Unofficial National Anthems

[BSR]

To me, an unofficial national anthem is a popular song that expresses a people's pride in and love for their country.  The two best examples I can think of are "Guantanamera" and "Waltzing Matilda."  The lyrics of "Guantanamera" were taken from a couple of poems by José Martí, whose love for Cuba shines through in his writings.  "Waltzing Matilda" is an Australian bush ballad, folk music that depicts life in the Australian bush.  The "Guantanamera" video is Joseíto Fernández, the man who first set Martí's poetry to music.  The "Waltzing Matilda" video is Andre Rieu playing an instrumental of the song while the whole crowd sings the lyrics. 

Does the US have an unofficial national anthem?  The best I could come up with is "Yankee Doodle," but we don't really sing it any more.  For other countries, I thought of "Bella Ciao" for Italy (enjoying renewed popularity, ironically enough, thanks to a Spanish TV series), "Girl from Ipanema" for Brazil, and "Danny Boy" for Ireland. 

Can you think of any others? 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by BSR
Added video

[+ sync]

• “America” (My Country, Tis of Thee) 
• "America the Beautiful” 
• “God Bless America”
• “This Land is Your Land”
• "Hail, Columbia"

          Source: America’s Five National Anthems - capradio.org

[mike carey]

20 hours ago, BSR said:

"Waltzing Matilda" is an Australian bush ballad, folk music that depicts life in the Australian bush.

The song is indeed iconic, and celebrating as it does, a sheep thief who throws himself into a waterhole and drowns rather than surrender to the troopers who were enforcing the rights of the squatter (the wealthy pastoralist), it represents our self-image of rural anti-authoritanarianism.

In recent years, a Seekers song has increasingly competed with it as an unofficial national anthem. This was the song that activists chose to sing from the gallery in the House of Representatives when the equal marriage bill was passed. The verses of the song chart the successive waves of people that have come to these lands now called Australia, although most often the refrain is used on its own. In the early days of Covid,, the ABC aired a zoom version of it, which has become a series including this one in Auslan.

 

[+ sync]

8 hours ago, mike carey said:

The song is indeed iconic, and celebrating as it does, a sheep thief who throws himself into a waterhole and drowns rather than surrender to the troopers who were enforcing the rights of the squatter (the wealthy pastoralist), it represents our self-image of rural anti-authoritanarianism.

In recent years, a Seekers song has increasingly competed with it as an unofficial national anthem. This was the song that activists chose to sing from the gallery in the House of Representatives when the equal marriage bill was passed. The verses of the song chart the successive waves of people that have come to these lands now called Australia, although most often the refrain is used on its own. In the early days of Covid,, the ABC aired a zoom version of it, which has become a series including this one in Auslan.

 

I would love to see that for the USA.

[Guest]

Most Californians don't like our official state anthem, I Love You, California. Most people here would prefer California, Here I Come....

 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Unicorn

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

Indiana's official state song is On the Banks of the Wabash, rather than the more commonly heard Back Home Again in Indiana.

[+ Cash4Trash]

And then there's the gay national anthem...

 

[jeezifonly]

I’d much prefer America the Beautiful, as it’s more uplifting, shorter, and singable. But the SSB as a metaphor for America is actually quite apt in two ways:

A) Singing of our National Anthem is symbolic, as it is for all nations. America’s symbolic song is one which offers praise to… …ta-daa! another symbol, the flag. Not to the American Spirit, nor Commitment to Democracy  nor honoring the Human Sacrifices, appreciation of the People, the Land…but to the flag and our proclaimed allegiance to it. The same piece of fabric which comes with many rules about proportions and placement in its manufacture, handling, use, and display, and which got molested on a regular basis by the former guy. 

B) Musically speaking it’s unsingable bombast that makes it impossible for the most important words in the text to be anything but screamed: 

The Land of the Free. 

Edited November 15, 2021 by jeezifonly