The English / British anthem query?

Why do English teams only sing the first verse of Gad save the Queen? Any known reason why they dont sing verses 2 and 3?

Because it's quicker?

HammerofThunor wrote:Because it's quicker?

Yeah but you can't just shorten your national anthem, lol. Besides the second verse is pretty good!

I wish we could do verse 2...

"Frustrate their knavish tricks"

Have at you, sir!

O Lord our God arise
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks
On Thee our hopes we fix
God save us all

Actually verse 6 is better they should sing it against Scotland in Twickenham!

Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the King

Alyn you could put the same question to the Welsh though, why don't we sing the 2nd and 3rd verse of our anthem?

AlynDavies wrote:Actually verse 6 is better they should sing it against Scotland in Twickenham!

Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the King

Except that isn't and never was part of the national anthem. Some bloke suggested it several centuries ago and it was never accepted. I think it may even have been before GSTQ was the national athem

Personally I'd rather just the first line or get rid entirely. Don't see the point of the anthems and I fast forward through if it's recording. I generally have to play it for the Welsh one otherwise my wife gets annoyed. I've learnt to shut up then too. Eventually....slow learner

I love the anthems myself, the Welsh one always gives me spine tingles, it would just feel wrong if it wasn't sung before our matches.

Good job they don't sing the whole French one, that goes on for ages and it's very gory...

The NZ one is 7 verses. And that doubles with the Maori version ...

Singing the whole thing would take until full time.

One Churchill Cup, the guy they had in to do the anthems sang every verse of Ireland's Call- watching the players desperately trying to mouth along when they obviously didn't know any of the words from the second verse on was hilarious.

Does any team sing their full anthem? I would take for ever! To be honest I don't think I would know the other verses of Amhrán na Bhfiann!

rugbydreamer wrote:Alyn you could put the same question to the Welsh though, why don't we sing the 2nd and 3rd verse of our anthem?

When we speak in Welsh we have a nasty habbit of spitting on each other, if the Welsh anthem goes on for too long we might incite the crowd especially in an away game

We should sing I Vow To Thee instead.

Or jerusalem...

GSTQ, is by far the most boring unispiring national Anthem out there.

Listen to the likes of the Marseillais, Irelands Call etc and they inspire the team.

England needs to change to to something like Land of hope and glory or something.

Jerusalem is a bit too heavy on the religion and melodrama for me. Land of Hope & Glory is a pompfest. Vow To Thee feels more dignified and soulful (not in the Otis Redding sense).

Well, I am a traditionalist. Yes, God Save The Queen is a bit of a dirge, but I like it, and it works for me. But if England were to change, then I would want Land of Hope and Glory.

I appreciate its traditional and such, but I just want to hear and sing something that will make me stick my chest out with pride and sing at the top of my voice.
I still sing it as a passionate Englishman, but it just doesnt give me that Buzz.
But as you say Doctor, each to their owen

I hate our depressing and, frankly, emotionless anthem. Tradition is fine, but when the message is offensive then it's time to move on. ANYTHING would be better than publicly worshipping an old woman just because she happened to be born on a throne (not literally I hope.)

I'm pretty sure God Save The Queen is offensive to other nations, and it should be offensive to us.

Mr. Count,
To me, so my opinion only, GSTQ is more about history and one of the things which unites the UK and Commonwealth. There are massive numbers of peoples around the world who would die for (and they do, every day) a country like ours, Queen and all.

On the other hand, I absolutely get your point, and said the way you put it, does paint a dreadfully bad picture. But, as I said, I am a traditionalist, probably are beyond changing, and are fine with it.

GSTQ is the British anthem. As there is no team competing in International Rugby called Britain, I am baffled by its continued use... surely a specifically English anthem is needed to fill the void?

Agreed Notch. From wiki:

"It is the de facto national anthem of the United Kingdom and some of its territories; one of the two national anthems of New Zealand (since 1977) and those of Britain's territories that have their own additional local anthem; and the royal anthem of Australia (since 1984), Canada (since 1980), Barbados, Jamaica, and Tuvalu, as well as Gibraltar and the Isle of Man."

It's not exclusive to England and, as others have stated it's not that good! For me we should change it. I'd rather have "We Will Rock You" by Queen than GSTQ!

I just find the whole principle of a Monarchy to be utterly offensive. Of course when you add to that the fact that the anthem is not even uniquely English it get's even sillier. I honestly believe that the relatively feeble emotion that an English player is able to muster into "saving" the queen is negatively affecting our performances: more than once I've seen a Celtic nation swell with pride while roaring their national anthem about them, and you just knew they were gonna beat us.

Doctor, I totally get where you're coming from, so please don't take this as a personal attack, but the fact that "there are massive numbers of peoples around the world who would die for (and they do, every day) a country like ours, Queen and all" does nothing to dissuade me from maintaining my point of view. There are certainly worse, less educated peoples in this world who would gladly trade in their nationalities for the relatively utopian British Isles. Perhaps they could even be persuaded, in their simple naivety, to worship the current monarch as some sort of deity worth dying for, but that is all relative, and we should all know better.

REVOLUTION!!

I love the NZ Anthem and I am lucky to have the Welsh anthem too.

This is the best rendition of the NZ anthem I have ever heard. It's the complete anthem with 1st verse in Maori. Have a listen if you have the time it's a wee cracker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KtPIk7X5xs

johnpartle wrote:Jerusalem is a bit too heavy on the religion and melodrama for me.

On the contrary, despite it being sung at the recent Royal Wedding, many senior church officials try to dissuade it being sung at weddings as they claim it is a song, not a hymn and is actually too much of a celebration of a country rather than a God. Also, the "dark Satanic mills" are often thought to be a reference to either Methodist churches or CofE churches depending on whose analysis you read. The words were originally written by Blake as a poem and only later set to music by Parry. It would seem a good choice to me

Yeh Jerusalem gets my vote. An uplifting, hairs on the back of the neck anthem. Keep GSTQ for GB and Jerusalem for England rugby and cricket. Don't think the FA would like it somehow.

As a Welshman I love Jerusalem and as I have played a lot of my rugby in England I loved singing it in rugby clubs after games.

Have to agree. Would love Jerusalem or i vow to thee. They already play Jerusalem before England home test matches (cricket). I do like GSTQ for all it's pomp and majesty but it aint about England is it.

Tell youw hwat why dont we just get the EDL to march through the ground chanting "P's F' Off"
That would seem sufficently English and Nationalistic. It would also double up as a kind of intimidating Haka, and apaprently offend less people the GSTQ does.

I believe the Scottish tried something similar a few years ago against England. Tooled them up with swords and everything!

Ha ha the 'Braveheart' thing - but seriously what is it with Mel Gibson and us English - its not as if hes actually Welsh or anything

lostinwales wrote:Ha ha the 'Braveheart' thing - but seriously what is it with Mel Gibson and us English - its not as if hes actually Welsh or anything

That man has deep, deep, issues. I think the medical term is 'stone bonkers'!

Totally in agreement that GSTQ is not sufficiently motivational. It seems only the English are required to be British and use the nation's national anthem. I Vow To Thee is a bit too down beat, very emotional but not rousing enough. Jerusalem is about the best option. A slightly modified 2 an 20 Virgins might fit the bill for Scotland games

I've always assumed the GSTQ was the English national anthem

I like the Welsh one obviously, but i really like the Italian one too

The Italian one is ace. You can fit any lyrics you like in there and once you start it's in your brain for the rest of the day! LOVE IT!!!

I love how the Italian one has got an awsome intro and the cheeky breakdown in the middle, class

It reminds me of "A day in the life", just goes off on one in the middle. It's like they had two anthems and just mashed them together. I love it!

GeordieFalcon wrote:GSTQ, is by far the most boring unispiring national Anthem out there.

Listen to the likes of the Marseillais, Irelands Call etc and they inspire the team.

England needs to change to to something like Land of hope and glory or something.

You're so wrong!

It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just thinking of it.

What I can't stand is counties that have two anthems, boring GET ON WITH IT plus anyone who wants a red carpet to meet the teams, like that irish women.

The whole braveheart and highland games theme a few years ago at Murrayfield was a bit mental and OTT. What the players thought as they ran out and were confronted by caber tossers and mel gibson wannabe's I don't know.... Run out ,shake hands, get on with it. Non of this meet HRH this or listen to 20 mins worth of anthems.

Agree on the Italian and French anthems. Really inspiring and uplifting. Lord Nelson must be turning in his grave!

gstq makes you hairs stand up? It's a dirge for goodness sake lol

Vindaloo could be a good one though:)

After 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau,' 'La Marsellaise' is my favourite national anthem by a mile. How can you not be inspired by that?

Each to their own WelshJohn!

Whales whales bloody great fishes are whales,
they live in the sea,


But I do like the Italian one

Flower of Scotland is pretty good too - but outside of a rugby stadium I dont think it would have the same impact (maybe I just havnt heard it done right elsewhere)

But yes in general GSTQ is British rather than English, and there are much much better tunes

Funny how GSTQ is the British anthem, yet I don't know any non English person who does know the words. Other than the 'god save our queen' bit im at a loss

The Queen knows the words and she's not English.

How can you not know the words to 'God Save the Queen?' There are so few words to it!

Carpe Diem wrote:The Queen knows the words and she's not English.

Touche