National Anthems

Hearing the national anthem of the new country of South Sudan on Saturday morning prompted several thoughts: firstly, what a jaunty little tune; secondly, what are the common denominators that link the anthems of different countries and, on the other hand, where do they differ? I also thought about God Save the Queen; not only the modern relevance of the lyrics, but also the nature of the words and tune when compared to other anthems. Finally, I was moved by the hope expressed in the South Sudanese lyrics by a nation whose people have endured a great deal of hardship.

Anyway, just hearing the concise and sprightly call from the populace of South Sudan for God to protect their new country (and I really do wish them well; they're up against it from day one) set me off on a voyage of discovery. People who know me will not be surprised to hear that I've loved looking into this stuff: it was a real act of will to stop myself delving deeper into the origins and meaning of the 200-plus national anthems being belted out in heartfelt praise to various fatherlands and motherlands all over the world.

Is there any meaning to be read, for example, into the fact that a nation's anthem refers to the 'motherland' as opposed to the 'fatherland'? Maybe Freud may have an answer to that one but I couldn't decide. France and Germany both plump for the fatherland whereas the Russians side with South Sudan in expressing a wish to protect the motherland.

One recurring factor in a good deal of national anthems is the willingness of a nation's people (at least in the opinion of the person who wrote the lyrics) to die for their country. Countries from Ireland to China refer to the bravery of those who fight for them against those who threaten, or have threatened the nation. Blood is mentioned on an alarming number of occasions; the French seem particularly keen on relieving both internal and external enemies of their vital fluids. Although, in fairness, the Marseillaise was written as a marching song for the Rhine Army, and was not officially adopted exclusively as the national anthem until after World War II.

God is another common element running through national ditties. Italy, South Africa, Switzerland and, of course, the United Kingdom are just a few examples of this phenomenon. Russians have thanked God for watching over them since 2000 in their revised lyrics.

The Swiss example is particularly fascinating. There is no call to arms in the latest incarnation of the Swiss anthem, neither is there any reference to blood or tyranny. Indeed the Swiss are exhorted to surrender; to God, admittedly, but surrender nonetheless. No internal or external enemy is mentioned. Perhaps this is a sign of supreme confidence that God is in fact Swiss, or that they are safe from attack anyway because of their long-standing and renowned neutrality. As an aside, the current Swiss anthem was adopted in 1961, mainly due to the resemblance of the old tune to that of God Save the Queen. Diplomatic pressure from the British government, concerned that the constant playing of the tune at the winter Olympics was engendering false hope in the British people, brought about this change... or there may have been another reason.

Several anthems stress unity; the rather uplifting and rousing Italian anthem (it always makes me wish either that I was Italian, or the UK could adopt the tune) being a prime example of this. Although it was written in 1847, it was not adopted as the national anthem until 1947 due to the various upheavals of the intervening years. Taking the unity theme even further, Indians try to promote the idea of togetherness of their disparate regions by mentioning as many as possible by name in their anthem, as well as invoking the concept of a unifying spiritual force which binds them together. The German anthem also mentions unity in its post-1990 format. Like the Russian tune, it suffers in some people's minds from association with a previous regime. However, in the German case that association is probably restricted, at least in this country, to the very old and the sort of single-celled creature who chants 'two world wars and one world cup' at football matches (to which the reply 'three world cups and one massively successful post-war reconstruction' is not heard, but perhaps should be).

South American national anthems tend to be dramatic and operatic in nature. These are tunes that stand in their own right as musical pieces; in fact the Brazilian anthem had no lyrics between its inception in 1822 and its centenary. When they were added in 1922, the inevitable, and ubiquitous in South American anthems, willingness to die for the country (Argentina and Uruguay are other examples in the region) was included along with a boastful reference to the nation's vast size. This last point is also made by the Russians in their anthem. Perhaps another case for Dr. Freud.

Anthems of the New World tend to include the name of the country in the title: Australia, Canada and New Zealand all do this. Perhaps they imagine their citizens waking up one day thinking 'now where do I come from again?'; maybe not such an outlandish notion considering the propensity for international travel (and, some might say, alcohol) exhibited by many of them.

The United States, of course, has one of the most recognisable anthems in the world today. The central idea here is of the flag as a symbol of resistance against rising odds. The concepts of freedom and bravery which are represented by the defiantly fluttering flag are a key part of the American national narrative.

One of the most extraordinary and moving anthems must be that of South Africa. The remarkable welding of N'Kosi Sikelel' iAfrica and Die Stem into a single anthem is an incredible affirmation of a nation's desire for reconciliation. It is unique in being the only national anthem in which different parts are sung in different languages; Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English. Even the multilingual Swiss have not managed this; their anthem was originally penned in German and then translated into the other three national tongues of Switzerland.

So, what of God Save the Queen? Leaving aside the objections of some of the non-English parts of the United Kingdom, there is also a body of opinion that objects to either what some perceive as the dreary nature of the tune, or the pro-monarchy lyrics. Cases have been put forward for Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem as possible alternatives. However, both have their drawbacks and that is an entirely new discussion. The challenge of providing lyrics to Billy Connolly's suggestion of the theme tune to The Archers (certainly jaunty enough) could be interesting but will probably prove elusive.

Personally, I am ambivalent on the subject. As with many British institutions, I feel quite free to criticise them myself yet when I hear an 'outsider' questioning them, I feel a distinct prickling and find myself struggling to hold back invective which could be construed as either patriotic or xenophobic depending on your viewpoint. However, as far as relevance goes, to paraphrase Eddie Izzard, Her Majesty lives in several big houses, commanding a sizeable army, with people waiting on her, hand and foot - that's one saved Queen. Although perhaps the seldom-sung reference to crushing rebellious Scots is given a new lease of life by the independence debate north of the border.

One final anthem to mention is the one that really does make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and has been known on occasion to necessitate a tear-suppressing snuffle: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau - the Welsh anthem. Although Wales is not an independent nation, Land of my Fathers (which is true in my case - well, in the singular anyway) is regarded as its song of national pride. There is a fantastic Welshness about it. The tune is at the same time maudlin and hopeful, it eulogises poets and singers before mentioning warriors, and, in the seldom-heard later verses, stresses the importance of retaining the language. In other words, don't even think about invading us or we'll attempt to sing you to death with magnificent verse in a language you can't comprehend, then, if you're still standing, fight you. Even for Welshmen (and their descendants) who speak little or no Welsh it is extremely likely that the words of the first verse and chorus are familiar. This is probably because, like some other Welsh phrases, it does not translate particularly well into English. I recall a Welsh friend of mine trying to explain the word hwyl, which does not actually appear in the anthem, to American colleagues when I worked in Atlanta. A valiant effort which was closely followed by a short silence and then 'What chance do you give the Braves in the World Series guys?'

Human beings generally have a need to huddle together for protection; to identify themselves as part of a wider group with similar attributes. National anthems, for better or worse, have a major role to play in this process. For the people of South Sudan who have suffered horrendously and fought heroically for their right to govern themselves, hopefully the wishes expressed in their new anthem will be realised.