Can You Sing Your Country's National Anthem, Word For Word?

[micksterbs]

I am an American and personally I could give a toss if someone refers to Americans as Yanks. They can call me a septic if they prefer. The only group of folks that I can think of that might get offended are some folks from the south who still want to wallow in the sorrow of having lost the right to own slaves – and I could give a toss about offending them by calling them Yanks.

As for the national anthem bit – I probably would get stuck in a few places but generally I know it (the US national anthem that is).

As for the Thai anthem: I am not really all that comfortable with the how nationalistic the Thai anthem is – but I am not surprised at the nature of the words considering when it was written. It is a bit ironic that shortly thereafter they basically rolled over for the Japanese –

"They will never let anyone threaten their independence" – what happend in '41 then?

Regardless of what I think of the words or the history, I still find it exceedingly disrespectful when folks don't at least stand and shut their traps when it is played everyday at 8/6.

Couldn't agree more, TokyoT. The Thai armed forces certainly have nothing to shout about. When I first came to Thailand and saw the victory monument, I asked my future Thai wife what the thing was actually commemorating. She either didn't know or was too embarassed to explain. When I eventually found out, I didn't know whether to laugh or just shake my head in disbelief. A complete joke.

[buffcoat]

Well I am a Brit, part English, Scot and a bit of Irish but no Welsh (Insert sheep joke here).

I cannot sing the words of ours because

A/ It has too many verses (6).

B/ The last verse refers to the army crushing rebellious Scots which I find mildly absurd.

[pop_corn]

what happen there with other nationalities? japanese? vietnamese?... lol! I couldn't vote but i'll say

"Im chilean and I can!"

[Jingthing]

OK, the current result shows 8 USAmericans claim they can sing and know the words to our national anthem, vs. 1 (me) who cannot. Sorry, I don't believe you!!!!

http://music-for-all.org/anthempoll.html

Nearly two out of three Americans (61 percent) don't know all of the words to our National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, according to a recent Harris Interactive® survey. Has America lost its voice? Many music experts say yes, and it's due to budget cuts in school music programs.

Edited February 22, 2008 by Jingthing

[Momo8]

No but it's now part of the citizenship test.Would you want to remember this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcMuf8wE52k there is a dirty version of it somewhere I believe,still prefer the Waltzing Matilda tune though this one's too pompous for the Aussies I think throws back to old mother England and the sorts.

[happyjackthe4th]

when it's changed to our true Anthem ' Land of hope and glory ' I certainly will .

[wolfmanjack]

Mr. Hippo, are some Canucks and Yanks offended? Probably so. Do I care? Most definitely not.

I am a Yank and a redneck. I am not offended when called either one.

I can sing the national anthem but not well due to my lack of singing ability. People ears tend to start bleeding if they listen to me sing too much. I prefer America the Beautiful anyway.

When I was in school we sang the national anthem and said the pledge of allegiance every morning so it is all still there? Do they still do that in schools in the USA ??

[johna]

there is no Brit national anthem

God save the Queen is the most often used on official occasions, Rule Britannia comes in a distant second.

I can not sing either of them and have no inclination too.

[dclaryjr]

I know the words to The Star Spangled Banner and I can sing it better than Roseanne Barr!

[wolfmanjack]

I know the words to The Star Spangled Banner and I can sing it better than Roseanne Barr!

Anyone can sing better than her.

[icequeen]

there is no Brit national anthem

God save the Queen is the most often used on official occasions, Rule Britannia comes in a distant second.

No British national athem? First I've heard of it, the official national anthem is God save the Queen but I agree with happyjackthe4th it should be changed to Land of hope and glory. Oh and I can sing the first few lines of each, not very tunefully though.

[PattayaParent]

I can sing the words to God Save the Queen, the Sex Pistols version.

[gymshark]

I know the words to the British anthem, don't sing cos I can't but I do still stand up when I hear it.

[Goldenbead]

I am not from any of the above listed countries but I can sing my national anthem all the way through. Usually it is only the first verse and chorus that are played though.

[dominique355]

Funny thing about national anthems; usually you learn them as a kid. I learned mine also when I was a kid. But later, for reason I never understood, my country (Switzerland) changed its national anthem and I never got a chance to learn the new song. Actually I don't even like it. So put me in:

I am Swiss and I don't know my country's anthem.

I don't like any national anthem, for the matter, as I always get a creepy feeling around this kind of display of nationalism and patriotism.

Most anthems sound more like an 1870 operetta kitsch (with the exception perhaps of the Italian anthem, which reminds me more of an opera by Verdi), and when you listen carefully to the words in these songs ... well, listen for yourself; it's anything between Wagnerian heroism and Übermensch militarism.

But frankly, what for do we actually need national anthem for? To stir up patriotism and nationalism? To make is feel better, superior to the "others"?

[telaksslave]

Just saw a cute Thai move Handle with Care where the lead character is forced to sing the Thai national anthem (nice song) word for word to prove he isn't an illegal immigrant (he had lost his ID). He could sing it. Got me thinking about my USA national anthem. I most certainly cannot either sing it or recite the words to save my life, even though I grew up only a few hours from the site of the battle the song is about. I get as far as OH SAY CAN YOU SEE (is that right?). Of course, the US national anthem is notoriously difficult to sing, even for pro singers.

How about you? Can you sing and recite your national song?

BTW, the movie features a really nasty stereotypical evil American farang character, he trades in illegal Buddha heads, naturally, just like most of us. I guess the target audience was the TRT, PPP crowd, but I liked the movie anyway.

BTW: Sorry, there isn't space in the polling form for all nationalities, obviously.

the reason a lot of people in th UK cannot sing the anthem is because there not british (only by passport) and cannot speak english and the rest of the immigrants hate the UK and are only there for the freebies

[telaksslave]

I know the words to The Star Spangled Banner and I can sing it better than Roseanne Barr!

your not micheal jackson are you

[Kwong]

I am Hong Kong Chinese.

I can not sing Chinese national anthem.

I can sing one or two line of 'God save the Queen', some TV channel play this song when they close down every night before 1997.

[mrtoad]

I can't remeber all of the words to "God Save the Queen", probably only the first two verses, however I do know all the words to the Cornish National Anthem, and thats more important to me. I still cant sing for a toffee though.

[alaina]

I think that many Americans are a bit hazy on the lyrics of the National Anthem too.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qea45u0QEcs

In school, it normally isn't sung everyday, although in elementary school, other patriotic songs were sung and the pledge of allegiance was recited.

After two years of hearing the Thai national anthem in school now, I can practically sing it word for word, even though I don't know all the vocabulary... But this part I hear loud and clear, " The whole country belongs to the Thai people, maintaining thus far for the Thai."

[elkangorito]

As soon as National Anthems & Religion start to be spouted, war is soon to follow.

I detest any form of nationalism. The world is one giant piece of dirt & therefore we all share it. Who will write the first "World" anthem?

[thaigene2]

The big question is how many long-term expats here can sing the THAI ANTHEM. And shouldn't we be able to do so?

Of couse, if you can't sing your own anthem then, ya know, can you at least s-p-e-l-l your name on the Visa form?

[Jingthing]

The big question is how many long-term expats here can sing the THAI ANTHEM. And shouldn't we be able to do so?

Of couse, if you can't sing your own anthem then, ya know, can you at least s-p-e-l-l your name on the Visa form?

Why should we bother if we are not even eligible to apply for perm resident status here?

[toptuan]

Got me thinking about my USA national anthem. I most certainly cannot either sing it or recite the words to save my life, even though I grew up only a few hours from the site of the battle the song is about. I get as far as OH SAY CAN YOU SEE (is that right?).

Your post puzzles me.

I grew up singing the USA National Anthem every day in grade school (along with the Pledge of Allegiance). Every single professional game I've attended (in Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan) was proceeded by a singing of The National Anthem by a guest soloist, and most of the crowd sang along with them.

As a consequence, I believe I could sing it backwards in my sleep (wouldn't that sound great?)

Did we grow up in different generations?

[gymshark]

The big question is how many long-term expats here can sing the THAI ANTHEM. And shouldn't we be able to do so?

Of couse, if you can't sing your own anthem then, ya know, can you at least s-p-e-l-l your name on the Visa form?

I'll sing it when they let me stay here with my wife without having to leave or sign on every 3 months, oh yeah, and buying a shitty peice of land to build a house on, when they do that I'll sing like a bird.

Until then...........

[alaina]

The big question is how many long-term expats here can sing the THAI ANTHEM. And shouldn't we be able to do so?

Of couse, if you can't sing your own anthem then, ya know, can you at least s-p-e-l-l your name on the Visa form?

http://www. learningthai.com/songs/anthem.html

If you know what the words of the Thai National Anthem mean, it would seem rather contrary to its spirit to have a foreigner sing it.

[Huey]

The big question is how many long-term expats here can sing the THAI ANTHEM. And shouldn't we be able to do so?

Of couse, if you can't sing your own anthem then, ya know, can you at least s-p-e-l-l your name on the Visa form?

http://www. learningthai.com/songs/anthem.html

If you know what the words of the Thai National Anthem mean, it would seem rather contrary to its spirit to have a foreigner sing it.

And furthermore, why should we sing it if we are not even treated like citizens here?

[JetsetBkk]

I am an American and personally I could give a toss ...

Couldn't agree more...

I'm much more interested in why Yanks say "I could give a toss..." and Brits say "I couldn't give a toss..."

The Yanks' way doesn't make sense to me. (No offense meant to our friends across the pond.)

Sorry to go off-top Jingy, maybe I should start a new thread about it.

[Jingthing]

Got me thinking about my USA national anthem. I most certainly cannot either sing it or recite the words to save my life, even though I grew up only a few hours from the site of the battle the song is about. I get as far as OH SAY CAN YOU SEE (is that right?).

Your post puzzles me.

I grew up singing the USA National Anthem every day in grade school (along with the Pledge of Allegiance). Every single professional game I've attended (in Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan) was proceeded by a singing of The National Anthem by a guest soloist, and most of the crowd sang along with them.

As a consequence, I believe I could sing it backwards in my sleep (wouldn't that sound great?)

Did we grow up in different generations?

Probably not. In my schools, in the early grades we said the pledge of allegiance, which I also can't say now. I never saw the point of memorizing the words to our national anthem and I think you will find most Americans today don't know the words either. I would rather people learn the CONSTITUTION anyway rather than that uber nationalistic drivel.

Edited June 9, 2008 by Jingthing

[Brigante7]

I'm Scottish and I know every word to Flower of Scotland.