What is your favourite National Anthem(s) ?

**Maciamo** · Mar 15, 2005, 23:27

I have just found this amazing website about national anthems from around the world. Not only do they have the lyrics, but several versions (including MP3 vocals) of about all national anthems, including old ones. Did you know for example that the UK's "God save the King/Queen" was also the national anthem of Imperial Germany until 1918 ? (listen here). It also has regional, unofficial anthems, as well as those of the Olympics, NATO, etc.

Did you know that the US national anthem was composed by an Englishman (John Stafford Smith) and that of Germany by an Austrian (Joseph Haydn).

Japan has the world's oldest anthem (Kimigayo).

What is your favourite anthems ? Personally :

The most engaging :

England (Rule Britannia) (a slightly better to be found here)

The most ceremonious :

England (Land of Hope and Glory)

The most emotional :

Russia/USSR

The most solemn :

Norway (instrumental)
Finland
Japan (Kimigayo)

The cutest :

The Netherlands (instrumental please !)
Switzerland (instrumental too)

The most lively and amusing :

Germany (Was ist - before 1866) - the Nazi version (Horst Wessel Song) is not bad either.

The most rythmic :

Brazil

Cuba (instrumental)

Greece (instrumental)

China

The most mystic :

India (absolutely vocal)
Japan (Gagaku style, as in Shinto temples)

For quick references to the main countries in good instrumental version, try this page

**TwistedMac** · Mar 15, 2005, 23:41

Rule Britannia, sung in Albert Hall at the last night of the proms.

I want to atleast once in my lifetime be there to experience it first hand, rahter than on teevee.

**Sensuikan San** · Mar 16, 2005, 11:14

Neither of these rate, I suppose .... but ....

I always liked the old Confederate States' "Dixie" !

and .... if only they had made it their anthem when given the chance .... Australians would have had an absolute winner with "Waltzing Matilda"

But nothing is more stirring than the "Marseillaise" !

Regards,

ジョン

**kirei_na_me** · Mar 16, 2005, 11:22

Some very nice links, Maciamo. Thanks a lot. I am still looking at these.

La Marseillaise is probably my favorite, and I think that is because it was the first "foreign" national anthem that I really learned. Also, since I love France...

I love singing it. I find myself singing it all the time, for some odd reason. La Marseillaise and Jingle Bells!

**Maciamo** · Mar 16, 2005, 12:09

La Marseillaise always conjures up memories of the French Revolution. Although the lyrics are a bit gore, the tune is probably among the most moving of any anthem. I could have listed it, along with the anthems of Germany, Italy, Spain and the US, which are all good, but my list was becoming rather long... (and as they are all quite famous, I went for the less well-known).

**Maciamo** · Mar 16, 2005, 12:19

Originally Posted by Sensuikan San

I always liked the old Confederate States' "Dixie" !

Funny that this anthem (same as Maryland's, right ?) has been adapted as a lullaby in France. I realised that the the anthem of the British Labour Party was also a French lullaby.

and .... if only they had made it their anthem when given the chance .... Australians would have had an absolute winner with "Waltzing Matilda"

I think it was until 1986.

IMO, it hardly sounds as a national anthem (too folk song).

**thomas** · Mar 16, 2005, 16:07

Originally Posted by Maciamo

...and that of Germany by an Austrian (Joseph Haydn).

Haydn's hymn used to be Austria's anthem until 1918 ("Gott Erhalte, Gott Beschuetze"), sung in the seven languages of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Germany "stole" the hymn after WWI.

Originally Posted by Maciamo

...the Nazi version (Horst Wessel Song) is not bad either.

The Horst Wessel song ("Die Fahne Hoch") was, as far as I know, no national, but some sort of NSDAP anthem, glorifying a SA thug shot by Communists. It derived from an older patriotic song called "Die Wacht am Rhein".

My favourite hymns, not ranked though: Marseillaise, Rule Britannia, the Soviet anthem, and - perhaps due to personal circumstances - the Egyptian anthem composed by Said Darwish.

**Apollo** · Mar 18, 2005, 01:49

A not-so-good one in my opinion: Danish one...

I like the Rule Britannia best, then next, the proclaimed anthem of the European Union: Beethoven's Ode to Joy!!!

**sgt. Pepper** · Mar 18, 2005, 04:09

Well, i won't choose Swedens (even if i do like it) because that would be unfair towards the rest. But the best one is probably the Soviet one, but i don't know if Russia still uses it. The funniest have to be Irelands.

And how can you have a national anthem like Germanys? I mean, Deutschland über alles, isn't that a bit much even for a national anthem? :/

**Lina Inverse** · Mar 20, 2005, 02:56

Originally Posted by sgt. Pepper

And how can you have a national anthem like Germanys? I mean, Deutschland über alles, isn't that a bit much even for a national anthem? :/

Indeed, the German anthem sucks, melody- and textwise

We should really get a new one

Ok, I listened to all the anthems Maciamo listed (plus France+Egypt), and here's my ranking:

The Top 3:
Japan
China
Russia

Nice:
Rule Britannia
India
France
Egypt
Cuba

The others were ranging from boring to lame, with the Swiss one being the worst