Tuesday 14 July 2009

Bastille Day Competition

Today being Bastille Day, what better excuse to post the best National Anthem in the world - The Marseillaise? Most National Anthems are excruciating, bombastic drivel but this is different - pure quality. Incredibly violent too - just follow the words.

Anyone any suggestions for worst National Anthem? Excluding God Save the Queen, which is disqualified on the grounds that it is too obvious a candidate given its general dreadfulness. In an exercise in controlled masochism, I'll put up the winning nomination..

6 comments:

white rabbit said...

It's a bit shameless to be the first entry in my own competition but O Canada is pretty dire...

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Erm, righty...

They sang it at the only Major League baseball game I ever attended - along with the Star Spangled Banner - which is rather good.

Minx said...

My Dear Bunny,

Since you cant nominate the English National Anthem as one which constitutes quite possibly the most DIRE and TUNELESS missive on the face of the EARTH, I will, being comprehensively WELSH, of course (and proud to be part of a a nation in posession of an anthem to rock the foundations of one's SOUL) do it for both of us.

God Save The Queen?

Nil Points!.

Barlinnie said...

Without doubt my friend... God Save The Queen is dire, but the German anthem isn't far behind in the shite stakes.

Mrs. Hall said...

So far, I am made a bit dizzy from your blog, what with the distinctive accent and all.

It's like reading a code of some sort. "sacked" "right and proper"
"New Fucking Labor" all this venacular, again, making me a bit dizzy.




awesome!

simply wondered said...

the internationale and mae hen are without compare.
like other commenters, when faced with the horror that is god save the queen (god, the monarchy and a shitty tune - what's not to hate?) i am unable to come up with anything in th same league.
i want to hate the star spangled banner but it really is rather good (albeit with a really tricky range).

Barnsley Bill said...

New Zealand wins hands down.
Why? I hear you ask.
Well for a start we have 2.5 anthems.
God Save the Queen is an official anthem and so is a dreadful whiny dirge called God defend New Zealand.
To further compound this awful wailing begging god to save us, it is now fashionable to sing it twice!
Once in English and Once in Maori. A language that does not lend itself to literal translation which means many words need to end in a strangled wail to allow them to fit.
As I am possibly the laziest blogger on the planet here is a link for the words.
http://www.mch.govt.nz/anthem/anthem-score.html

And here is a link for the allblacks being to cool to bother singing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT3X5PvAIMU

If (like me) you are too lazy to look at both links try the youtube one, but be warned. You may need a bucket.