jmg@houxk.UUCP (12/17/83)
To: Chip Hitchcock From: J. McGhee You forgot to include one item in your list of rebel songs - the Star Spangled Banner. I think there's an interesting similarity between it and John Lennon and Yoko Ono's songs, especially when it comes from a British author who's been honored by the Queen. Too bad you'll never be able to think of John Lennon again as another glory of the British Empire. So far I've only given you the introduction and laid the groundwork in my articles. Good things can't be rushed.
tjt@kobold.UUCP (T.J.Teixeira) (12/30/83)
In his reply to Chip Hitchcock, J. McGhee classifies "The Star Spangled
Banner" as a rebel song, similar to rebel songs about Ireland.
Well, this may surprise you (and T. Wheeler), but I agree that "The
Star Spangled Banner" is a nationalistic, inflamatory, rebel song.
Obviously, a national anthem will be nationalistic, but I would much
prefer an anthem that had something more positive to say than "don't
fuck with me or I'll beat the shit out of you!"
--
Tom Teixeira, Massachusetts Computer Corporation. Westford MA
...!{ihnp4,harpo,decvax,ucbcad,tektronix}!masscomp!tjt (617) 692-6200amigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson) (01/03/84)
Tom Teixeira says: >> In his reply to Chip Hitchcock, J. McGhee classifies "The Star >> Spangled Banner" as a rebel song, similar to rebel songs about >> Ireland. >> Well, this may surprise you (and T. Wheeler), but I agree that >> "The Star Spangled Banner" is a nationalistic, inflamatory, rebel >> song. Obviously, a national anthem will be nationalistic, but I >> would much prefer an anthem that had something more positive to >> say than "don't fuck with me or I'll beat the shit out of you!" -- I remember seeing on a PBS TV show some time ago (I think that it was Kenneth Clarke's CIVILIZATION) a little bit about national anthems. The British one is a prayer for the monarch ("God save our gracious queen/Long live our noble queen..."), the French is a call to battle ("...Aux armes, citoyens/Formez les battalions..."), he also gave an example from one of the Swiss cantons (each one has its own) that went to the effect of "We've got a nice little place here and we like it". The German "Duetschland, Duetschland, ueber Alles" is another one of the type that Tom is complaining about, with the first verse (now banned in West Germany) making some quite extravegant territorial claims. I have always thought that "The Star Spangled Banner" was a lousy national anthem, about a minor historical event, with an almost impossible to sing tune (I, along with 95% of the American people, simply don't have the vocal range that it calls for). I think that "America the Beautiful", another one of these "This is a beautiful country" songs would be much better. (BTW, I once read in a childrens' book about the US that TSSB was originally a military march. Must have been a very strange march, because it is in three-quarter time. I have a mental image of lines of 18th century soldiers waltzing into battle.) Canada has a very nice anthem, and if you can get CBC radio, listen to it when they sign off. (They used to play first "Oh, Canada", then "God Save the Queen", but, now in these degenerate days of Liberal governments, they no longer play GStQ.) John Hobson AT&T Bell Labs Naperville, IL (312) 979-7392 ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2 P.S. McGhee gives a list of children killed by the British Army, Ulster Loyalists, and Royal Ulster Constabulary since 1966. Just two questions: The IRA hasn't killed any children? Assuming that they have, where are these names?