Alternative anthems of countries

Germany: Die Wacht Am Rhein [probably a bit too jingoistic and anti-French to survive til today, then again... Rule Britannia?]

Very classical, but just so one-sided concentrating on France. On the other hand, "Vater Rhein" has, even without being a border, an almost mythical quality to Germans. Maybe in a scenario where Germany unites despite having lost the Franco-Prussian war.

For a modern monarchy, there is only one choice: Rio Reiser's "König von Deutschland"
http://www.myvideo.de/watch/6689923/Rio_Reiser_Koenig_von_Deutschland
 
The odd thing is, that besides Wacht am Rhein, there are a few other real or quasi-anthems celebrating the defeat of one particular foe in history. The Star-Spangled Banner takes a few swipes at the British, which is why the second and third verses are nearly never sung. The Maple Leaf Forever celebrates British/Canadian victories over the US at Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane. And those are just two examples.

Frankly, I'd choose "God of Our Fathers" for the US anthem: there are no references to a particular denomination, and would appear to be equally acceptable to Christians and Jews. And it's got a great early-20th-century style, like "Land of Hope and Glory", that Theodore Roosevelt would have liked.
 

nova2010

Banned
Italy - Giovinezza

The original version not the fascist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bn6UIlrWUs

« Son finiti i giorni lieti
degli studi e degli amori
o compagni, in alto i cuori
e il passato salutiam.

È la vita una battaglia,
è il cammino irto d'inganni,
ma siam forti, abbiam vent'anni,
l'avvenire non temiam,

Giovinezza, giovinezza,
primavera di bellezza!
Della vita nell'asprezza,
il tuo canto squilla e va!

... »

Infine, nell'ultima strofa, un accento patriottico:

« ...

Ma se il grido ci giungesse
dei compagni non redenti
alla morte sorridenti
il nemico ci vedrà. »
 
Last edited:

nova2010

Banned
For Bulgaria

Shumi Maritsa (Bulgarian: Шуми Марица) was the Bulgarian national anthem from 1886 until 1944. The original text was written by Nikola Zhivkov, a head teacher in Veles (now in the Republic of Macedonia). The lyrics were edited many times, most notably in 1912 by the poet Ivan Vazov who also composed the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF4U7KcypQI&feature=related

(Bulgarian Cyrillic)

Шуми Марица
окървавена,
плаче вдовица
люто ранена.

Припев:
Марш, марш,
с генерала наш!
В бой да летим,
враг да победим!

Български чеда,
цял свят ни гледа.
Хай към победа
славна да вървим.

Припев

Левът балкански
в бой великански
с орди душмански
води ни крилат.

Припев

Млади и знойни,
в вихрите бойни.
Ний сме достойни
лаври да берем.

Припев

Ний сме народа,
за чест и свобода,
за мила рода
който знай да мре.

Припев

(English translation)
Maritsa rushes,
stained with blood,
A widow wails,
fiercely wounded.

Chorus:
March, march,
with our general,
Let's fly into battle
and crush the enemy!

Forward!

Bulgarians,
the whole world beholds you.
Into a winning battle,
let's gloriously go.

Chorus

The Balkan lion
into a titanic battle
with enemy's hordes
leads us, flying.

Chorus

Young and strong,
in the rattle of battle
We're destined to gain
laurels to claim.

Chorus

We're the nation,
for pride, freedom,
for dear fatherland
who knows how to die.

Chorus
 
Canada: The Maple Leaf Forever

I swear it should be our real anthem. It's alot better than O, Canada.

Certainly it celebrates your geography, formative history (the mentions of Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane), and heritage. Granted, Quebec may not like the mention of Wolfe given that his victory spelled the end of France's dominion over that part of North America, but such is the way it goes.
 
Well, there's "Waltzing Matilda" for Australia.

It nearly was you know. They held a referendum on it in 1977. Waltzing Matilda came second to the more regal Advance Australia Fair, and probably only failed because a sheep-stealing vagrant who commits suicide was, perhaps, not considered appropriate subject matter for a national anthem.

Granted, today's Aussies are even more irreverent, and would probably vote for it given half a chance.

UK: Jerusalem, based on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_did_those_feet_in_ancient_time
 
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