Top 10 National Anthems ?

[shadowkat]

According to Youtube these are the top national anthem's..

Watch on YouTube

I have quibbles. Seriously, Germany in 2nd place? Germany? Granted it's easy to sing. Must be a German who came up with that list. (It should be noted that my ancestory is basically German and Irish, with a mix of Belgium/Welsh/Anglican/Scottish. My mother's father was German. Her mother Scotch-Irish and a touch of German. But her father's father immigrated here from Germany and her grandmother, on his side, spoke nothing but German. She took German so she could talk to his side of the family in German. While my Dad's mom was Irish, her father immigrated to the US directly from Ireland during the Potatoe Famine, and his paternal grandfather was Welsh descent (his great-grandfather immigrated from debtor's prison and married well, someone of Anglican descent) and his paternal grandmother was French Belgium - who had gone to a fashion school in France, and was sent to the US to break up her romance with an illegible suitor. She was a seamstress and not considered at the time worthy of my great-grandfather, who was sort of disowned after her married her. One year after their marriage, he died of consumption. A few years later, her first love immigrated to the US and they were reunited. This was the man who ended up raising my Grandfather, he never knew his real father who had died a year or two after he was born. But he was quite close to his step-father, who taught him to be a carpenter. My last name is Welsh while my mother's first name and maiden name is German. Meanwhile my sister-in-law is Cherokee, Italian, Irish, and Jewish. So my neice is Irish, German, Anglican, Belgium, Welsh, Cherokee, Italian, Scottish, and Jewish (ethnicity not religion -- and yes, it is both.) What can I say? All Americans are mongrels...and we all descend from immigrants, just depends on how far back you want to go. I'm third generation American on one side, and fourth on the other. )

But I agree that Russia wins the contest, although I rather like France and Europe's.

US is 10, which makes sense...ours is impossible to sing.

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I doubt it was a German who came up with that list, because we keep the occasions on which the national anthem is played to an absolute minimum over here. And only the third verse is sung at all (verses 1 and 2 are legally barred because of Third Reich associations, which means it is incredibly cringe worthy when US tourists sing "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles", i.e. the beginning of the banned first verse, because only Neonazis do that). The limitation to the third verse not withstanding, you'd still not find many Germans capable of knowing more than the opening line of said third verse ("unity, justice and freedom for the German fatherland") by heart, because, again: it's very rarely sung. Not in schools. Not at sports games unless it's the world cup. Not when foreign heads of state visit (then it gets instrumentally played after the hymm of the foreign state in question, though). Seriously, you'd find more people capable of singing the official European hymn, because it's the Ode of Joy (lyrics by Schiller, melody by Beethoven).

...the one thing that can be said for it is that the melody for the German anthem is by Joseph Haydn? (Originally written to another lyric, though, "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser", "God keep Emperor Franz", the Franz in question the Habsburg Emperor of Haydn's day.)

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Must be a German who came up with that list

Hee!

And yes, ours is impossible to sing unless you're a trained singer.

[kikimay]

China's is so very catchy! I like it! I wonder what does it say. I also like UK even though is much more solemn. They are all basically in the marching form, except for America that seems something for a professional singer only.

France is still my favorite, tho. And, c'mon, Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" is awesome! It's about joy, it makes you happy.

(Wow, your ancestory is so interesting, you basically descend from half Nord Europe!)

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Nah the best is "Flower of Scotland", the Scottish anthem, especially when the bagpipes stop and it is sung a capella by the crowd in Murrayfield! It's magical. Gives me the goosebumps every time.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I doubt it was a German who came up with that list, because we keep the occasions on which the national anthem is played to an absolute minimum over here.

You're probably right -- it was most likely an idiotic American. (We have more Neo-Nazis over here than anyone appears to...how else does one explain the popularity of Donald Trump? (I'm only half-kidding, unfortunately.))

And only the third verse is sung at all (verses 1 and 2 are legally barred because of Third Reich associations, which means it is incredibly cringe worthy when US tourists sing "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles", i.e. the beginning of the banned first verse, because only Neonazis do that). The limitation to the third verse not withstanding, you'd still not find many Germans capable of knowing more than the opening line of said third verse ("unity, justice and freedom for the German fatherland") by heart, because, again: it's very rarely sung.


Interesting, I didn't know this. Completely understand -- there's some cringe-worthy lyrics in that song, particularly after WWII. I defintiely would not have put it in the top ten.

I agree, it does have a nice melody ...if you ignore the lyrics. But why not choose another song? And why do all these countries choose such strident militaristic marching songs?

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

After reading some of the responses to my post, I'm starting to think it's an idiotic American. ;-)

Americans don't tend to like The Star Spangled Banner...mainly because none of us can sing it, and we all forced to, painfully at school functions.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Thanks. And yep, I'm basically a Celt. Or of Celtic Origin...and Germanic.

I'm starting to lean towards Scotland...at the moment.

Not sure why Germany and Russia are at the top of the list, I like France, Scotland, and Ode to Joy better.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I still like France's better. ;-) But you are right...it's charming. And there's something to be said for a song that everyone can sing a capella.