Weird Song of the Week - God Save the . . . um . . . King

 God Save the . . . um . . . King

Friday 16 September 2022

At various times during our Weird Song journey, I have covered National Anthems and weird facts about them, such as the French National Anthem first being sung as such in German and the National Anthem of the United States beginning life as a drinking song. With the death of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England, it is only appropriate that I cover the National Anthem of Liechtenstein.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0LbLVprZNE

Yes, it has the same melody as God Save the King which is what you thought I would link to.  Their anthem is entitled Oben am jungen Rhein which is Up at the Young Rhein in English.

Instead of focusing on England, we could discuss the Royal Anthem of Norway.  The Royal Anthem of Norway is titled Kongesangen which is King’s Song in English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEqaHuLTuCQ

This is beautiful.  The choir is magnificent in this clip.  The Royal Anthem of Norway is played to honor its king.  It differs from the national anthem of Norway, which is Ja, vi elsker dette landet or Yes We Love This Country or Yes We Love this Land. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr3HJIp9cvY

This clip shows some nice scenery from Norway.  I have been there, and I can say truly that Norway is a beautiful country.  I mean, there are places where you can point your camera at random with your eyes closed and get a great postcard shot.  It’s unbelievable.  I can understand why one would love this country.  And we also have another beautiful choir rendition.

In what can only be described as one of the greatest historical ironic twists of all time, eil dir im Siegerkranz was the national anthem of the German Empire from 1871 to the end of World War I in 1918.  To be honest, I’m unsure how to translate this title into English.  I’m going to say Hail to You with your Victory Wreath.  Google Translate completely messes this up with “Hurry up in the Wreath of Victory” so I assumed translation control here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_1SbOoPS2U

Folks you just can’t make this stuff up if you tried!  Imagine that during World War I, both sides sang the same melody as their National Anthem.

But who exactly wrote God Save the King?  Perhaps we should actually ask where the melody came from since it is obviously used all over the world.  As an American, I sang this melody ever since I can remember.  We call our song My Country ‘Tis of Thee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKj7FLg3WVA

I’m doing choirs today in case you haven’t noticed.  I remember watching the Rugby at a sports bar between England and the United States.  When the British anthem was sung, another American and I sung our lyrics.  Normally, the English fans there would probably have not been amused, but they knew they would smash the Eagles into oblivion, so they didn’t mind.

During the 19^th century, many scholars thought this old Scottish tune Remember O Thou Man was the inspiration behind the melody.  You can hear the similarity, but this tune is sung in a minor key whereas God Save the King is sung in a major key.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlwY_3WDJSM

What we can say for sure is the earliest music and lyrics appear in 1745.  According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the work first appeared in a gentleman’s magazine. 

Beethoven liked the melody.  He wrote seven variations on it in 1803.  Here is his Seven Variations on God Save the King.  He had a publisher in Edenborough he sent the work to, and this is how England was honored by the great man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vx-sYGR-dA

But not everyone has treated this melody with respect.  Liverpool fans have been especially vitriolic through the years with regard to the National Anthem.  Here they are booing it at an FA Cup Finals match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7GxCrdNggA

Their fans even went so far as to give new words to the anthem.  Here is the latest incarnation of God Save our Team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKYcjX9CTvU

I do not normally get political here, but I included these two disgraceful examples of disrespect, disgraceful in my opinion, so I could call it out as disgraceful, but also address a National Anthem controversy we have in the United States.  I hope English readers are still with me here, but I’ll make things right shortly.  In the US, football player Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel during the National Anthem before games to protest the treatment of African Americans by the police.  His actions really put Black Lives Matter into the national consciousness.  Black Lives Matter existed before Kaepernick, but he gave it a national voice.  Controversy raged as to whether his actions were appropriate or not.  In America, kneeling during the national anthem is perfectly legal.  You can also legally disrespect the anthem.  But in the United States, custom and, in this case, the corporate advertising dollar, does not look kindly on such behavior.  Sponsors threatened to cut their sponsorship to the NFL (National Football League) if it allowed Kaepernick to continue to do this.  His actions so outraged millions, they refused to buy products from companies who sponsored the NFL.

Jerry Jones, the owner of my beloved Dallas Cowboys, put his foot down and said that any player who disrespected the anthem was out.  Period.  They could make their political statements before or after, but never during.  But on the other side you had millions of Americans who supported Kaepernick and who still do.  He was and is still seen as a champion for justice for African Americans.  He is currently suing the NFL for preventing him to progress his career as a quarterback because he exercised his First Amendment right to free speech.  Kaepernick was an OK quarterback, not great, but pretty good.  I think he will win his lawsuit.

Here is where I stand on this issue.  I completely agree with Kaepernick’s cause, but I do not agree with kneeling during the National Anthem.  I do not agree with expressing your political views during the National Anthem.  I think it is disgraceful.  My view is the National Anthem provides an opportunity for everyone who belongs to a country to put their differences aside for a couple of minutes and remind themselves they are one.  I vehemently oppose Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.  But even when Trump was president, I would gladly stand side-by-side with any American and respect the flag and the country.  We have plenty of time to argue later, but during the anthem, we are one people and hopefully, if we remember this, then we will also remember that the purpose of argument is progress, not victory.

I understand Liverpool residents have their issues.  Their disaffection goes back to the 1970’s and perhaps they have legitimate concerns.  But to boo the National Anthem is disgraceful in my opinion.  Liverpool the city would not last five minutes as an independent country, and they need to remember this.  I understand why Colin Kaepernick did what he did.  His action to kneel was not as disgraceful, but I wish he had chosen another mechanism.  Eventually, NFL teams knelt prior to the anthem, and this led to FIFA asking teams to go to one knee for the same cause.  That’s fine, but I do not like political statements made during the anthem.

With regard to political protests during the anthem I think we need to ask ourselves one simple question.  How would I feel if someone with repugnant political views, that is, repugnant to my way of thinking, protested?  Much of the American media praised Kaepernick’s actions because most of the media agreed with Black Lives Matter.  But if a white nationalist extremist from Aryan Nation had knelt to express his belief that the white race was being overrun, would the media have been so kind?  I think not.  So I apply a kind of golden rule.  If I don’t want someone to protest during the anthem, I will not either.

The people of England have been singing God Save the Queen for 70 years.  This will need to change now, as well as their currency and a lot of other things.  Australia, where I live, has a lot of changing to do as well.  New currency must be minted.  One thing I did not know is that on our currency, each new monarch must face in a different direction.  King Charles III will therefore face left on new Australian currency which is due out next year I think.

Amid all the ceremony and tradition both in England and here in Australia, and I must say I find this fascinating as one who loves history because I have never witnessed a new monarch before, I couldn’t help but wonder if The Sex Pistols would release a new version of their song God Save the Queen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqrAPOZxgzU

This is a punk protest song.  I do not have a problem with free speech.  This is not done during the National Anthem and England is a democracy which allows freedom of expression regardless of whether you like it or not.  So long as they don’t encourage violence, I think it is OK.  And no, I do not believe England has been ruled by a fascist regime at any time during Elizabeth II’s reign.

Generally speaking, however, God Save the King, wow it’s going to take a while to get used to typing/saying/singing this, is loved throughout the world.  Even the Russian Empire got into the act.  Here is the imperial anthem of said empire from 1816 to 1833.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqwHvkFpw08

And yes, we have another choir.  As I said before, nobody does choirs better than the Russians. . .oh and the Welsh too.  I mustn’t forget the Welsh.

And now, for the real kicker.  God Save the King has never been officially proclaimed as the National Anthem of England, not by decree, and not by any act of Parliament.  This means England does not have an official National Anthem.  God Save the King has filled this role by custom and we see it sung at sporting events.  OK, we haven’t seen it sung at sporting events for 70 years, but we will start to see it sung from now on.  Man this is going to take some getting used to!  Well, at least that is what I thought, but God Save the King is not sung during home international cricket matches.  Instead, it is Jerusalem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FffymEphx7E

And here is a spontaneous rendition by cricket fans after the pandemic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPDKmR71zaE

There are moves afoot to have an official National Anthem of England and there are a number of suggestions.  I speak as one who is not English.  Are you serious?  When I think of the English National Anthem I always think of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTFYYi53tbo

which is always sung at all English Rugby Union matches.  OK, I don’t actually think that should be the anthem but if you know the story behind why this is sung, who knows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0azAOSE1eA

Here is an interesting analysis of Sing Low Sweet Chariot and how it became part of the fabric of English Rugby.  My take is that England also had slavery.  England also separated black players from white players.  When I hear this song sung at English Rugby matches, I can understand many people do not know the history of this song, but to me, what I see is black and white working together and this is ultimately what we want.  On the pitch, it doesn’t matter what race you are or where you came from.  You are one team.  If this reminds us to think the same way regarding country, then singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot is a good thing in my opinion.  Swing Low Sweet Chariot reminds me it was not always that way and I choose to believe this is why a lot of people sing this song.  But I can understand why some people may not feel this way.  As you can see, the songs we sing can foster feeling

Getting back to the melody for God Save the King, the Swiss certainly like this tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CvFIs_36oA

Their rendition is called Rufst du, mein Vaterland which I believe means You Call My Fatherland.  This was the de facto Swiss National Anthem until 1961 when it was replaced by this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfDpRzN2SBI

OK, I’m better now because we’re back to a choir.  Rufst du, mein Vaterland was written in the 19^th century for Swiss artillery troops.

So England has a de facto National Anthem and since it is so synonymous with England, someone should just make it official already.  Perhaps King Charles III can do that.  And now, at long last, here is the sort of National Anthem of England.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4watYeSbWLs

This song has not been sung in 70 years.  This is absolutely amazing.  I have wound my way through several countries, and I could have gone to many more.  God Save the King or, God Save the Queen as it has been for my entire life, has one of the weirdest histories of all the world’s anthems.  Out of respect to all my English friends, I say with all sincerity, Long Live King Charles III.