England might be getting its own National Anthem

[Counties NZ]

Can't believe you guys are going to ditch God save the Queen, the Sex Pistols are awesome!!

 

[YoungScud]

I can't believe this is taxing the House of Commons. They don't have some real problems to solve?

 

[McTallshort]

I can't believe this is taxing the House of Commons. They don't have some real problems to solve?

if you had GSTQ as a national anthem you would think its a real problem.

 

[ncurd]

Ncurd - on 3 - surely any anthem will be caught somewhere, as either it mentions God and can't be used at civil weddings (that makes zero sense to me), or it doesn't and it's not a hymn and won't be usable in churches

Basically the church's are allowed to do whatever they like in terms of music and it's up to the discression of the priest in charge. Some allow Jerusalem others do not.

Civil weddings use to have a rule saying no religious connotations what so ever this was brought in to keep the CoE happy. Similar to rules permanently excluding them from conducting same sex marriages even though other religions are allowed to change their.mind. The rules use to mean you were not allowed Robbie Williams - Angels for example. This was slightly relaxed to allow pop songs but anything you choose must be approved by a superintendent registrar. Same issue with prayers. The law is even stupider in that up you can instrumental versions but the second someone sings it's not okay.

My wife is semi religious which is why she wanted Ave Maria caused a bit of issue trying to find something else as she had her heart set on it and it wasn't even written as a hymn.

Honestly I'd be happy with I Vow to Thee my country which sounds and has the lyrics of actual national anthem and even though referred to as hymn has no real religious points.
https://youtu.be/KHh8isGtB6w

vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waves and waters, she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,[6]
And around her feet are lying the dying and the dead;
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns;
I haste to thee, my mother, a son among thy sons.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

The other two I don't think are quite as rousing.

 

[Peat]

The third verse of I Vow to Thee I'd consider far more religious than Jerusalem. Far, far more religious.

There will always be personal taste in these things but for me, Jersualem's acknowledgement that things are not perfect and that we will fight for them to be better is perfect and very rousing. We won't ask anyone else for protection, we won't slavishly love it whatever regardless, we will make it the best we can be.

 

[YoungScud]

if you had GSTQ as a national anthem you would think its a real problem.

Actually, my national anthem is GSTQ. Just saying...

 

[McTallshort]

Actually, my national anthem is GSTQ. Just saying...

You know what I mean, I remember when GSTQ was played at Scotland games to much whistling and booing with the princess royal looking very unhappy

 

[YoungScud]

You know what I mean, I remember when GSTQ was played at Scotland games to much whistling and booing with the princess royal looking very unhappy

My real point was that MPs are being paid now to discuss which song (not anthem) is played at a sporting event. It seems relatively trivial to me. For what it's worth, quite a few Scots would like to see FOS replaced too. It seems it's a bit too much of a dirge for them.

 

[McTallshort]

My real point was that MPs are being paid now to discuss which song (not anthem) is played at a sporting event. It seems relatively trivial to me. For what it's worth, quite a few Scots would like to see FOS replaced too. It seems it's a bit too much of a dirge for them.

JimTelfer has said that, personally I like FOS, its a bit nationalistic but its still 100 times better than GSTQ and Irelands call

 

[YoungScud]

Oh I don't mind it at all. I'm just saying it's not universally popular. As I said, it seems it's a tad too slow for some. It all seems a bit of a storm in a quaich to me.

 

[TheOvalBall]

As an outsider, it will be good to hear the English sing something about their people or country. This God save the queen anthem is horrid.

 

[grumpybaldy]

Three thoughts: I'd happily see a change from GSTQ, not least cos I wouldn't then have to shout in frustration at the tart who we now HAVE to have leading the singing (why?!) when she always gets the last line WRONG (the clue's in the ***le for God's sake!); second, Jerusalem is an obvious contender but I'm sure it would be rejected as being too 'imperial' (bounds set wider and wider etc etc), but so could LofH&G come to that; third if we're talking stirring tunes (and words), we should simply nick the tune of La Marseillaise - should be possible to justify (Waterloo, Trafalgar, Mons, Normandy, Twickenham too on some occasions) - send Sean Bean to sort it out and bring it back as a spoil like he did that eagle!

 

[McTallshort]

Three thoughts: I'd happily see a change from GSTQ, not least cos I wouldn't then have to shout in frustration at the tart who we now HAVE to have leading the singing (why?!) when she always gets the last line WRONG (the clue's in the ***le for God's sake!); second, Jerusalem is an obvious contender but I'm sure it would be rejected as being too 'imperial' (bounds set wider and wider etc etc), but so could LofH&G come to that; third if we're talking stirring tunes (and words), we should simply nick the tune of La Marseillaise - should be possible to justify (Waterloo, Trafalgar, Mons, Normandy, Twickenham too on some occasions) - send Sean Bean to sort it out and bring it back as a spoil like he did that eagle!

Ha ha! Like your thinking

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

OR we should do as Billy Connolly suggested and have the Archers tune.

 

[Car]

third if we're talking stirring tunes (and words), we should simply nick the tune of La Marseillaise

So that was the real reason for playing it after the attacks in Paris.

 

[bertiec]

Cut the strings to the other home nations to the sound of......... oh its the end of the world as we know it, the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fiiiiine.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Agreed that GSTQ should not be England's national anthem anymore because England's national identity and what she stands for and hopes should not be wrapped up in this undemocratic institution. Does anyone actually know or have read all the verses to GSTQ apart from the first verse:

God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen
God save the Queen
Send her victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the Queen

O Lord our God arise
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks
On Thee our hopes we fix
God save us all

Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour
Long may she reign
May she defend our laws
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen

Not in this land alone
But be God's mercies known
From shore to shore
Lord make the nations see
That men should brothers be
And form one family
The wide world over

From every latent foe
From the assassins blow
God save the Queen
O'er her thine arm extend
For Britain's sake defend
Our mother, prince, and friend
God save the Queen

Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the King

It's just not relevant to England anymore.

I'm all for a brand new national anthem to reflect the real England. By all means keep GSTQ for certain events when the Queen or future King are rolled out.