Wouldn't it Be Embarassing if......................

......-------------us

-----------ious
God Save the Queen!


LOL
But I do get choked up when I hear it!

Hey, fealola. You probably get choked up, cause the Yanks borrowed the tune. My country tis of thee, etc..etc.

Do you know all four verses to the Star Spangled Banner?

One of the most moving things I've ever experienced was when the Brits played the Star Spangled Banner instead of God Save the Queen at the changing of the guards on or shortly after 9/11. It had never been done before. I completly lost it.

No, I never got choked up at the American version at all. I just have a thing for England I guess.

I only know the first verse of the Star Spangled Banner!

But I do sing it out loud at events. I even go for the high notes! People stare!

I remember that all too well, fealola. The mother hasn't forgotten the child, nor the child the mother.

Know something? I only know the name of one other country's national anthem, and that's "O Canada."

Joke: An American sentry is standing at a checkpoint and sees a dark figure approaching. "Halt", he commands."Who goes there?" Whereupon the figure responds in a quavering voice,"American."

"Ok," retorts the sentry. "What's the fourth verse to the Star Spangled Banner?"
"I don't know it." came the hopeless response.

"Pass, American." replied the sentry

Hey where is everybody? You're right, Letty, they're all embarrased!

Thanks to South Park, my kids know O Canada!

I'll see what I can do about the "everybody's"....

Did I mention that I know all four verses to "The Star Spangled Banner"?

I much prefer "America the Beautiful", however.

Why do you know all four verses? Was it taught to you in school? Did you have to perform it or where you just interested. This is not norma!

:wink:

Yes, America the Beautiful is Much Better!

I taught it to my students as poetry, and it is beautiful poetry. The tune comes from an old English drinking song, I think. The range is unbelievable. Only someone making merry in a pub could hit "free"

Katherine Lee Bates was a teacher, and that's why America the Beautiful is so beautiful.

In '79, my childhood friend and I were traveling cross country from east to west on I-70. After days of traveling through the flatness Kansas and Eastern Colorado, we reached a plateau. All of a sudden the west opened up and the Rockies and Pikes Peak appeared in the distance. Spontaniously and completly unplanned, we broke out into a passionate version of America the Beautiful! It was one of those moments.

Years later, I found out that Katherine Lee Bates wrote the hymn after seeing Pikes Peak for the first time! I flipped when I heard that! !!

I am proud to say that I don't know the full version of ANY national anthem, which makes me a potential expert in diplomacy.

Kill joy. That's the entire point of the thread.

Now what's this:

Allon enfant de la patria? Wow! Remembered that.

Heh heh....well it's true....

Just to make up, here are the lyrics and history of O Canada, a decidedly short and wimpy anthem, if you ask me:

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/anthem_e.cfm#h2

I much prefer The Maple Leaf Forever. A much more stirring anthem, aaaaaaaaand the tree the composer 'knew' is a few minutes from my house.

Oh No! Cav looked it up! (thumbing through rule book)

Here are the lyrics to the unnoficial anthem of Quebec, and a decidedly more passionate song:

Gens du pays
Gilles Vigneault

Le temps que l'on prend pour se dire: je t'aime
C'est le seul qui reste au bout de nos jours
Les voeux que l'on fait les fleurs que l'on seme
Chacun les récolte en soi-même
Aux beaux jardin du temps qui court

Gens du pays c'est votre tour
De vous laisser parler d'amour
Gens du pays c'est votre tour
De vous laisser parler d'amour

Le temps de s'aimer, le jour de le dire
Fond comme la neige aux doigts du printemps
Fêtons de nos joies, fêtons de nos rires
Ces yeux ou nos regards se mirent
C'est demain que j'avais vingt ans

Gens du pays...

Le ruisseau des jours aujourd'hui s'arrête
Et forme un étang ou chacun peut voir
Comme en un miroir l'amour qu'il reflète
Pour ces coeurs a qui je souhaite
Le temps de vivre leurs espoirs

Gens du pays...


And an older Canadian anthem which I much prefer:

The Maple Leaf Forever - Lyrics
In Days of yore,
From Britain's shore
Wolfe the dauntless hero came
And planted firm Britannia's flag
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave,
Our boast, our pride
And joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwined,
The Maple Leaf Forever.

[CHORUS]
The Maple Leaf
Our Emblem Dear,
The Maple Leaf Forever.
God save our Queen and heaven bless,
The Maple Leaf Forever.

At Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane
Our brave fathers side by side
For freedom's home and loved ones dear,
Firmly stood and nobly died.
And so their rights which they maintained,
We swear to yeild them never.
Our watchword ever more shall be
The Maple Leaf Forever

[CHORUS]

Our fair Dominion now extends
From Cape Race to Nootka Sound
May peace forever be our lot
And plenty a store abound
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever
And flourish green for freedom's home
The Maple Leaf Forever

[CHORUS]

Hey ehBeth, heh heh, got the lyrics in just as you were posting

Hey, ehBeth.Anyone up thar ever try to get the Maple Leaf changed to The Maple Leaf Rag?

And who is this "knew" whom you have known?