4 ms·

I feel like a lot of national anthems have some bits that people gloss over, or have quietly done away with. Part of the charm innit. The Irish national song

I feel like a lot of national anthems have some bits that people gloss over, or have quietly done away with. Part of the charm innit. The Irish national song talks about the 'Saxon foe' in the English version[1] (the English version isn't normally the one sung, and only the chorus of said song is the national anthem proper). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amhrán_na_bhFiann https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amhrán_na_bhFiann

smcl 4y ago
Yeah it's possible that by now many anthems don't truly mean what they currently or originally said, or reference things that are kinda irrelevant today. They're just rousing words that fit a tune, and people sorta go along with it. And tbh as I said the UK anthem doesn't currently openly call for my slaughter and I don't live in fear that I'll be persecuted by the UK government on account of my national identity. But I think it's one thing to have a "Remember this external foe we defeated in our independence struggle" section in your anthem and another to have had one saying "A very large part of our nation must be defeated and its people subjugated", particularly if you are one of those people
- eru 4y ago
  The Dutch national anthem has a part that pronounces the narrator to be proud to be of German blood..
  - norswap 4y ago
    Also that the protagonist (Wilhelm of Orange) has always respected the Spanish king.
- MPSimmons 4y ago
  I don't know if you're American or not, but if you're familiar with The Star Spangled Banner, you may not be familiar with _all_ of it. https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/pdf/ssb_lyrics.pdf https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/pdf/ssb_lyrics.p...
  - cobbzilla 4y ago
    additionally notable— the melody the poem was ultimately set to: a tavern drinking song, To Anacreon in Heaven [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anacreontic_Song https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anacreontic_Song

smcl 4y ago

Yeah it's possible that by now many anthems don't truly mean what they currently or originally said, or reference things that are kinda irrelevant today. They're just rousing words that fit a tune, and people sorta go along with it. And tbh as I said the UK anthem doesn't currently openly call for my slaughter and I don't live in fear that I'll be persecuted by the UK government on account of my national identity. But I think it's one thing to have a "Remember this external foe we defeated in our independence struggle" section in your anthem and another to have had one saying "A very large part of our nation must be defeated and its people subjugated", particularly if you are one of those people

eru 4y ago
The Dutch national anthem has a part that pronounces the narrator to be proud to be of German blood..
- norswap 4y ago
  Also that the protagonist (Wilhelm of Orange) has always respected the Spanish king.
MPSimmons 4y ago
I don't know if you're American or not, but if you're familiar with The Star Spangled Banner, you may not be familiar with _all_ of it. https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/pdf/ssb_lyrics.pdf https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/pdf/ssb_lyrics.p...
- cobbzilla 4y ago
  additionally notable— the melody the poem was ultimately set to: a tavern drinking song, To Anacreon in Heaven [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anacreontic_Song https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anacreontic_Song