Podcast
National Anthems: The Worst Songs In The World
By David Pate
18
0
Every nation has one, but the vast majority of national anthems wouldn't meet the kind of basic criteria we'd apply to a song for inclusion in a school concert. Almost every anthem is sexist, sectarian or violent. Or all of the above. This series looks at the bad, the worse and the ugly of anthems - from the movie theme song that is now the national anthem of one of the world's most powerful nations to the celebration of death, violence and blood-letting that dominates so many national songs. Using music from around the world, we'll look at how anthems came to be and why it's so hard to make even the most basic of changes to make them more inclusive and less offensive. Presented by veteran Scottish-Canadian journalist and broadcaster David Pate, this is a global journey that will leave you wondering if nations really need theme songs - and if they do, then maybe the best solution is the one adopted by countries that prefer anthems without words. Like the podcast? Then you'll love the book! Changing Our Tunes will be published in September, 2024 by Dundurn Press.
Every nation has one, but the vast majority of national anthems wouldn't meet the kind of basic criteria we'd apply to a song for inclusion in a school concert. Almost every anthem is sexist, sectarian or violent. Or all of the above. This series looks at the bad, the worse and the ugly of anthems - from the movie theme song that is now the national anthem of one of the world's most powerful nations to the celebration of death, violence and blood-letting that dominates so many national songs. Using music from around the world, we'll look at how anthems came to be and why it's so hard to make even the most basic of changes to make them more inclusive and less offensive. Presented by veteran Scottish-Canadian journalist and broadcaster David Pate, this is a global journey that will leave you wondering if nations really need theme songs - and if they do, then maybe the best solution is the one adopted by countries that prefer anthems without words. Like the podcast? Then you'll love the book! Changing Our Tunes will be published in September, 2024 by Dundurn Press.
16. From China to Denmark
China's anthem is one of the most fiercely-protected anthems in the world. We start there - and end with one of only two countries that has two official anthems: Denmark
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27:19
15. Burkina Faso to Chile
The nest stage in our anthem odyssey takes us from Burkina Faso to Chile
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17:58
14. O Canada
Most countries with more than one official language simply translate the words of their national anthem so that everyone is at least singing the same song. But in Canada, there are two songs called O Canada and they have absolutely nothing in common. The original French song was written as a pro-Quebec nationalist song but the tune was co-opted by English Canada and turned into a pro-Canadian song. With the help of music critic Robert Harris, author of Song of a Nation: The Untold Story of Canada's National Anthem, this episode looks at the origins and history of a song that was almost lost to history
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20:34
13. Long to Reign Over Us
Countries haven't always had national anthems. Most were adopted fairly recently. The idea of a national anthem was born out of a British political crisis, when Bonnie Prince Charlie was marching on London in 1745 to claim the throne his grandfather had been forced to quit. The Scottish-led rebellion was crushed, but the song that London theatregoers sang to rally their spirits stuck around. Jacobite historian Paul Monod and composer and conductor Philip Sheppard (who arranged the anthem music still used by the Olympics) share their views on the British anthem's past - and possible future.
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12. Belize to Bulgaria
The journey through the 193 UN member anthems continues, from Belize to Bulgaria
22:08
11. Armenia to Belgium
The journey through the 193 UN member anthems continues, from Armenia to Belgium
24:32
10. Afghanistan to Argentina
There are 193 members of the United Nations. That's 193 anthems from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. I'm going to tell you about all of them, in alphabetical order.
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25:49
9. The Star-Spangled Banner
The US anthem is one of the most instantly recognizable tunes in the world. It's also one of the most-played anthems, thanks to the uniquely American practice of playing the song at almost every public occasion, from local fairs to Super Bowls. So how did this song rise to such prominence? The story of the US anthem is told in the bestselling book O Say Can You Hear: A Cultural Biography of the Star-Spangled Banner. Author Mark Clague joins me to talk about his book and the fascinating history of the anthem.
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8. God Loves Lots of Countries
Most national anthems like to toss in an appeal to God to favour one nation over all others. That religious basis helps explain why so many anthems sound like Christian hymns: in fact, many anthems are actually referred to as "national hymns." Maybe it's time to rethink religion in our national songs to make them more inclusive and less churchy.
16:56
7. Rebel Songs With a Cause
Some national anthems didn't start out that way: they were rebel songs that acquired respectability by being declared national symbols. We look at some of the rebel songs that made the journey - and how they lost their edge by becoming tools of the state
16:57
World Cup Special Part Two
We rarely get to hear other countries' anthems. The World Cup is a chance for us to listen to 32 national songs. It's also one of the major international events - along with the Olympics - that helped shape the modern anthem by setting limits on how long they could run. The abridged versions arranged for sports have now become the default songs that we recognize. We'll take a quick look at every anthem in the 2022 World Cup.
22:39
World Cup Special Part One
We rarely get to hear other countries' anthems. The World Cup is a chance for us to listen to 32 national songs. It's also one of the major international events - along with the Olympics - that helped shape the modern anthem by setting limits on how long they could run. The abridged versions arranged for sports have now become the default songs that we recognize. We'll take a quick look at every anthem in the 2022 World Cup.
22:31
6. The Search for Perfection
So your country has a national anthem featuring violence, God and/or sexism. What should you replace it with? The Swiss did their best to come up with a perfect anthem that everyone can relate to. But somehow, it just doesn't hit the right notes. We'll look at how hard it can be to pick a good anthem and why the best solution may be just to grab an existing tune that everyone already loves.
18:40
3. Abandoned Anthems
Welcome to the virtual warehouse of abandoned anthems, where we can find national songs of nations that no longer exist piled alongside works that were dumped unceremoniously after regime changes. Most are deservedly forgotten - like Rhodesia's anthem and the song adopted by the US Confederate States. Others - like East Germany's - live on in surprising places. And some are so heartbreakingly beautiful they deserve to be remembered, even if the country they represent is forgotten by the world.
22:25
2. Changing the Message
When Argentina sent a naval vessel to Spain to promote relations between the two countries, there were some awkward moments during the playing of the Argentine anthem which included lyrics calling the Spanish vile and bloodthirsty tyrants. So Argentina's government removed the most offensive verses, describing them as a "product of another era." But that's a rarity. Most countries don't seem willing to tone down the musical rhetoric. We'll look at countries that should change the words - but don't - and ones that have come up with more inclusive messages,
23:35
5. The Soft Power of Song
Some countries just stumble into national anthems because they suddenly realize that they're expected to have one. And what comes first is usually the music. Because it's the music that touches our emotions. Music can topple even the mightiest of regimes. We'll hear how the Baltic States sang their way to independence from the Soviet Union. And how nations and armies have always used music to encourage troops to fight - and have banned songs that send a different message.
23:14
4. They're Playing Our Song
Anthems aren't just for nations. There's a long and bewildering history of corporations adopting company songs in what seems like the ultimate CEO vanity project. They are almost always embarrassingly bad. Some companies then spend years trying to erase the evidence - but thanks to the internet, most of these terrible tunes still live on. We'll also look at how communities within nations adopt anthems and why the state of Tennessee may have stumbled across the solution to problematic national anthems.
22:29
1. Them's Fighting Words!
The idea of national anthems isn't an ancient one. It really all started back in the mid-18th century and took a long time to catch on. You can blame the English for that, but at least their national anthem isn't as violent and bloodthirsty as some. We'll also look at how anthems came to be associated with sports - and how the Olympics and World Cup helped shape the anthems we hear today.
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26:08
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