JERUSALEM COMETH .. Possibly

Lincsaddick

According to a report in the press (Sunday Times) this weekend, MPs are due to debate a proposal that the William Blake/Hubert Parry penned dirge 'Jerusalem' should replace another dirge 'God Save the Queen' as the English anthem at major sporting events. Call me Dave is reportedly in favour of the errrr motion.

Personally I would prefer 'Land of Hope & Glory' as Jerusalem, the city which should theoretically be built on our green and pleasant land, is a city divided between warring Jews and Palestinians with on-going squabbles and struggles over who owns what piece of dusty scrubland whereupon stands a 'holy' building.

L O H & G is not especially lively though despite the stirring lyrics. Perhaps the 'Okey Cokey', 'My Old Man's a Dustman' or 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' would be more upbeat and appropriate for modern England

.. any thoughts from CL readers as a bit of light relief from hair shirt wearing, bitter pill swallowing and suicide watching out for loved ones over l'affaire Duchatelet/Meire/Fraeye ?

palarsehater

would like our own national anthem as gstq is used as uk and england, jerusalem would be my choice.

ShootersHillGuru

I'm going for "Ernie - The fastest milkman in the west." Has everything that song.

BowieAddick

Heroes

Addickted

"Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough".

Failing that, then the theme from The Archers.

hawksmoor

I'm going for Kick Out The Jams by The MC5.

cafcfan

It's a rousing piece of music.
The trouble is it's a christian hymn. LOH & G has the same problem for me: too much mention of the fictional religious bloke.

smiffyboy

It might make the football team play with more pride and passion by stirring the inner emotions and firing them up instead of the normal can't be bothered attitude most of them have and don't sing GSTQ

Miserableoldgit

London Calling.
Well, it is the Capital of England.

rananegra

I'd quite like Jerusalem; the Jerusalem in the song is purely symbolic - it's about building a better tomorrow together now (just realised that sounds worryingly familiar).

LoHG is a livelier tune, but I've never felt any identification with it. I can't put my finger on it, but it just doesn't feel right.

In terms of something more modern, how about "London Calling" by the Clash? Good song, clearly English, would piss off northerners....
"A New England" by Billy Bragg?

I guess underlying it there's not the same shared culture amongst the English that there is among Scots or Welsh, so we've been using the British national anthem for sporting events. The nearest we have to something that is would be Jerusalem.

bobmunro

Nimrod - Elgar.

Words are not needed.

rananegra

On the words not needed bit (the Spanish seem to do OK) how about Pigbag or Tom Hark?
Fans could sing along dah-dah-dah-dah style

NornIrishAddick

Chumbawumba's Tubthumping for me, but then, it doesn't affect me....

killerandflash

Jerusalem would be the obvious choice for sporting events, seeing that it's already used at the start of play at England cricket Test matches

cafcdave123

I think they should start with GSTQ then drop smack my bitch up in half way through

bazjonster

Blasphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode

soapy_jones

Lip up fatty by Bad Manners

Macronate

damn, opened this thinking Varney was brokering some Israeli investment.

Yorkshireaddick

I'm all in favour of English teams having their own anthem but Jerusalem is a dirge. I'd want something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when a crowd of 80,000 belt it out. The Marseillase does that to me and I'm not even French. Let's have a competition

cabbles

clementine by mark owen

Miserableoldgit

Yorkshireaddick said:

I'm all in favour of English teams having their own anthem but Jerusalem is a dirge. I'd want something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when a crowd of 80,000 belt it out. The Marseillase does that to me and I'm not even French. Let's have a competition

Glad I wasn't born in France........I can't speak French.

SomervilleAddick

Miserableoldgit said:

Yorkshireaddick said:

I'm all in favour of English teams having their own anthem but Jerusalem is a dirge. I'd want something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when a crowd of 80,000 belt it out. The Marseillase does that to me and I'm not even French. Let's have a competition

Glad I wasn't born in France........I can't speak French.

I had an old great aunt who went to Spain for the first time when she was in her 70's. She thought it was amazing the even little kids had learnt Spanish.

iainment

smiffyboy said:

It might make the football team play with more pride and passion by stirring the inner emotions and firing them up instead of the normal can't be bothered attitude most of them have and don't sing GSTQ

Do you really think singing a song before a game makes tuppence of difference? If it did all pro clubs would do it. It doesn't so they don't.

cafcdave123

iainment said:

smiffyboy said:

It might make the football team play with more pride and passion by stirring the inner emotions and firing them up instead of the normal can't be bothered attitude most of them have and don't sing GSTQ

Do you really think singing a song before a game makes tuppence of difference? If it did all pro clubs would do it. It doesn't so they don't.

I actually think it does play a part in getting the team pumped up for the match and definitely in getting the fans going.

SuedeAdidas

iainment said:

smiffyboy said:

It might make the football team play with more pride and passion by stirring the inner emotions and firing them up instead of the normal can't be bothered attitude most of them have and don't sing GSTQ

Do you really think singing a song before a game makes tuppence of difference? If it did all pro clubs would do it. It doesn't so they don't.

Have you ever seen the Rugby boys singing the anthems?

redman

Yorkshireaddick said:

I'm all in favour of English teams having their own anthem but Jerusalem is a dirge. I'd want something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when a crowd of 80,000 belt it out. The Marseillase does that to me and I'm not even French. Let's have a competition

80.000 people singing Jerusalem would be equally moving. If 200 Barmy Army cricket fans can do it, surely 80,000 football fans could

MountsfieldPark

SuedeAdidas said:

iainment said:

smiffyboy said:

It might make the football team play with more pride and passion by stirring the inner emotions and firing them up instead of the normal can't be bothered attitude most of them have and don't sing GSTQ

Do you really think singing a song before a game makes tuppence of difference? If it did all pro clubs would do it. It doesn't so they don't.

Have you ever seen the Rugby boys singing the anthems?

The first time I heard the Welsh sing Hen Wlad fy Nhadau was before Wales -v- England at the old Arms Park on a black & white mono tv in the 60s and I thought in my childish way, something along the lines of what the hell is that? That song trumps everything, even without a drop of Welsh blood in your veins, even when you're English and the "fierce foeman" of the song. The meaning of the lyrics is beautiful and it makes the Marseillaise sound like a pub ditty.

Algarveaddick

rananegra said:

On the words not needed bit (the Spanish seem to do OK) how about Pigbag or Tom Hark?
Fans could sing along dah-dah-dah-dah style

Could do Ride of the Valkyeries in the same style, still an association with the royal family too...

iainment

SuedeAdidas said:

iainment said:

smiffyboy said:

It might make the football team play with more pride and passion by stirring the inner emotions and firing them up instead of the normal can't be bothered attitude most of them have and don't sing GSTQ

Do you really think singing a song before a game makes tuppence of difference? If it did all pro clubs would do it. It doesn't so they don't.

Have you ever seen the Rugby boys singing the anthems?

That worked well in the World Cup didn't it?

AshBurton

redman said:

Yorkshireaddick said:

I'm all in favour of English teams having their own anthem but Jerusalem is a dirge. I'd want something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when a crowd of 80,000 belt it out. The Marseillase does that to me and I'm not even French. Let's have a competition

80.000 people singing Jerusalem would be equally moving. If 200 Barmy Army cricket fans can do it, surely 80,000 football fans could

Indeed - singing it in Sydney in Jan 2014 was particularly moving when Alastair Cook padded up to a straight one halfway through the first verse.

kentaddick

80,000 england fans singing jerusalem would be amazing. An incredibly rousing song that makes your hair stand up and your eyes start to tear up when you sing the second verse.