I watched Last Night of the Proms last night – the highlight of which being the massive rendition of Rule Britannia, made even better by live pictures and sound from Hyde Park, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Manchester. We’re generally not that patriotic and most of us hate the flag waving Americans but the Last night seems to invoke real pride into people.
It brings me on to the brilliant song Jerusalem – a feat of historical genius: Blake’s words, Parry’s music and Elgar‘s arrangement. The song that was created to raise spirits during the Great War is still probably one of the most widely sung in England.
The worst thing about the proms is the ‘national anthem’ sung right at the end. After all this patriotism, ‘isn’t Britain great’ sort of stuff. We end up singing a piss poor song about a woman who ended up Queen cause her uncle couldn’t cope! Which brings me onto the programme that followed on BBC FOUR: Jerusalem
- An Anthem for England. People like David Mellor and Billy Bragg talk about why it should be the English National Anthem, Keith Allen talked about how he used a Black Gospel and all Gay Choirs in his Fat Les video to piss off the BNP and National Front and Various Clergy men talked about why the Church has banned the song from many parish services.
The last part about Churches is interesting, Jerusalem is thought of as a Hymn by many but when you break it down it’s really not. Schools we’re publicly encouraged to sing it, The WI took it as their anthem but the Church of England doesn’t like Blake’s words…….and Blake didn’t like the Church – He once said that Churches were the synagogues of Satan. He was a spiritual person but hated organised religion, some people think that his questions in the poem were metaphors for many things – I guess we’ll never know.
I for one think it’s an amazing, emotional tune and is really worthy of being the English National Anthem – Billy Blag made a really good point that the poem isn’t about what England IS, but what England COULD BE. Spritiual or not, I love it.
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land
Takes me back to Morning Assembly in Big School. It was one of the few songs I enjoyed singing. Most of the rest were absolute dirge. Painful.
Its a great song. It should not be our national anthem.
Firstly, you need a song your average football fan (or other subnormal) can remember the words to. Lets face it, hit them with verse two of our current anthem and your in for a resounding silence. Something as lyrically complex as Jerusalem – no chance.
Secondly, the English as a race can’t sing. Sad but true. The welsh as a race can sing, even the damn French can hold a tune. Us, like the Germans, No. Fortunately, our national anthem is a continuous drone. Even the most vocally inept can bang it out with passion, volume and minimal embarrasement. But the thought of 80,000 drunks attempting Jerusalem prior to a sporting international.? No, just hand the opposition the trophy and walk away ashamed.
I disagree – I’ve just heard 22,000 pissed poeple sing it at the Oval and it sounded ace.
They had the words on a big screen.
It sounded ace.
Remember, this was cricket fans. Usually middle class, reasonably educated & intelligent. Try it with 22000 pissed milwall fans & see how you get on. Words on a screen don’t help if you can’t read. And I don’t think ‘your going to get your f**ing heads kicked in’ (repeat till fade)should be our anthem either, despite being a more accurate portrail of british culture and aspirations than Jerusalem could ever hope to be.
Stand at Twickenham when they sing the national anthem. In its way its every bit as powerful and moving as Jerusalem.
Finally, jerusalem is not lyrically that great when you look at it. Those ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ are what made this country the economic powerhouse, leader of industry and ruler of an empire. Not some poncing lamb of god in a field.
“Stand at Twickenham when they sing the national anthem. In its way its every bit as powerful and moving as Jerusalem.”
Stand at Twickenham? I’m not a arsehole. “God save our Queen” is in no way moving, shut up.
Lyrically it is great if you were a spiritual nature lover like Blake.
He was ‘appalled at how the industrial revolution was reshaping both the countryside and English life.’
Typifies the whole Englander attitude really. “That Christianity thing’s OK but it’s not realy good enough if it isn’t in England.” See how much better it would be if it was English. Arrogant lot.
Typifies the whole Englander attitude really. “That Christianity thing’s OK but it’s not realy good enough if it isn’t in England.” “See how much better it would be if it was English.”
Arrogant lot.
For me, it’s got to be Jerusalem. We don’t need a bureaucrat or referendum to decide the issue. Just sing it over GStQ. Others will join in you watch.