Basically, think of an alternate national anthem for a country. The song can already exist, like the Rákóczi March for Hungary, or something that doesn't exist OTL.
Oddly enough East Germany had a far better anthem then West Germany, imo.
ANYTHING other then God Save the Queen. Rule Britannia just plain wouldn't work as an anthem however; anyone got any better ideas?
Also there's the issue of England having the same anthem as the UK (to the dismay of many Englishmen); Land of hope and Glory and Jerusalem tend to be the more popular unofficial anthems (least that's what my English friends insist).
Canada has the Maple Leaf Forever but lyrics were far to bombastically loyalist to be acceptable by the very vocal French minority (given the first verse literally describes Wolfe's conquest of Quebec and the whole song goes on to mention "the thistle shamrock rose entwine" with no mention of anything French whatsoever). There was an alternate version made to appease Quebec later down the line but by then it was to late to save it. Shame because it was a top notch tune and.
Oddly enough East Germany had a far better anthem then West Germany, imo.
Oddly enough East Germany had a far better anthem then West Germany, imo.
I prefer that song, too!Oh, I also like Ey Irân for Iran. Their current anthem sucks ass.
For Italy: "Fratelli d'Italia" is plain horrible, and this not only my personal opinion. There have been proposals to change it, particularly with the "Va' pensiero" choir from Verdi's Nabucco, which is waaaay better both in music and lyric quality, and a lot more attuned to modern sensibility to boot. Sadly, it has been associated with Northern separatism in recent decades to the point of being seen as an unofficial anthem for "Padania", which is kinda odd historically, but would make adopting it as a new anthem politically impossible IOTL.
Republican Italy would be better represented by "Bella Ciao", but it would be extremely divisive and not really adequate.
An ATL post WWII Communist Italy may pick "Fischia il Vento" (on the tune of Russian "Katyusha").
Battle Hymn of the Republic for the United States would be awesome! I could see it getting adopted in the wake of the Civil War.
It's a great tune, problem is the same tune is used in a lot of English football chants and even a socialist song
It's a great tune, problem is the same tune is used in a lot of English football chants and even a socialist song
But if it's adopted as the U.S. anthem in the 1860s, it will probably never be appropriated by sports fans and leftists. They, too, will find other tunes to adopt.