the German national anthem actually is meant to be.

It is no song for being sung at school in the morning, or for celebrating that the German Army bombed a few Talibans. It is also not suitable for any serious political event, where you should formally show your love of your country. It isn't such a song. It is meant for being sung in a happy atmosphere, together with your friends and one or two tubs of beer. It is a drinking song. That we showed our colors during the 2006 world cup and sung the anthem in public by thousands, was no sign of special German patriotism. We just had the right moment and the right mood for singing a popular drinking song. That is also a toast on our country... in a pretty shirt-sleeve way. Or didn't somebody notice yet that the German national anthem doesn't mention war at all? Not even in the first stanza. War is a party killer.

Of course, I have a tiny advantage in terms of knowing the national anthem. My birthplace is also the birthplace of the author of the German national anthem, and we have a tiny museum here. Which also reminds that about 99% of all known traditional German children songs (he had written 550 in his life) had actually been written by him, and that the anthem was published together with a series of political songs, the precursor of the political cabaret...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoffmann_von_Fallersleben

 

[cjp]

The Dutch anthem is 15 verses long, so no I don't know it completely. The normal shortened is just two verses and I know them, but not completely. I never sing it though, I don't like that nationalistic stuff.

Me neither. I'm proud to live in a country that is not very nationalistic </irony>.

I know someone who described nationalism as "Stockholm Syndrome".

It is a drinking song.

The Oktoberfest is really the heart of Germany, isn't it? It's so much fun when stereotypes are confirmed... :lol:

BTW, what is this with all these countries where children are instructed to sing the national anthem at school? It sort of freaks me out.

 

[Urwumpe]

BTW, what is this with all these countries where children are instructed to sing the national anthem at school? It sort of freaks me out.

I can understand this feeling. :lol:

You can't force people to love...

 

[RangerPL]

You can't force people to love...

Ahem

 

[Ghostrider]

I know the Swiss Psalm (which is not really an anthem) in my mother language. The funny thing is that there are 4 versions (each for every national language) and an English version, and they're actually different! Only the first part is sung, however.
I kinda like it. It's quiet (compared to the PG-13 French anthem) and very humble, more like a prayer than anything else, asking God to help protect freedom, unity and love through the land.
Of course, I'm still waiting for a heavy metal version. I believe each and every national anthem should have a hard rock cover.

 

[Urwumpe]

Of course, I'm still waiting for a heavy metal version. I believe each and every national anthem should have a hard rock cover.

Except the Italian one. You can't turn "Bella Italia" into a good metal tune... ok, speed metal would work, but that would be a deadly mix then (and the anthem being only 57 seconds long). And the spanish one has the risk of ending as 47:32 progressive metal instrumental.

And the US national anthem should be played by Manowar. :thumbup:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Mine has something to do with the Queen, I think!

I can hum the first 10 or so seconds of it, but I have no idea what the words are. We never did anything about it in school.

Nobody in Britain ever stands up to it, or puts their hand on their heart for it. It's just not done over here.