Favourite National Anthems

[mike renfro]

I'm with StinkiHam - no on SSB; yes on America the Beautiful. I have always liked Germany's, despite its Nazi overtones. You can sing it very lustily!

Yeah, SSB sucks, very hard to sing, need to do it as a part song. I used to think it should be replaced by "Me and Bobbie Magee". But later thought "Desolation Row" might be more appropriate

I like the music for Deutschland ...etc, and really like the original, a Hayden string quartet.

I was glad when Russia went back to the old SU anthem (the music anyway). The replacement was pretty lame.

Italy, Mexico and France have upbeat, sprightly anthems. Kenya's is rather spooky. The funkiest was Namibia. The first (only?) time I heard it was at a WC, '93 I think. They were doing recordings, as usual, and the anthem was played on what sounded to be a small church organ.

I've heard other anthems, but can't remember those of Brasil, Jamaica, eg.

My classical station down here broadcasts from Tijuana so I hear the Mexican anthem most midnights.

[ndamix]

Germany

Russia

France

Japan

[BruceFlorman]

During a bathroom break from the ECi webcast this weekend I caught myself whistling one of the anthems that had just been playing. It seemed like a pretty catchy tune to me. I was thinking it was the Spanish anthem, but since nobody else has mentioned it here, I could be mistaken.

I'm also no great fan of the SSB, but what really annoys me is all these performers who insist on singing it as though it's supposed to be a dirge. If you wanna take a mediocre song and make it awful, just stretch it out to three and a half or four minutes! Oddly enough, one of the better SSB renditions I've heard in quite awhile was just this past Sunday at the NASCAR Busch series race ... in Mexico City! I don't know the name of the gal who sang it, but it was up-tempo, enthusiastic, and really quite good. She still managed to drag out the very end as if the word "brave" had eight syllables, but otherwise a top-notch effort. But still, if "the powers that be" wanted to make America the Beautiful our national anthem, I wouldn't complain. Actually ... I probably wouldn't complain if they wanted to switch it to Yes We Have No Bananas.

[gh]

Remember at the World Indoor in Seville in '91, first combined German team and one of the former DDRs on the victory stand and clearly having no idea what the words were to Über Alles. A journo sitting next to me fished out a Deutschmark and said, "here, read this." (snippet of words on the edge of coin)

[tandfman]

Every now and then, they've somehow played the wrong anthem, resulting in very puzzled looks from the winner on the podium.

[Pego]

Remember at the World Indoor in Seville in '91, first combined German team and one of the former DDRs on the victory stand and clearly having no idea what the words were to Über Alles. A journo sitting next to me fished out a Deutschmark and said, "here, read this." (snippet of words on the edge of coin)

In May 1945 we sang "Alles, alles über Deutschland".

[dr ngo]

Speed singing

I'm also no great fan of the SSB, but what really annoys me is all these performers who insist on singing it as though it's supposed to be a dirge. If you wanna take a mediocre song and make it awful, just stretch it out to three and a half or four minutes!

At auditions to sing the anthem at Durham Bulls baseball games (Triple-A), which my wife and I have both done, they are very explicit in their instructions: the anthem is to be sung in 70 seconds, no more! That cuts out many of the more self-indulgent performers, those who apparently believe that the Star-Spangled Banner is really about THEM, not the USA.

[gh]

You've both auditioned, or youv'e both sung? (Congrats in either case)

[SQUACKEE]

The moment the singer goes " ohhh sayyaa can you se..eee.eeeaaah by the dawns early liiiiiiiiiiiggghtt hhheeeya ya yaaaaa...im on the mute faster than a Simon dismissal. :x

[dr ngo]

XXXX Family Singers

We've each sung the anthem at a Bulls game. (I also did the Canadian anthem once, when Ottowa was the visiting team. And Mrs. Dr. Ngo was all set to sing the Taiwan "anthem" once - it's a long story - but it didn't work out.) It's fun, and you get free tickets. And the Bulls usually win when we sing. (So far.)

But our singing is distinctly NOT up to the level of baby brother Grazerism, who actually sang for the MLB HOF installation game in Cooperstown many years ago!

[tandfman]

On Saturday, at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, the national anthem was sung by a barbershop quartet. They were terrific!

[D2theMcV]

i'd like to know if there's anyone anywhere (american or otherwise) who likes the Star Spangled Banner. the problem isn't so much that it's a question, but that it's a poem that was later wedged in to fit the tune to some popular pub song (or something like that).

of course, it should be america the beautiful. but while we're making alternate suggestions, how about "i don't wanna work. i just wanna bang on this drum all day"? or, given its saturation at all things sporting, the ramones' "blitzkrieg bop." (imagine standing on the podium when HEY! HO! LET'S GO! comes blaring out!) for intimidation factor, both "battery" and "damage, inc." by metallica would send the message.

that's all i've got now, but i'm sure more will occur to me!