British/English national anthem 'God Save the Queen' and citizens who do not believe in gods...

Our South African anthem is Nkosi Sikele iAfrika (God Bless Africa).
en.wikipedia.org...

As a product of national reconciliation after 1994, it also includes 2 verses from the Apartheid-era anthem titled The Call of South Africa (Die Stem in Afrikaans).
It is sung in 5 languages (Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans and English).

It was written by a black Methodist minister in the 19th century, and the song was a liberation song that is also sung elsewhere in Africa in various languages.

It surprised me that the song was essentially a church hymn, since the ANC and their Communist Party alliance partners were led by Marxists.
The liberation movement in the country in the 1980s did however include many civic and religious leaders (mainly from the Anglicans, Catholics and liberal churches), although apartheid was also defended with the Bible, and the American Christian Right largely supported the anti-communist stance of the former Dutch Reformed-led white National Party.

Still, it's a bit of an irony, even if the ANC today may frequent US-styled mega-churches and pepper their speeches with religious rhetoric, such as President Zuma saying that the ANC will rule until Jesus comes back.

I really find it hard to sing, even after a real effort to learn the words.
It's been bungled spectacularly by singers at major events.

At rugby matches one usually hears a murmur for the first verses, and then the stadium audibly erupts into the English and Afrikaans bits of the old anthem.
It's actually quite funny.
It's been proposed by some "Africanists" that the English and Afrikaans verses should be dropped completely since they are reminders of "colonialism" (of course German luxury cars and Italian suits are not reminders of "colonialism").

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: grainofsand

If we didn't have the crown we would have a president...we would have to change so much so many laws government agencies etc.
Remember the Queen represents the people so you took an oath to protect the people.

Cromwell made England a republic. It didn't work. After a few years Charles II was asked to take The Crown
As the saying goes, we tried it and we didn't want it.

God Save The Queen.

a reply to: alldaylong

It is a hymn I love, I'm Scottish. Why give it to England?

originally posted by: alienscot1
a reply to: alldaylong

It is a hymn I love, I'm Scottish. Why give it to England?

Words written by an Englishman
Music written by an Englishman

Is that a good enough reason?

My god...

It's sung with pride not because the fans believe every word of it bit because they're supporting there team just like any other nation or football club for that matter

Most English people couldn't give a monkeys about the queen but appreciate the tourism they bring... Britons Micky noise of you like

And as for god... Christ the only religious people in the UK is the Muslims bit we still have christenings and celebrate Christmas "literally" for the crack so to speak... As an event or an excuse to het drunk and be merry lol

It's a pride thing

Don't read to much into it

a reply to: grainofsand

"God Save the Queen" is the national anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland (and coincidentally Liechtenstein use the same tune for their anthem as well).

Both Northern Ireland and England still play GSTQ as their national anthems at football matches. However England uses "Jerusalem" these days at the Commonwealth Games.

Many people outside the UK still think England and Britain are one and the same country. Whilst we Brits can't really understand why. There is so much confusion abroad about it. Whilst we live in four united neighbouring kingdoms that are quite clearly defined to us. I think the problem lies with us competing at the Olympics as Team GB whilst in all of our major sports we play as separate nations.

As for God saving our Queen. Well I am not sure what 'God' is other than something created by man in most cases. But we cannot rule out the existence of a 'creator' either. Whether the protection of such a creator to the British Monarch applies in melody is entirely a different question.

Our Queen is someone who, in my younger days, I felt no ill will against, but she seemed to be an irrelevant relic.

However as time passed I have grown to truly appreciate her role in shaping the post-war, post-Empire Britain. A role no one could have predicted for her before World War II.

Most of us alive today have never known any other monarch of Britain. Our Queen has has had her good times and bad for 60 odd years. But she offers a unique, non-political, role as head of state for us.

When I think of the alternatives of Presidents Blair, Brown and Cameron in the current century then I think I'd much still rather have the Queen as head of state here.

But when it comes to the footy, - England, N.Ireland, Scotland and Wales are four separate nations. Perhaps you have to live in the UK to understand that?

I think God Save The Queen is a really good song.
Many countries, notably the US, have had their flags and symbols incorporated into global popular culture.
Sometimes anthems have been deliberately reworked as protest - one thinks of The Sex Pistols or Jimi Hendrix.

However, perhaps because I've been a huge Queen fan, only the British anthem has also been sung with pride and adulation by millions of rock fans across the globe.

It's actually amazing if one thinks about it.
Even from an agnostic position one would think that if there was a God, He should save the queen, or an institution bigger than the individual.
I suppose it's fantastic that we can all communicate because of the English language, for example.

Well, I don't know the lyrics, but here's my favorite version by Brian May:

I'm English and our anthem means nothing to me.

It mentions God, which = nonsense.
And
The Queen, which = pointless.

Patriotism can sit and spin as far as I'm concerned.

Hmmmm... I think I've just answered my own question about emigrating!

a reply to: halfoldman
Thanks for such an interesting reply about the South African anthem, I definitely learned something new today!
This especially made me chuckle...

originally posted by: halfoldman
I really find it hard to sing, even after a real effort to learn the words.
It's been bungled spectacularly by singers at major events.

At rugby matches one usually hears a murmur for the first verses, and then the stadium audibly erupts into the English and Afrikaans bits of the old anthem.

Lol, reminds me of my home nation, as I said in the OP, the anthem for Wales is sung in the Welsh language, and at rugby matches you will hear thousands of people belting it out perfectly, but this is from being taught it over and over in school, you'd be surprised how many folk don't actually know what the words mean. I often tease my fellow Welsh compatriates about that!

I don't believe in God, and also find the notion of a monarchy a bit silly - even if I don't particularly mind it.

For me, 'God Save The Queen' just has a nice ring to it as a song, and is good fun to boom out.

It always sounds great at football matches!

Thanks for the differing opinions expressed here so far, it is interesting to see that pro-monarchy seem drawn to the 'God save the queen' line whereas those with republican feelings do not.

Would it be a fair suggestion that those who believe in being ruled by an invisible power (God) will be more likely to support an unelected head of state as their symbolic leader? The two kind of go hand in hand as far as I can see it.

a reply to: KingIcarus
I get what you're saying, but if the words mean nothing to the people singing it does it not make the anthem completely irrelevent and pointless?

a reply to: grainofsand

I don't think so. The song itself is unimportant in my opinion - it's the shared experience of singing it that brings people together.

In the case of the football match, it brings everyone's attention together and builds anticipation of what's about to occur.

The song could be anything if it has a suitable sense of 'occasion' to it.

on this day in 1977 this song entered the charts..Should have made number 1 but the powers that be at decided Rod Stewart would be number 1 even though he sold less than half what the Pistols did.

a reply to: Soloprotocol
I know that song well and have it on my mobile playlist haha!
Interesting claims about Rod being 'given' the No1 spot, any decent sources about that conspiracy or is it just whispers from the music industry? I don't really doubt such a sly move to be honest though, it was pre-internet days after all.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: Soloprotocol
I know that song well and have it on my mobile playlist haha!
Interesting claims about Rod being 'given' the No1 spot, any decent sources about that conspiracy or is it just whispers from the music industry? I don't really doubt such a sly move to be honest though, it was pre-internet days after all.

I wish i had something other than just whispers from the music industry....but it's always been the belief that the song was brushed under the carpet given the timing and the message in the song...it was certainly banned by the BBC at the time. nothing new there really...They still like to drip feed the masses what they believe they should and should not see and hear.

a reply to: Soloprotocol
All UK media pretty much swoons over the royal family though, even the recent fuss about pics of Kate Middletons cute arse being published by a German mag. No publishers in Britain would touch it but I bet they wish they could have, would've boosted sales big time that day as they know full well.

The funny thing is that anyone who wanted to see it just looked on t'internet, not that special to me, I'd prefer Pippa

a reply to: grainofsand



Missed that I will report back .

a reply to: grainofsand

You are right it is cute

It would have to be both or nothing for me ;0

a reply to: boymonkey74
Hahaha! Same for me, but oops, not enough respect being shown...expect a knock at the door late at night and some spurious detention under the terrorism act or something now!

Sorry establishment, I only have absolute respect for Kate..sorry, The Duchess of Cambridge, now she's officially a 'royal' she is of course more important as a human being than any of us commoners and I never have immoral thoughts about her, honest! Oh, maybe God save me!!