Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The National Anthem Debate (Part 2)

More on the vexed question of the United Kingdom's national anthem, here’s an interesting petition on the Downing Street site:
I believe that the National Anthem at the moment is boring and uninspiring. When people sing it there is no enthusiasm in their voices. We need to change it to a classic English song that everyone loves. This will show the world that England is the most innovative country and we can change where it is needed. I believe it is needed here.

Call me pedantic, but there’s just one ever so slight problem there with the wording...see if you can spot it.
Anyway, moving on...
The National Anthem needs to be changed and we can do it by choosing one of these:
- Wonderwall (Oasis)
- Jerusalem (composed by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry)
- Yellow (Coldplay)
- Song 2 (Blur - prehaps a bit too loud)

These songs are only suggestions. Even if you don't like the songs suggested, you can still sign the petition. As long as you believe there is change needed in the national anthem - then sign please.

29 signatures and counting...

6 comments:

Owen Polley said...

Christ!

I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.
Cos you were all "Yellow"

The more subtle points aside, I can't believe someone wants this bland, anodyne doggerel as a national anthem!

Anonymous said...

I used to suggest to people from Northern Ireland that their national anthem or at least the advertising tune for the tourist board should be Iron Maiden's "Bring your daughter to the slaughter"

An alternative could be the Pogues "Boys from County Hell"

O'Neill said...

In the all new, Post-Peace Process, devolved N.Ireland, Siouxie and the Banshees' "Happy House" would be quite appropriate:

This is the happy house-we’re happy here in the happy house oh it’s such fun
We’ve come to play in the happy house
And waste a day in the happy house-it never rains

We’ve come to scream in the happy house we’re in a dream in the happy house
We’re all quite sane

This is the happy house-we’re happy here there’s room for you if you say
"i do"
But don’t say no or you’ll have to go
We’ve done no wrong with our blinkers on it’s safe and calm if you sing along

This is the happy house-we’re happy here in the happy house. to forget ourselves-and pretend all’s well there is no hell.

Hen Ferchetan said...

Don't see the point of a petition as it has nothing to do with the government.

GSTQ was not made the UK and English national anthem by any decree, just as HWFN was never made the Welsh anthem by any official act- both songs became anthems by popular adoption. If the English want to petition anyone about getting a new anthem, the people with most influence in the matter would probably be the English FA!

O'Neill said...

HF
Have a read of some of the other petitions on there- eg Jeremy Clarkson for PM! Most of them have very little point.

Hen Ferchetan said...

True, but that one sounds as if the writer was serious (I hope to dear God that no-one was serious asking for Pratface Clarkson to be PM!)

I like the petition website, not because I'm deluded enough to think anyone there willlisten, but because the government have to make an official reply to each one. Very useful to get them to answer questions.