h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The national anthem of the UK is not working. It needs to be replaced with something everyone can agree on, something which everyone can sing along to and feel good about.

The two songs which best define the feelgood spirit of tens of thousands of voices joined in social and spiritual harmony for the common good are both (somewhat ironically) by Queen.

We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions are perfect as socially unifying and heart warming tunes with which everyone can identify.

First, it will have to be officially established that 'God Save the Queen' is an antiquated anti-Scottish English war ballad and totally inappropriate as an anthem. This Society of Metal Appreciators can spearhead a campaign to have the current anthem removed from public gatherings. Of course it should continue (as an instrumental version only) to serve as the musical signature announcing the regal presence much the same way the Americans play Hail To The Chief when the President is in attendance, and only when the President is in attendance. Hail To the Chief is not sung, no one knows any words, but the Presidential tune says 'Hey, the President is here!' and 'God Save the Queen' can do the same.

The Americans always kept their national anthem separate from their leader's signature theme tune. "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is about fear and hope and war and rockets red glaring. It has a common theme, the flag, with which everyman can identify. It says nothing about the President or any leader. It is a people's tune and set to music of an old British naval drinking song.

We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions are contemporary British drinking songs and perfectly suited to represent the spirit and mood of everyone living in the British Isles.

I am not only serious about this proposal, I am concerned that no one else will dare to take it seriously. Think about it. And sooner or later it will sound like a good idea. Certainly a better idea than that sychophantic anti-Scottish war-ballad that currently serves you all so badly. I'm certain that the Royals will agree, if only because the Queen songs I'm proposing are inclusive of all-in-attendance whether they be Irish, Scots, Cockney, Royal or whatever. To sing along is to be one with the spirit of the tunes. Tunes for the common man, tunes for the commonweal!

peace
~jwf~

Well, we could go _back_ to Rule Britannia or even Jerusalem but the first may be seen to be a little gung-ho, the latter too confusing

I'm up for Queen

Rules for creating national anthems that everyone will love.

Rule #1: Never go back! History is such a mess.
Rule #2: Keep it simple! The people want it simple.

Glad to have your support.

~jwf~

Look at American sports, all the jingles on the organ, the soundbites from records played when a goal* is scored...but when they _really_ want to get the crowd going, it's always, always, _always_ "We Will Rock You"


daS (UK born and bred ice hockey fan )

* Insert point scoring system for American game of choice here

>> ..get the crowd going, it's always, always, _always_ "We Will Rock You" <<

Yes! It's a natural.

What is an anthem after all but a rallying cry for a large group of like minded, like spirited people with the same 'goals' and aspirations, the same cultural values and objectives.

Sea shanties, drinking songs, barge-toting hollers, mule-driving rhythms, cotton-picking melodies, children's rounds... they all have a unifying and common appeal.

People who work and play together ought to sing together. That's what an anthem is for. To unify, to unite, to make and sustain a 'united' Kingdom.


~jwf~

How about the Bonzo Dog duda song, 'Cool britania'?

Cool is cool but we need more than cool. We need to send the message that we will ROCK you, that we ARE the champions.

That's what nationalism is all about, a competitive team-spirit ready to take on the world and do something about it. It's not quite enough to just be cool about whatever crap is being thrown at us.

Drake wasn't just cool, Wellington wasn't just cool, Sir Edmund Hilary wasn't just cool. These guys rocked.

Rock Britannia!
peace
~jwf~

Hm...not to tear you down or anything, jwf, and seeing as how I'm from the Un*ted St*tes, it's a good argument but doesn't that seem a bit bigheaded for the UK? It seems to me that making that the national anthem would be saying " we're better than you, so there". Is that really the kind of impression you'd like to give to other countries?

Good point.
And there-in lies the difficulty of 'nationalism'. Every European 'nation' is a hodgepodge of regional interests that must somehow be held together with a common cause or aspiration.

Every group, whether a small family unit, a large tribe or even a corporation, adopts an 'us or them' attitude toward the rest of the world. Every group or team sees itself as 'better'. In the case of Queen fans it was an expression of 'youth' against the tired old ways of the world, but it's the spirit for making it better that I find so inspiring. That's what counts.

Passionate football (and other sports) fans show us just how unreasonable people will become when their loyalties are challenged, when 'their side' is threatened. But I'd rather have thousands of them chanting their attitude of superiority at me in a soothing rhythmical way than have them rioting in the streets.

The rise of 'nationalism' in the past few hundred years can be seen as an improvement upon the smaller tribal units and fiefdoms of the past if one looks back. But looking forward it can be seen as a stumbling block to a greater global unity in the future.

I take the position that 'nations' are an improvement upon dukedoms and tribes and, that a European Union can be an improvement upon the divisiveness of nations. The united 'states' of America is proof that local and regional interests can and must be sometimes subordinated to a greater common good. The states might otherwise have become like 'nations' unto themselves and the history of European warfare among nations could have repeated itself in America. It almost did.

The hope of the United Nations is to make the system work globally. So as long as 'nations' can remember that they are an assimilation of smaller tribes and interest groups, then perhaps they can find some common ground with which to approach a global union. In the meantime they must maintain their 'national' identity by uniting the forces within. A good anthem always works to do that.

The present UK anthem works against the hope of unifying the ancient tribal and cultural differences within the 'nation'. By creating a common spirit of unity through song, a larger and larger chorus becomes possible. It's a case of taking care of the pennies so the pounds take care of themselves. Take care of the many troubled details and the whole will become greater than the sum of its parts.

The first step is to stop trying to enforce a single Londonium perspective on so many divergent tribal histories and focus on what is (or could be) held in common throughout the Britannic archipelago for the greater common good.

peace
jwf

Hmm...I guess you're right! And also, the states *have* become like little nations themselves except you don't need to do anything when passing borders.

As for one upmanship...just _try_ and listen to the whole Italian national anthem - makes the Ring Cycle look like a radio jingle

And besides - "Don't Stop Me Now" has been shown to be good, rhythmically speaking, for bashing the brains out of zombies with pool cues by

Never heard the Italian one. "Don't stop me now" is Queen, too, right? I'm not a fan, really.

Watch the Formula 1 tomorrow, when Ferrari win again...

Yup, Queen again, as put to good use in ""Shaun of the Dead"

This is a totally worthy action. Anything would be better than what you guys have got at the moment.

>> "..we're better than you, so there". Is that really the kind of impression you'd like to give.. <<

I'm surprised no one mentioned the German national anthem "Uber Alles" which means 'better than everybody' or 'on top of the heap'. Funny thing is they still believe it after losing two world wars. Which is of course my point - that a real-good feel-good tune can change the world.


Vee vill, vee vill ruck you!
Vee are ze champ-yuns
Vee are der chanp-yuns
Uber all!


"...Schumacher crosses the line to win his fourth straight Grand Prix victory this year. A perfect record, four for four, the six time world champion leads the championship with forty points..."

There's power in a good tune. Hear it often enough and it becomes a self-fullfilling melody.
peace
~jwf~

From my own slightly offkilter view of the world I'd say use something utterly different.

Queen are an excellent band and Brian May's rendition of God save the Queen was most cool. However from my own perspective I would choose something like "Nothing Else Matters" by those nice American boys Metallica.

Listen to the words and the way the guitars swell to the bridge is inspiring.

In fact the Michael Kaman version from "S&M" is an even better example!

I think Edmund Hillary was from NZ?? otherwise I'm in favour of "Wee are the champions" (Freudian slip there, but I rather liked it, so I've left it)