Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 09:52:20 +0200
From: Hugh Rodwell <m-14970-AT-mailbox.swipnet.se>
Subject: Re: M-I: Oz Hegemony and National anthems


Gary muses:

>But what about those inebriated Australians bellowing out the National Song
>- the execrable "Advance Australia Fair".    I swear it came that close to
>making me feel sorry for the English until I thought of "Rule Britannia".

Well there are a lot of national anthems that would be for the  chop the
day after the Revolution!! Foremost among them God Save the Queen -- it
hurts even to write it.

And there are some great injustices to be rectified. Like Oz needing to
have Waltzing Matilda as its team anthem -- I'm assuming that the
Internationale will become everyone's anthem under socialism.

There's a problem though with some great songs of revolutionary origin that
have been dragged through the mud by identification with vicious
imperialisms -- first off the Star-Spangled Banner and the Marseillaise.
After all, why should the Devil have all the good tunes? Spose the Yanqui
and the French has better sort that one out themselves. But I mean, "the
rocket's red glare, bombs bursting in air" -- what lines!

Perhaps Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock version should become the official one?

Next-best musical comment on it must be Leadbelly's Bourgeois Blues --
"Land of the Brave, Home of the Free, I don't wanna be mistreated by no
bourgoisie ...".  And another tip of the hat to the Black Power fists in
the air at Mexico City in 1968!

As for dead cert keep-em-the-way they are anthems, these are the ones used
as battle-hymns at internationals (where GSQ got jeered so much it was
discontinued where this was an option, if I'm not mistaken -- I do remember
the battles at cinemas where it became common to sit demonstratively during
the obligatory playing of the thing). So the Welsh win hands-down on that
(Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau/Land of my fathers), with the Finns a close second (bit
posher, music by Sibelius).

So what's a good anthem for a free and united Ireland?

Cheers,

Hugh





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