Do we need a new national anthem?

[dutch508]

nemo137 (1000+ posts)      Sat May-31-08 03:09 PM
Original message
Do we need a new national anthem?
 http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3368665

So, between Memorial Day and the 4th, with all the parades and such, we hear a lot of really great American patriotic music, and it gets me thinking that we might want to switch our national anthem away from The Star-Spangled Banner. I'm willing to bet that, in-between all the election coverage, NPR or CNN or the like will put out a short piece on the debate, like the do every few years.

Personally, I'd like a national anthem that recognizes the whole country, instead of just one historic event on the East Coast - I'd personally like America the Beautiful as a replacement. It recognizes the whole sweep of the country, and the 3rd and 4th verses especially are stunning:

O beautiful, for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
'Til all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine!

O beautiful, for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!

What does DU at large think about a new national anthem, or reasons for keeping the one we've got?

I think The International is not being used right at the moment...

LiberalEsto  (1000+ posts)       Sat May-31-08 03:15 PM
Response to Original message
1. nice but....
 I have trouble with the words God, His and brotherhood. Imagine if we substituted the words Goddess, Her and sisterhood. That would upset a lot of guys, so you can see why women aren't comfortable with a national anthem that relates to Him and not Her, brotherhood but not sisterhood.

I do agree with you about needing a new national anthem, particularly one that the average person can sing without straining to hit those high notes on "free",

 
Of course you have problems with it you ****ing freak.

Kutjara  (1000+ posts)       Sat May-31-08 03:17 PM
Response to Original message
2. Nice tune. Some good sentiments. Not too crazy...
 Edited on Sat May-31-08 03:21 PM by Kutjara
...about the God bits. I'd personally prefer a more secular dirge.

Maybe we need something more modern, an anthem that reflects contemporary America and its concerns: perhaps Guns n' Roses "Civil War" or maybe Springsteen's "Born in the USA."

Personally, though, I think the best one might be the whistling theme from "The Andy Griffith Show." Easy tune; upbeat; with no militaristic or theistic words to learn; anyone can hum it (even if they can't whistle); conveys impressions of fishin', apple pie, small town life and other positive values; non-threatening; non-sexist; non-racist; non-jingoistic. Perfect.

****ing pathetic

nemo137 (1000+ posts)      Sat May-31-08 03:27 PM
Response to Reply #5
14. As a side question, do you think that has something to do with "national character?"
 America's "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" vs. Canada's "peace, order and good government?" Has our rugged individualism doomed us to shitty renditions of the Star Spangled Banner?

Come to think of it, all the shitty singers of the National Anthem are barking moonbats...

newmajority  (1000+ posts)      Sat May-31-08 03:33 PM
Response to Reply #12
19. See that's the whole thing.....
 If they just played Jimi's version, it would be cool.

None of that crap about bombs and rockets and fire and other war glorifying shit.

Let's just sing the ****ing Barney song and give everyone a big hug...

Posteritatis (1000+ posts)      Sat May-31-08 10:59 PM
Response to Reply #19
56. I hardly see it as glorifying war
 Reading the whole thing and coming from an outsider's perspective, I've always parsed it more as a statement that it would take more than mere physical force to destroy the society it was written for. Good chunks of it seem to be about surviving partial occupation during the War of 1812.

The fourth stanza makes my eyebrow raise a little ("Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, / And this be our motto, In God is our trust"), but I've always read it as being about a country existing despite, possibly as a result of, but not for war. If you want a militaristic anthem, check out the Marseillaise. Aiya.

I've always liked that there's actually some kind of narrative to the US anthem. I like the Canadian one more musically, but the standard paean-to-the-landscape largely feels bland. (The French version's much more interesting, but wigs out secular pacifists.)

"but, you see, blaa blaa bla..." Why do the leftists always ramble on and on about nothing?

nemo137 (1000+ posts)      Sat May-31-08 03:47 PM
Response to Reply #21
25. It's tied with an event on the East Coast, in a war we basically stalemated
 It doesn't represent the whole country, is my biggest problem with it. I agree that Sousa marches have an oompah band feel to them, but I disagree about "America the Beautiful" being insipid and nonsensical. It states, clearly and beautifully what our country is, and what we stand for. 

Jeasus Christ! Maybe is we just chanted all 57 ****ing states whilst dancing naked around a gaven image, then you'd be happy?

Selatius  (1000+ posts)      Sat May-31-08 04:22 PM
Response to Original message
35. The US doesn't deserve the Star Spangled Banner as an anthem. It lost that right a long time ago.
 Edited on Sat May-31-08 04:23 PM by Selatius
The US is the Evil Empire. What makes you think it is anymore deserving of this new anthem?

WritersBlock  (1000+ posts)       Sat May-31-08 05:41 PM
Response to Original message
42. Yes we do. That "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave" line just doesn't cut it anymore.
 

The Bush administration have done their level best to ensure that.

 
  

[Chris_]

The problem is, almost no one knows ALL the words:
Most Americans know the first stanza:

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

But, how many know the second, third and forth?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Now THAT is a protest song.

[TheSarge]

I think this is the anthem the DUmmies would prefer we have to stand and sing:

1.
Союз нерушимый республик свободных
Сплотила навеки Великая Русь!
Да здравствует созданный волей народов
Единый, могучий Советский Союз!
ПРИПЕВ:
Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Дружбы народов надёжный оплот!
Партия Ленина — сила народная
Нас к торжеству коммунизма ведёт!
2.
Сквозь грозы сияло нам солнце свободы,
И Ленин великий нам путь озарил:
На правое дело он поднял народы,
На труд и на подвиги нас вдохновил!
ПРИПЕВ
3.
В победе бессмертных идей коммунизма
Мы видим грядущее нашей страны,
И Красному знамени славной Отчизны
Мы будем всегда беззаветно верны!
ПРИПЕВ

Translated:

Unbreakable Union of freeborn Republics,
Great Russia has welded forever to stand.
Created in struggle by will of the people,
United and mighty, our Soviet land!
CHORUS:
Sing to the Fatherland, home of the free,
Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong.
O Party of Lenin, the strength of the people,
To Communism's triumph lead us on!
2.
Through tempests the sunrays of freedom have cheered us,
Along the new path where great Lenin did lead.
To a righteous cause he raised up the peoples,
Inspired them to labour and valourous deed.
CHORUS
3.
In the victory of Communism's deathless ideal,
We see the future of our dear land.
And to her fluttering scarlet banner,
Selflessly true we always shall stand!
CHORUS

[franksolich]

I dunno.

Even though a Catholic, and not a Lutheran, I always thought A Mighty Fortress is Our God would make an excellent national anthem, if The Star-Spangled Banner for some reason was thought unsuitable.

[MrsSmith]

Let's just sing the ******* Barney song and give everyone a big hug...

   For all our sakes, Dutch, Don't give them any ideas!!!!   

[BlueStateSaint]

I've always felt that, if The Star-Spangled Banner wasn't our National Anthem, then it should be God Bless America.

The tune that Francis Scott Key used for the music was a British drinking song--To Anacreon In Heaven.

[VivisMom]

LiberalEsto  (1000+ posts)       Sat May-31-08 03:15 PM
Response to Original message
1. nice but....
 I have trouble with the words God, His and brotherhood. Imagine if we substituted the words Goddess, Her and sisterhood. That would upset a lot of guys, so you can see why women aren't comfortable with a national anthem that relates to Him and not Her, brotherhood but not sisterhood.

I do agree with you about needing a new national anthem, particularly one that the average person can sing without straining to hit those high notes on "free",

Oh, for ****'s sake!  

These people are the masters of taking the ideals and norms of other centuries and judging them by today's standards. ****ing retards!

So, if using those words is bad and offensive, how do you feel about...oh, I dunno, Huck Finn and the use of the word '******'? Should nobody ever read that book because some black people may find it offensive?  

Grow up, people! Get your heads out of your collective asses and realize that not everybody gives a shit about the use of him, his, or brotherhood, or anything else!

[FlaGator]

Maybe we can get Elton John to change the lyrics to 'Goodbye Norma Jean' for us?

[VivisMom]

Maybe we can get Elton John to change the lyrics to 'Goodbye Norma Jean' for us?

Such a downer, and so done. Besides, he's a moonbat.

[Chris_]

Here's one the Dummies would love:

Hail, hail East German
Land of fruit and grape
Land where you'll regret
If you try to escape
No matter if you tunnel under or take a running jump at the wall
Forget it, the guards will kill you,
if the electrified fence doesn't first.

Kind of puts a tear in your eye, doesn't it?

[mamacags]

Dearest DU, please go kick yourself square in the balls.  Or if you have had them removed please kick yourself in the face.  KTHANXBYE

[Uhhuh35]

I do agree with you about needing a new national anthem, particularly one that the average person can sing without straining to hit those high notes on "free",

That's Liberals for ya'. They're never willing to put forth the effort needed.

[JohnnyReb]

Well, if the DUmmies must change our national anthem, I'm sortta partial to the following ......and it doesn't directly mention God.

From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of UNITED STATES MARINES.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze,
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job --
The UNITED STATES MARINES.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By UNITED STATES MARINES.
 

[ReardenSteel]

Cool with me!
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1MaGwl51qg[/youtube]

 

[ReardenSteel]

DUmmie national anthem...

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_AkdjGrLYQ[/youtube]

 

[jinxmchue]

Queen's "We are the Champions" would be good.   

No time for losers
Cuz we are the champions
Of the world

[Rebel]

Yes, you Damn moron. If you don't like the country, and hold her in such low regard, get your sorry mother****ing ass out. NO ONE is keeping you here. You ****ing idiot. Die, you piece of shit. 

[ReardenSteel]

Yes, you Damn moron. If you don't like the country, and hold her in such low regard, get your sorry mother****ing ass out. NO ONE is keeping you here. You ******* idiot. Die, you piece of shit. 

H5

But that H5 is only to inspire you to tell us all what you really feel. Dude, don't hold back this time!

 

[jinxmchue]

Yes, you Damn moron. If you don't like the country, and hold her in such low regard, get your sorry mother****ing ass out. NO ONE is keeping you here. You ******* idiot. Die, you piece of shit. 

So...  You're not a Queen fan?     (Yeah, I know you weren't talking to me.)

[Rebel]

So...  You're not a Queen fan?     (Yeah, I know you weren't talking to me.)

Actually, I think your suggestion would be better because it would send the DUmmies completely over the edge. 

[Vagabond]

I dunno.

Even though a Catholic, and not a Lutheran, I always thought A Mighty Fortress is Our God would make an excellent national anthem, if The Star-Spangled Banner for some reason was thought unsuitable.

Frank I know you couldn't hear it, but this bit of history may interest you, if you don't already know it.  A musician wanted to make Luray cavern into a musical organ.  He connected various small mallets with speakers that carried back to one of the chambers where it was amplified.

He never was successful with his project to create a usable organ.  He was able to make the cave play "A Mighty Fortress is Our God".

Even further aside, that is the hottest, most humid cave I have ever been in.

[Vagabond]

LiberalEsto  (1000+ posts)       Sat May-31-08 03:15 PM
Response to Original message
1. nice but....
 I have trouble with the words God, His and brotherhood. Imagine if we substituted the words Goddess, Her and sisterhood. That would upset a lot of guys, so you can see why women aren't comfortable with a national anthem that relates to Him and not Her, brotherhood but not sisterhood.

I do agree with you about needing a new national anthem, particularly one that the average person can sing without straining to hit those high notes on "free",

Oh, for ****'s sake!  

These people are the masters of taking the ideals and norms of other centuries and judging them by today's standards. ******* retards!

So, if using those words is bad and offensive, how do you feel about...oh, I dunno, Huck Finn and the use of the word '******'? Should nobody ever read that book because some black people may find it offensive?  

Grow up, people! Get your heads out of your collective asses and realize that not everybody gives a shit about the use of him, his, or brotherhood, or anything else!

But if someone reads things like that, it is double plus ungood.