God save the Queen !

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Oh dear yes, the PC text messers. I cringe every time I hear the English Hymnal version of Bunyan's Who would true valour see. No lions or hobgoblins and the person changed from third to first. So nanny-ish and nit-picking. Mind you, it's a cracking tune...trad English realised by RVW...a candidate for a National Anthem?

Have you seen the PC version of Stand up, stand up for Jesus?

[MrGongGong]

Have you seen the PC version of Stand up, stand up for Jesus?

You mean

"Sit down, sit down for Jesus
The buggers at the back can't see" ?

[jean]

Oh dear yes, the PC text messers...

Some texts could do with some messing! Even as a child I used to think this was a bit off:

What though the spicy breezes blow soft o’er Ceylon’s isle;
Though every prospect pleases, and only man is vile?
In vain with lavish kindness the gifts of God are strown;
The heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone.

[Gordon]

That's the one about this chap isn't it?

Galloping Gallifreys Mr GG, such horseplay, I was a bit tardis(h) in Progressing that one but I Mastered it in the end with the help of a couple of Pan-Galactic GargleBlasters. Gives a new meaning to Remastering?

I thought it was an aging Pete Townshend at first. One of these days [sorry Pink Floyd] Police will want their box back then what'll he do? Take a while to empty it but, no rush, he's got all the time in the world.

[Flosshilde]

Yahoo best answer: " It's just a prayer to god that the Queen (of England) should have a long life".

"Long to reign over us"?

[Mary Chambers]

Oh dear yes, the PC text messers. I cringe every time I hear the English Hymnal version of Bunyan's Who would true valour see. No lions or hobgoblins and the person changed from third to first. So nanny-ish and nit-picking. Mind you, it's a cracking tune...trad English realised by RVW...a candidate for a National Anthem?

What? No lions, hobgoblins nor foul fiends? They were the best bit! What possible need was there to omit them?

[Pabmusic]

...Mind you, it's a cracking tune...trad English realised by RVW...a candidate for a National Anthem?

Our captain cried "All hands!". Here's a version collected by George Gardiner from the singing of George Smith at Fareham in 1906:



RVW used a variant from a Sussex singer.

The tune seems to be connected to Jameko (or Jamaica) which appears in the 1670 edition of Playford:

[P. G. Tipps]

Yahoo best answer: " It's just a prayer to god that the Queen (of England) should have a long life"..

Which rather suggests that, as far as the Queen (of Scots) is concerned, God can feel free to arrange for Her Majesty to pop her clogs at any time 'cos we don't really give a toss either way ...?

Now finally breaking my admirably retrained, self-imposed silence on the actual thread topic, I fail to see why ANYONE would want to be seen singing the National Anthem. As has already been noted one verse is overtly racist and I feel certain that both God and Her Majesty will have absolutely nothing to do with the wretched thing.

I am both a believer and completely unashamed and non-revisionary monarchist yet I wouldn't be seen dead mouthing those silly, non-politically-correct words. Where is the EHRC in this matter, for goodness sake? Furthermore, God will save exactly whom He wishes, including Her Majesty, without any special pleading from the lower orders.

I do hope Her Majesty is around for many, many more years but, like Jeremy, I certainly wouldn't dream of making an even bigger fool of myself by bursting into song about Her.

[french frank]

I do hope Her Majesty is around for many, many more years but, like Jeremy, I certainly wouldn't dream of making an even further fool of myself by bursting into song about Her.

Fortunately, no one is forced to, not even the leader of HM's official Opposition. The whole thing reminds me of the media 'outrage' because Michael Foot wore a "donkey jacket" (recte an expensive short jacket on which he was much complimented by the Queen Mother) to the Cenotaph ceremony, rather than a traditional full-length black overcoat. For Heaven's sake … !!!

[teamsaint]

"Long to reign over us"?

That is the line That I really can't be doing with.
Although the rest of it is dreaful too.

[ardcarp]

That is the line [Long to reign over us] that I really can't be doing with.

...but in HM's case our petitions seem to have worked.

[teamsaint]

...but in HM's case our petitions seem to have worked.

well perhaps we should start petitioning for really useful things then, if it works so well.

[ardcarp]

Our captain cried "All hands!".

Thanks for that Pabs. Delighted to know what RVW was basing it on. (Have to confess I don't see a very convincing connection to Jemeko though! It's a sort of cross between Sellinger's Round and Carmen's Whistle to my ears.)

[Pabmusic]

...(Have to confess I don't see a very convincing connection to Jemeko though! It's a sort of cross between Sellinger's Round and Carmen's Whistle to my ears.)

Ah! But you mustn't look at it in reverse, that is, beginning with the 1906 tune. A big feature of both tunes is the rapid (implied) harmony of I-VI-IV in the first few bars. This is (believe it or not) unusual in English folk music. The (implied) harmonies of the rest of both tunes match quite well. The EFDSS says most earlier variants of the ballad are in triple time, which might explain the 'halting' nature of the tune - it's been 'shoehorned' into duple time. "Jamaica" may simply be an earlier version of the tune adapted to a country dance.

[Beef Oven!]

Fortunately, no one is forced to, not even the leader of HM's official Opposition. The whole thing reminds me of the media 'outrage' because Michael Foot wore a "donkey jacket" (recte an expensive short jacket on which he was much complimented by the Queen Mother) to the Cenotaph ceremony, rather than a traditional full-length black overcoat. For Heaven's sake … !!!

And don't forget that Foot once took someone else's coat, on leaving a restaurant. Normally, one would keep the coat of the potential prime minister, but in this case the chap ran after him and gave him his donkey jacket back and retrieved his cashmere overcoat!

(A donkey jacket, for Chrissake! Who in their right mind would want to wear a bloody donkey jacket!?)