A National Anthem for England at last?

[nong38]

"God Save the Queen" is the National Anthem for the UK but England are the only one of the home countries that sing or get stuck with it in sporting events in particular.

The Scots have "Flower of Scotland", the Northern Irish have "Danny Boy" and the Welsh have "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau". Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are components of the UK like England but they have their own National Anthem and rightly so.

On 13th January, Tony Perkins ( MP for Chesterfield ) is bringing a private members bill to the House stating that England should have its own National Anthem.

A "Yougov" poll in 2010 when asked to nominate 3 songs for England came up with the following result:-

1 Jerusalem 52.5%

2. Land of Hope and Glory 32.5%

3 God Save the Queen 12%

Not sure were the other 3 % went !

The England Cricket team have for some time now been coming out to the strains of Jerusalem and I think its about time that we had our National Anthem and the "unofficial one" ( Jerusalem ) should be installed.

[Eclipse]

Jerusalem. If it's good enough for the barmy army it's good enough for me.

[ThaiPauly]

Jerusalem for sure

[arunsakda]

All the stories have been told

Of kings and days of old,
But there's no England now.
All the wars that were won and lost
Somehow don't seem to matter very much anymore.
All the lies we were told,
All the lies of the people running round,
They're castles have burned.
Now I see change,
But inside we're the same as we ever were.

Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Living this way, each day is a dream.
What am I, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?

Now another century nearly gone,
What are we gonna leave for the young?
What we couldn't do, what we wouldn't do,
It's a crime, but does it matter?
Does it matter much, does it matter much to you?
Does it ever really matter?
Yes, it really, really matters.

Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?

Now another leader says
Break their hearts and break some heads.
Is there nothing we can say or do?
Blame the future on the past,
Always lost in blood and guts.
And when they're gone, it's me and you.

Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line.

Edited January 4, 2016 by arunsakda

[doctormann]

Land of Hope and Glory seems singularly inappropriate these days and as for that mournful GSOGQ dirge, yuk!

I'll go with Jerusalem!

DM

[nong38]

Cameron is backing Jerusalem and Prince Philip thinks its better than GSOGQ.

[Jip99]

Yes, Jerusalem........ also my old school song so I can remember the words.

The only other times I have sung it has been at St Georges Day luncheons and I have been too p!ssed to remember the words.

[Ricardo]

Yes, Jerusalem........ also my old school song so I can remember the words.

Mine too, did you go to STOGS, by any chance ? Named after the Norwegian king, who sailed up the Thames & tied his fleet to London Bridge, then rowed backwards and pulled it down into-the-river ! They sure knew how to have a good time, in those days !

http://londonist.com/2013/02/how-the-king-of-norway-pulled-down-london-bridge

I myself would nominate Richard Thompson's "New St George", from his 1972 album "Henry the Human Fly", the lyrics & pictures seem ever-more appropriate !

Or maybe the Imagined Village's remake of Steeleye Span's classic "Hard Times of Old England", too folky for some perhaps ?

I thank the gods that I was able to bring my music with me, when I left !

[lungbing]

Billy Connolly suggested the anthem should be the theme from "The Archers".

And the words should be as follows "Dum dedum de dum de dum, dum dedum de dah dah."

[Jip99]

Yes, Jerusalem........ also my old school song so I can remember the words.

Mine too, did you go to STOGS, by any chance ? Named after the Norwegian king, who sailed up the Thames & tied his fleet to London Bridge, then rowed backwards and pulled it down into-the-river ! They sure knew how to have a good time, in those days !

Nothing so grand I am afraid. Skegness Grammar school - and I suspect that hundreds of other schools also had it as their school song,

Sounds like those Norwegian good times probably involved alcohol at some point ??

[nong38]

High Oakham School for me in Mansfield, school song, every assembly. First time I heard it I thought it was the real deal and I was 11 then.

The only mistake with Jerusalem was having it at my wedding, still cant win em all can you? My daughter had it at hers as well so something went right!

So its Jerusalem so far then with 9 days to go! Well before the deabate, if its carried then the fun begins.

[nev]

What's jerusalem got to do with England.?.

[Sutty]

I suggest a medlay of every other countries national anthem very few English in England nowadays. But on a serious note why bother changing it isn't Jerusalem a German song!!!!!! Or German music at least.

[Ricardo]

What's jerusalem got to do with England.?.

"And did those feet, in ancient times, walk upon England's pastures green"

Refers to the legend that JC did actually visit the UK in his youth, supposedly accompanying an uncle on a business-trip to Cornwall, and visited Glastonbury among other places, which helps explain its importance as a focus of mystic-power & ley-lines. Which is also why Britain is somewhere not-normal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_did_those_feet_in_ancient_time

In my school the hymn was always sung at the final-assembly of each term, and when a new Head (known to pupils as 'Fred' rather than his predecessor 'The Oaf' ) decided to drop the tradition, we all (the whole school) treated him to a rousing rendition immediately afterwards, in the quadrangle. I believe he got the point !

[Cynical Sailor]

I rather like "I vow to thee my country".

[SoiBiker]

I suggest a medlay of every other countries national anthem very few English in England nowadays. But on a serious note why bother changing it isn't Jerusalem a German song!!!!!! Or German music at least.

The music was composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, who was very much an Englishman.

[White Christmas13]

I thought they had a new one already

[Sutty]

I suggest a medlay of every other countries national anthem very few English in England nowadays. But on a serious note why bother changing it isn't Jerusalem a German song!!!!!! Or German music at least.

The music was composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, who was very much an Englishman.

If you say so I thought it was German but still don't se the need to change the one we have

[SoiBiker]

He wasn't English because I say so. He just was.

[Sutty]

He wasn't English because I say so. He just was.

If you insist I don't disbelieve you.

[SoiBiker]

I suggest a medlay of every other countries national anthem very few English in England nowadays. But on a serious note why bother changing it isn't Jerusalem a German song!!!!!! Or German music at least.

The music was composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, who was very much an Englishman.

If you say so I thought it was German but still don't se the need to change the one we have

It's not about 'changing the one we have'. England doesn't have one.

[Sutty]

I suggest a medlay of every other countries national anthem very few English in England nowadays. But on a serious note why bother changing it isn't Jerusalem a German song!!!!!! Or German music at least.

The music was composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, who was very much an Englishman.

If you say so I thought it was German but still don't se the need to change the one we have

It's not about 'changing the one we have'. England doesn't have one.

God save the queen is our national anthem has been since before I was born I'm happy with that don't need some bible thumping school song to replace it. The Queen is real unlike the mythical JC

[SoiBiker]

I suggest a medlay of every other countries national anthem very few English in England nowadays. But on a serious note why bother changing it isn't Jerusalem a German song!!!!!! Or German music at least.

The music was composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, who was very much an Englishman.

If you say so I thought it was German but still don't se the need to change the one we have

It's not about 'changing the one we have'. England doesn't have one.

God save the queen is our national anthem has been since before I was born I'm happy with that don't need some bible thumping school song to replace it. The Queen is real unlike the mythical JC

God save the queen is the national anthem of the United kingdom. This thread is about a national anthem for England, which currently has no official anthem.

[Sutty]

It would not be a national anthem then only a substitute England song with no real meaning I'm happy to have God save the Queen as both national and English anthem.

[SoiBiker]

It would not be a national anthem then only a substitute England song with no real meaning I'm happy to have God save the Queen as both national and English anthem.

I don't think that's fair on the other countries in the UK - why should they have their anthem used to represent England?

[Sutty]

It would not be a national anthem then only a substitute England song with no real meaning I'm happy to have God save the Queen as both national and English anthem.

I don't think that's fair on the other countries in the UK - why should they have their anthem used to represent England?

As you said the other kingdoms which make up th UK bar NI have there unofficial anthems already. We as English have used God save the Queen for all our sporting/ceremonies and the like and I can never remember any of the other kingdoms moaning about it or making any official complaints. Leave well alone I say

[evadgib]

Having seen the background in post 14 i'm happy to go with Jerusalem even though it reminds me of a scout hut come time capsule founded by Baden Powell near Charterhouse school where he had once taught.

Some strange artifacts seen at the time inc;

- Polar Bear skin rug,

- White Tiger head trophy,

- Croc jaws with the bulbous nose,

- Swordfish nose or possibly a spine (whatever it was it had teeth or ribs & looked like a chainsaw blade around a meter in length!)

- Pith helmets,

- Zulu spears and shields

And all at the age of 9 or 10

(I can still smell the place whenever I hear Jerusalem!)

Edited January 5, 2016 by evadgib

[nong38]

It would not be a national anthem then only a substitute England song with no real meaning I'm happy to have God save the Queen as both national and English anthem.

I don't think that's fair on the other countries in the UK - why should they have their anthem used to represent England?

As you said the other kingdoms which make up th UK bar NI have there unofficial anthems already. We as English have used God save the Queen for all our sporting/ceremonies and the like and I can never remember any of the other kingdoms moaning about it or making any official complaints. Leave well alone I say

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, "Jerusalem" was used by the English athletes and the England Cricket team always come out in the morning to "Jerusalem" its not like its never been used, so England do not always use GSTQ at all sporting events, we just got stuck with it when the other countries of the UK opted for something far more inspiring that GSTQ which lets face it is a dirge, pesimsitic and dour, if even Prince Philip thinks "Jerusalem" is better what more can one say.

[bartender100]

Jerusalem? no never never

Its a religious song that most people that are stirred by it at sporting events, are probably atheists anyway.

Get Sir Paul McCartney to write something new

World has had enough religion lets not have another song about it

[nong38]

What's jerusalem got to do with England.?.

"And did those feet, in ancient times, walk upon England's pastures green"

Refers to the legend that JC did actually visit the UK in his youth, supposedly accompanying an uncle on a business-trip to Cornwall, and visited Glastonbury among other places, which helps explain its importance as a focus of mystic-power & ley-lines. Which is also why Britain is somewhere not-normal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_did_those_feet_in_ancient_time

In my school the hymn was always sung at the final-assembly of each term, and when a new Head (known to pupils as 'Fred' rather than his predecessor 'The Oaf' ) decided to drop the tradition, we all (the whole school) treated him to a rousing rendition immediately afterwards, in the quadrangle. I believe he got the point !

I suspect JC and his dad would have liked to fit in a game of cricket also, Lords of course, that where he probably came up with the "Lords Prayer" in the lunch interval whilst eating his sandwiches, got chatting with William Blake and Parry asked them to see what they could come up with.